It's been a long break. Too long. Far too long. The last time I tied the laces on my running shoes was in March when I ran a half marathon in Suffolk, England. It was a cross country run - completely different to the TCS Amsterdam Marathon. The ground was soft and the terrain was very versatile. This marathon will be different; an extra 13 miles to complete and a course that's totally paved.
Oh boy.
For me, running means a lot. It's about that feeling it delivers when you stand in the shower a sweating mess after slogging it out for a couple of hours. It's a confidence you can't come-by with any other form of fitness. Yes, going to the gym makes you feel good, but you're training alongside other people partaking in resistance exercise that normally surpasses your ability. Know the feeling? - I'm sure you do.
Running is different. You're not hounded to hurry on a machine; you're not being glared at by hormonal gym buffs; and you're not staring at the same walls three times a week.
Tonight was my first run since March and it felt bloody good. In four months time I will have completed my first full marathon - a challenge I've been wanting to do since I was a lad. I see a marathon as more of a compulsory activity that I have to do. I sometimes imagine being 50 years old and looking back and seeing that I failed to receive a marathon medal.
I won't fail.
I ran 2.5 miles in 24 minutes (or there about). I'm now on the training course to October 21, where I'll run through the finish line in Amsterdam.
What charity shall I run for? How many times should I train a week? Where in the UK will training take me?
An interesting four months is without doubt ahead of me.
Oh boy.
For me, running means a lot. It's about that feeling it delivers when you stand in the shower a sweating mess after slogging it out for a couple of hours. It's a confidence you can't come-by with any other form of fitness. Yes, going to the gym makes you feel good, but you're training alongside other people partaking in resistance exercise that normally surpasses your ability. Know the feeling? - I'm sure you do.Running is different. You're not hounded to hurry on a machine; you're not being glared at by hormonal gym buffs; and you're not staring at the same walls three times a week.
Tonight was my first run since March and it felt bloody good. In four months time I will have completed my first full marathon - a challenge I've been wanting to do since I was a lad. I see a marathon as more of a compulsory activity that I have to do. I sometimes imagine being 50 years old and looking back and seeing that I failed to receive a marathon medal.
I won't fail.
I ran 2.5 miles in 24 minutes (or there about). I'm now on the training course to October 21, where I'll run through the finish line in Amsterdam.
What charity shall I run for? How many times should I train a week? Where in the UK will training take me?
An interesting four months is without doubt ahead of me.
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