It had to happen sooner or later. In amongst all the running forums I've been half-heartedly reading (hoping to stumble on a secret shortcut to being able to run 13.1 miles without stopping) I've seen a few words of wisdom on how to take care of yourself. It makes sense, after all. Much as I might look like a neanderthal when I first get out of bed, the similarities to an athletic hunter-gatherer end there, and that's effectively what I'm training my body to become.
Amongst the injury-averting considerations I've read about to date are the warm-up routine, the warm-down routine, stitch prevention, limb/joint/ligament pain, getting the right trainers, when/where/how to take on fluid, the right diet and perhaps most fearful of all, runner's nipple. Most of those I hope to cover more in the future as I become more experienced and knowledgeable. With the exception I hope of the last one.
Feeling happy at the results of my first week's efforts in which my average speed kept improving, I headed into 'Week 3' of my training schedule (which you can see here - http://www.mssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/Fundraising%20and%20donating/Running%20-%20Beginners%20training%20programme.pdf) hopeful about the making the step up. There would be 1 less set to do but an extra minute of each activity, taking me up to 12mins running & walking.
And it all happened so soon and yet (literally) in slow motion.
I finished my first run that this time had taken me that little bit further, onto the straightest mile-long stretch of road I know, when the voice in my ear (from my app, not dual personality disorder) told me to slow down for my 3 minute walk. Half way through that a man going on twice my age came....well, let's call it running for now, past me and I could only watch in despair knowing that he'd be feeling smug satisfaction at having overtaken me.
It's man's natural instinct you see - most evident at a golf driving range where fathers take their sons for a bit of practice, only to immediately pull out their driver and try to hit it further than every other man there. Or what my wife calls "waving your balls around", when a man (generally me) overtakes someone deemed to be driving too slowly, thus parading both his masculinity and hopelessness at the same time.
I watched this 'mature' man very slowly edge away from me, putting me to shame with his running motion that I can only describe as Benny Hill doing a cockney walk.
For the first time that voice in my head couldn't tell me to start running soon enough. When it finally did 'Benny' was now 200 yards ahead of me and surely because of my own competitive instincts about to be re-overtaken.
Only it never happened. I knew his frantic comedy action wasn't trail-blazing and yet I was unable to close the gap. I strained every sinew (what is a sinew??) and dug as deep as I could but just didn't have it in me. At the next interval I'd reached my half-way point and so had to turn back around, leaving him waddling into the distance and me dejected. The damage was irreparable - I couldn't complete my next (3rd) running interval and in my increasingly desperate efforts to salvage some pride and make it home in a decent time my own action ironically began to imitate Benny's.
You might have seen my Runkeeper report (if not there's a link on the right of this page), seen that I'd managed to improve my average speed again and thought I'd done well. But now you know different. Today my ego took a hell of a beating and I'm not sure yet what the recovery time is.
But I think I know the cause. It's simply being a man and being subject to a man's worst traits, and you won't find it listed on any of the running forums.
MM
Excellent. So you have learnt an important lesson. You are out to beat yourself and not other people. Focus on your training grasshopper and discipline yourself to ignore other runners. Never underestimate an old car on the motorway, it might have a 5 litre engine and yhe driver might be a veteran racing driver. It doesn't matter if someone overtakes you today as what's important is tomorrow and achieving your goal to run the half marathon. Competition is good but only if positive and if it helps you improve. Running down some old codger might give you an ego boost for a minute but in the scheme of things does it matter? So stay focused, race yourself but in a planned and positive fashion and don't give a shit what other people think of your efforts out on the road. Everyone who runs has been there and it's far better to respect other runners for making an effort than worrying what they might think of you. Which is probably "well done son!" enough grasshopper. When you can take the pebble from my hand.......oh shit I've gone bling and bald in my orange robe hahaha
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