Look Good, Run Good.... by jamieB

Newcastle seems a while back now and the plan (I never have a plan do I?) was to take a week off and then start trying to get into a habit of running three times a week for fitness leading up to the GMR2012. But it didn't happen.

There I was just letting myself get into the habit of eating and sitting on the sofa doing nothing.  However I have developed this weird obsession with 100 press-ups each day which must be doing some good.  No running though.  I have been thinking about it and thinking about what was good about GNR2011:

• It was the best run I have ever done, maybe not in terms of time, but I enjoyed it and I felt really good whilst running like I haven’t done for a long time.
• GNR2011 was 3 minutes quicker than GNR2010 although slower than GNR2008.
• It felt like I’d given it my best shot especially after losing Andy and running on my own.

On the down side:

• There wasn’t much training and August just seemed like it was lost. 
• There was no commitment until the week before.
• There was no thought into it at all.

As a kid, my Mother gave me a mug.  It said “THINK” in big letters on one side and then “It may be a new experience" on the other.  She’d had it a while, she collected that sort of stuff in the 1970s, and she gave it to me at a time when I wasn’t thinking too much.  But it was given to me to prove a point and it focused my mind.

So thinking about it, when was it all right?  My peak was between 2007 and 2009.  I think 2008/09 was good for me because I was prepared, I thought about it and I had really good winters.  When I mean good, I mean I trained and prepared for the following years running.  I didn’t do this in 2010 and struggled through, with an injury to the VLM2010 and it went wrong from there.

So what are the solutions then?  I didn’t enter the Ballot so there’s no pressure there; I’m rubbish at lotteries anyway so I didn’t have that to think about.  Plus it seems you have more chance of winning the Lottery than getting in.  I’m very pleased and proud of Mick and the others I know who managed to get it though and I’ll support them as best I can.  I still want to run a good half in 2012 and I’d love to go back for the GNR2012.  I have the GMR2012 to focus on but I feel I want more especially if I can get my act together.

It starts here then.  Today saw a two miler, planned down to where I would run to and then turn at the half way point; what I’d wear and what I’d be doing before and after in turns of stretching, eating and drinking. I let myself go and for once pushed myself knowing it was only two miles.  The first mile being 7:53.85, the second being 8:18.27. For this, I have aching thighs and calves plus a wheeze and tiredness. 

So think! When was the last time I completed a plan? I’ve realised that you can’t cheat yourself and you can’t cheat the road or the clock.  Hopefully, winter will be good for me and I know you could “say I believe it when I see it” but I plan to get the commitment back from 2008 and try a little harder.  That’s thinking for you....