Mar2120105:39 p.m.
Busy weekend and time for reflection
hello people,
i have a confession to make. today i was supposed to do 12 miles but when alex suggested i 'stuff it - 1 day wont hurt!' i quickly gave in. i wanted to spend some time with him and Eric and its very rare that alex discourages me from training and so i figured id been neglecting him of late.
back to yesterday, i was up and racing round the house trying to find my uni cd before my tutorial but i couldnt find it anywhere and when i eventually dug it out, the OU had send me te wrong one. cue panic mode and worrying that everyone would think i was thick as i knew nothing about power ratios (which feature in our next assignment) so tears AGAIN before i even left the house.
poddled off to notts and after a few misgivings had a great tutorial. the tutor was really helpful and when i admitted i didnt understand the power ratios, he did a whole section for us on it and i ended up being able to work it out faster than the others on the course. so happy again.
ten it was back home for eric feeding duties and to get changed to go to alexs sisters house for yet more decorating. we were there til about 6ish and then after alexs new and stupid car didnt start i got extra marathon training in by pushing him down the road - highly embarrassing. today he's been rolling around tansley trying to get it started and ended up having to jump start it with an audience from the local policeman and a bunch of kids :D
so today i got up and started on the cleaning - yes i know i have a problem, i freely admit that my obsessive cleaning disorder is an issue. i think it must have been the sunsine - it prompted my spring cleaning. so i did all the usual stuff and then went overboard, taking the cooker hood to bits to clean it and then scrubbing the kitchen floor like its never been scrubbed before
whilst i was scrubbing away i was thinking to myself about my running. i know a lot of you on real buzz are hardened mulit-marathoners and have tons tons of other races but i jsut dont have the time and im really not all that talented at running. and so i have decided to really put my all into this last bt of training and into the marathon but then call it a day.
i'll probably keep running to keep fit, but this racing malarkey is not for me. as you know i always ave far too much on my plate and i think its making me neglect family and friends. which is a bit hypocritical as im running for the friends and family i have lost through cancer and feel like perhaps i should spend more time with those who are still here, you never know what is lurking round the corner.
so i let myself be talked out of 12 miles and me and alex had a lovely walk round the fields with eric (still restricted to alexs fields until he's had his jabs :( ). gammy ankle is not feeling too shabby but not 100% either and mr IBS is being a right pain again, but nevermind.
So its back to running tomorrow after this rather thoughtful and cleaning-filled sunday (even eric got a bath!!)
hope the rest of you were stronger than me and got out there for some running!! :D
k xx
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Comments (14)
Firefly123 'I wonder what makes a talented runner? Is it one who can run 7 minute miles in races, or maybe its someone who has battled against injury and self-doubt to train to run a marathon. The trouble with this marathon training is it really takes a lot of time and we're following training plans that tell us to run X miles and then we feel guilty because, just occasionally we decide to give it a miss. whereas generally speaking, running can fit into your daily routine without any problem. I do understand how you feel about racing, but I would also say, that racing most other distances doesn't require the level of commitment that you've given to your marathon training. Speaking just from a personal point of view, for my 1st half marathon, I ran 8 or 9 miles as a long run once a week and occasionally I cranked it up to 12, but not often! And I just do my normal 30 to 45 mins a day for 5 or 10K races. I'm not saying you have to enter races, but I'm just saying the level of time involved is so different. Anyway, thats only what I think. But you must stay on realbuzz and blog from time to time - life without a dose of life chez Kendle really wouln't be the same!' added 21st Mar 2010
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simonedumergue 'Great post from Firefly above - totally agree with her. I think for the sake of my family I need to hang up my marathon shoes after this second consecutive one. It's not just the running, but the blogging and general obsession that takes over and my kids and husband are suffering. Definitely want to do more in the future but might reign it back to Half marathons and 10ks for a bit I think. Running is definitely a permanent feature though - just love it too much to stop! You have trained so hard and so consistently that taking today off wouldn't have mattered one jot. Sometimes we have to make sure the rest of our lives are balanced too! Sorry - just don't get the cleaning obsession :-) We had friends over for lunch today and it was just the impetus I needed to get the house cleaned and tidied up, otherwise I always find something else to do!! And by the way - what does 'talented at running' really mean? The mere fact you are running a marathon which 99.9% of people never do or couldn't do, makes you pretty talented in my eyes :-)' added 21st Mar 2010
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squa25 'Ditto everything Simone and Firefly have said but I have one or two things to add. I've run a few halfs before and a few 10k too - none of them took over my life the way this marathon has. I used to run maybe one half a year and that would be my lot, but after this marathon I shall still be running, albeit a lot less. You don't have to race and you can run for fun/fitness, but consider running other races just much shorter distances, they really don't take up anywhere near as much time. Longest run for a half marathon can be 11 miles - think about what you run now, 11 is practically one of your short runs. Anyway, after marathon day, who knows, you might feel completely elated and dying to do another marathon...lol :o) Do what makes you happy though, but don't get caught up in thinking all running takes over our lives - it doesn't have to! ' added 21st Mar 2010
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JoCompton 'I'm sure a day off won't hurt and will probably do your ankle some good, and besides your such a busy bee you probably run a near marathon every day just doing this and that. Can't personally understand the cleaning thing, but my mum is obsessed to and often does a spring clean just for the hell of it!! Take care and keep smiling xx' added 21st Mar 2010
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Account_closed 'A Day off is always good. You're far more dedicated than I am, I just turn up for races plod round, and occaisionally go to training. It's rare that I will go running on my own. Hopefully, that will change now the weather has improved. I remember my degree (BEng Manufacturing Engineering) took 6 years of nightschool and I struggled with work, dogs, and life and everything, so it's not surprising to want time off.' added 21st Mar 2010
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gloshawk 'Days off are fine, i'd say. Warped though most non-runners would think it is, we are mainly here to enjoy it. So, if we feel like we should have a day off, we should. You'll feel better next time you go out, and then you'll be back on track - all of the accumulated effort will not all drain away overnight. And anyway, there was the cleaning - that has to count as cross training, surely?!' added 21st Mar 2010
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Suziewee 'Do whatever makes you happy. If you want to stop running then do, but only if its what you really want, don't stop for other people. This is my first marathon and yes the training is getting crazy and I do feel that I am neglecting my family somewhat. But then it is so important to me that we are working round it and know that its not forever. Before this I ran mostly 10k's for fun. You are a very busy person so fitting in training for a marathon must be tricky and stressful. Personally I don't get the cleaning thing ;-) but my mother in law does and she gets very stressed about it. Just see how you feel once the pressure is off :-) Now go and put your feet up!!' added 21st Mar 2010
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nooby2shoes 'not everyone has multi marathons under their belts, you shouldnt compare your running to anyone elses as we all should run our own race, i did today in the stafford half and it got me my pb. i have twins and work full time and now have a dog, so i know how hard it is to fit everything in, but we do. i dont have many friends as im not from this area so at least i dont have that to contend with i suppose. good luck with your run tomorrow...' added 21st Mar 2010
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crooxi 'Yes, a marathon DOES take up a lot of time and energy (both physical and mental), and demands compromises with 'normal' life. (But the sense of achievement when you've done it is like nothing else.) Shorter distances, though, as people have said, can be done with much less invested......... should you so wish. But it has to be your decision. Maybe some other challenge will grip you.......? Who knows?! But one thing is for certain: your life will never be dull! ' added 21st Mar 2010
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ChrisBrad 'Achievement is the key - you will be sooooo proud of yourself and everyone else will too. Its tough all this training and you've done brilliantly, 1 day off won't harm - I'm determined not to stress, just try my best the next few weeks and be absolutely ecstatic when its all over. Not long to keep it up now, then the whole of summer (yes, summer - we will get one, eventually) to return to normality with Eric, oh and Alex, hehe.' added 21st Mar 2010
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gunes 'One day wont hurt,so don't worry as you have trained really hard and have got a lot of miles under your belt already! And you say in your blog that you think that you are not very talented at running,how many people can train to run a marathon? or even run a shorter distance. When it is all over you will be so proud of what you have achieved,all the hard training will have been worth it!!! Then you can spend some quality time with Alex and Eric your gorgeous little dog and decide then what you want to do!' added 22nd Mar 2010
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Shaun 'Marathons do take up an absolutely massive amount of time but don't give up on running entirely - a while after the big day think about it again and you may well enjoy training just for local 5k and 10k races and really enjoy it. A much smaller time commitment and just as rewarding. And don't worry about perceived "talent" for running - enjoying doing it is all the really matters!' added 22nd Mar 2010
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glen_b 'Only read the first few comments whilst having a cuppa here at work slowly catching up on blogs (whilst trying to balance our bank account!), and I picked up on exactly the same comment as Firefly and Simone. What is a good runner? Personally, as someone who has run a handful of 10ks, 1 x 10 miler, and 2 x HM so far in my life, I reckon a good runner is someone who gets out of the house and runs. Your long runs earlier this year inspired me to push it a bit, as my LSRs were/are a lot shorter. I personally feel that 10 miles and shorter is my preferred distance, but surely a 100m runner is just as much of a runner as a ultra marathoner, as they give their all. And yes, this will be my first and last marathon, the time commitment is horrendous, and not fair on my family to inflict this on them again!!' added 22nd Mar 2010
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RuddysMarathonEffort 'I am sure all the above comments have said the same as me. "Missing one run won't matter"? It won't! But anymore cheating and your out - but not before you have cleaned up! (Can you come and live at our house for a week and clean up after our 3 kids, PLEASE!). No one has a cleaning disorder in the Ruddy household :-( ' added 23rd Mar 2010
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