Last night, like a malevolent tooth fairy, the running gremlins slipped in. They poured concrete into my spinal column, placed doubt in my mind, sucked me dry of energy, tightened my muscles and delayed my start until the heat of the midday sun! Oh and I had a Paula Radcliffe moment! Well not quite, but I wish I'd been before I left home! I tell my kids that every day. School boy error!
Taking confidence from @sallenson I decided to run without help from Laura too. Mistake. I had to keep looking at my watch and by Christ, time passes slowly when you do that!
So many times I wanted to stop. It's not happening today. Various landmarks on the route early on in the run seemed to take an age to reach. I felt exhausted and beaten before I really got going. I can't do this today. It's not happening.
"Don't you dare stop! Slow up if you need to but don't bloody stop now"!
.. And repeat...
I don't know how I managed my 30 minutes today. Other days I've trotted on for 35 minutes or so. Today I collapsed at 30 minutes and 2 seconds!
And in hindsight, it's my proudest run yet. Not fast. Not comfortable. No gliding path beneath me. But I did it. I bloody finished.
Today was not muscle building. Today was bulking up the mind. Runs won't always, or even often, come easy, so we have to learn to tough it out. Even when we really want to stop and walk!
So, it was a good run. Good because I managed to fight to the end.
Mental fortitude is a necessary element of success.
Push hard!
#you can do it!
2 runs to go!
Written by
Marvo69
Graduate
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Oh well done! We had that run last run. Was bloody hard work!! But we pushed on. Saw after the run that we'd been going slightly too fast and it was so humid! But we kept going, like you did. Hope your last two runs go well. I graduate tomorrow if all goes well....!
Wow! I have never thought of a hard run that way before but by jingo I think you are onto something - bulking up the mind! Genius! That’s exactly what these runs do.
Thanks Sadie! Sometimes it's tough I guess! But we're doing something great for ourselves and have come so far. I'll never be an Olympian but doing your best is what I demand of my children, and now, of myself too, so sometimes just finishing is great! How's the 10k going!?
Early days in my 10k adventures, Marvo, but am feeling very motivated and focussed. Very much a mind game, so fingers crossed my pea brain is up to it! 😂
Great run mate. You showed those gremlins how it's done. Perhaps stay out of the midday heat for the next 2, then you'll be cool as a cucumber. Well done for sticking with it.
I had exactly the same issue today, W9R1 really drained me, I struggled towards the end and really felt like giving up but didn’t. Well done almost graduation time.
Well done for pushing through. I know how hard that is. I've had runs like that too. I know Sallenson recommended ditching the app but I haven't & I don't think I will until I graduate (sshhh - don't tell him - he'll set the jelly babies on me!). Precisely for that reason - I know I would start clock watching & that would put me off. Two more runs & you're at the podium my friend. Keep on keeping on. You got this.
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It's not all in the mind - sometimes! 
W9R1- with a little procrastination on the side 
Recruiting you all into today's mind game!
W9R1
W9R1
