Got children?  Then this expression will undoubtedly be familiar to you.  Even if you haven’t, most of us will have bellowed something very similar in our own youthful years when presented with a task or instruction we’d rather not carry out.

 

I did a good job of mirroring my own four year old daughter last week when the time came to complete a scheduled training run.

 

I feel OK, training is generally going very well and I’m neither ill nor injured.  But come Friday I’d had a busy morning at work, the weather was grim, my lunch break was passing by and I was very tempted indeed to give this one a miss.

 

My apologies to any colleagues who were within earshot and had to endure my sighing and huffing (Eeyore has nothing on me), but I just didn’t want to go out and run.

 

Yet something convinced me to get on with it and stop moaning.  And even when the weather took a distinct turn for the worse (biting wind and sleet), I didn’t turn back and got through it.

 

This may seem a little OTT for what was, after all, only a five mile trot ahead of the weekend’s long run.  Nevertheless, I’ve decided to claim it as a small victory in the epic battle that is marathon training.

 

I’m sure come race day I’m going to, at some point, have a wobble or two.  A sense of “I just can’t go on with this” because things are hurting beyond belief and the end seems a hundred miles away rather than a handful.

 

That’s when I can only hope that a similar positive attitude emerges.  No more grumpy four year old, but instead a determined 37 year old who wants to prove a point and see this challenge through.

 

However, if you ask me to tidy my room then things really will kick off!