Friday 8 August 2014

I'm such a geek

Who would have thought there was so much to learn about running?

It's surely just something that we do? Something that we were designed for?

That may well be the case, but when you've spent much of your life sitting on your bum, while filling yourself with all kinds of yucky stuff and stressing yourself out with work and life, it's worth searching out a few pointers to get you started.

And basically, I don't have time to get injured, so I found some expert help and did a bit of research. I got a couple of IronMen to put together my training plan, booked in for monthly sessions with a sports massage person, got properly fitted running shoes, improved my diet, and ran slow and steady.

I've read some inspirational books including Finding Ultra by Rich Roll, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, A Life without Limits by Chrissie Wellington, Spark by John Ratey, and Marathon: You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway.

With 6 weeks to go, I'm really enjoying my runs. Slow and steady. Run ... walk ... run ... walk. Kilometer after kilometer.

Now I've got a whole raft of new questions to answer:

  1. Is there any avoiding gels and sports drinks? 
  2. Will Jelly Babies and coconut water be enough?
  3. Why am I so emotional the day after my long run? 
  4. How can I avoid having a dicky tummy on long training runs and on the big day?
  5. How best to up my speed just a little without causing injury?
  6. Why have I stopped losing weight despite all the training?
  7. Shall I get new running kit before the big day or stick with my rather tatty but reliable training kit?
  8. Exactly how much stuff am I going to be able to carry on the day?
  9. What's this whole thing about getting your body to be better at fat burning?
  10. What are the best things to do to speed recovery after a long run?
  11. Why does it feel so good when I lie with my legs up the wall?
  12. How do I get to the starting line uninjured?
  13. How do I build the mental strength to get me to the finishing line?
  14. Will I be smiling or sobbing when I cross the line? both probably
And plenty more besides.

I wasn't expecting running to be an intellectual exercise, but it turns out if can be if you want it to be.

I'm such a geek.

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