I ran round Dunorlan lake four times yesterday. It being .55 miles in circumference and the fact that I walked a little bit of it (which I'm relieved is the correct thing to do at this stage in training) makes it about 2 miles of running. And I was having trouble.
Several times I thought I was just going to fall over and become useless, even in the first 1/2 mile. It really was a tough run. Only 2 miles, too. Quite depressing. It's not like I thought, after doing the 4 miles the other night, that from now on it just going to get easier, but I didn't think it was going to get twice as hard 2 days later.
Poppy, the dog, seemed bewildered at first, what with all the running and no sticks, and then overcame this and spent the rest of the time fannying about in the lake and annoying the ducks. One little corner of the water was covered in leaves and every time we went past it she appeared to think it was another bit of ground and tried to walk on it. The fourth time she evidently had wised up to this mirage and adopted a new technique to deal with it.
Taking it at speed obviously wasn't a good idea but she's a dog, and a really stupid one, to be honest. She disappeared below the water for a second and came up looking even more bewildered than before, this time 15 feet out into the lake. Normally I would have laughed and pointed but I was trying to get in the zone, for crying out loud. I ended up having to pull her out by the scruff and fruitlessly berating her for a few seconds, knowing if we did another circuit of the lake and came back past this spot she'd do something equally as stupid anyway.
I then carried on jogging, squirted some Lucozade directly into my eye because I wasn't concentrating and presently decided to give up, as much for Poppy's sake as my own. I did my stretches, feeling conspicuously rubbish at them, and struggled back up the hill to the car.
On the way back I spotted the joggers with prams group up by the steps being led through some stretches of their own and thought about interfering and asking the group leader to brush me up how exactly they should be done. Pretty swiftly I binned that idea due to looking like I was on the run from the police and having a dog you could wash a car with at my side. I swear she waits till she's certain maximum damage will be done before she does the really big shake and upsets everyone around her. So I carried on disconsolately, all the while just wanting to lie down.
For some reason I'd had a shower before I left an hour earlier so, as I had to have another one to get rid of the smell of sweat from something I'd drunk about 3 months previously (it's all coming out now..), I spent the next 15 minutes trying to dry myself with the corners of various wet towels that were lying around the place, then moaned to myself for the rest of the day about how this is all going to end in disaster.
I feel a bit better about it today but still the doubts linger. I know it's only been a week since I started, but it's all a bit discouraging. I'm told it will get better - have to believe that - but I worry how long it'll take.
Maybe I'm being daft. Maybe I'm trying to rush it, which would be a first for me when it comes to anything energetic other than arguing about ghosts, gods and Colin Fry. Just take (every other) day at a time.
Aside from all that, had a really great gig last night down the Grey Lady. Apart from vocally we were on pretty top form, and the audience had a good night. So yesterday wasn't all bad, I guess.
About Me
- Quentin Holway.
- Here's a link to the reverbnation page for my band who, for some reason we've all forgotten, are called sevenscore. There you can find a bunch of songs and very little else. One of the songs, called "I've Written a New Song" (there's a good reason for this, honest) is about the man who mostly, even by his tragic absence, inspired me to do the damn marathon in the first place. Another couple of songs, "Follow You" and "Jelly Roll", feature this very fellow - Ollie Nicholls - on keyboards. These were the only two we managed to get sorted before he was cruelly taken away. This blog, these songs, and the events of next May 30th are all dedicated to him. Rest in peace my friend.
4 comments:
Things that take time are usually worth waiting for !!!!
Sorry about that! Yet another flippant cliche, but you know as well as I do that this is going to be no easy task. Especially with your boredom threshhold!!
No gain without pain - oops sorry another one slipped out!! my life is just full of cliches. I reckon perseverance and patientence is the key, it's a long time till next May and maybe you should take it easy up until Christmas. Why not spend some time making a training plan to start January time, gradually upgrading your targets until the BIG DAY! Spend less time thinking about running and perhaps just go out once or twice a week when you feel like it. Take it easy and take it slow. Give yourself a break every now & again. Try not to live and breathe Marathon.
You actually are that Chinese fella out of the Karate Kid, aren't you? :o)
Actually, kidding aside, you're quite right. I am worrying unduly, Unruly. Julie.
Mind you, I just went out on a 5 mile bike ride, just to get some anchovies.
I'll try and take it easy though, as you say. Smoke more fags, that's the answer..
I was going to ask if you have given up the fags you know! I was a bit concerned about you running long distances with all that tar clogging up your lungs!! But obviously you can take it.
Well done you, good to see you are committing to getting fit for it!
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