The Power of Running
I am a drinker, a smoker, eat too much, and am 5 foot 3 with little legs and big boobs.
I am a drinker, a smoker, eat too much, and am 5 foot 3 with little legs and big boobs.
I am not a runner.
I am not a runner.
I do not have the physique, and I do not have the drive.
I do not have the physique, and I do not have the drive.
I am not an Olympian; I do not run a marathon before breakfast.
I am not an Olympian; I do not run a marathon before breakfast.
I do not obsess about adding 5% to each run to reach a goal.
I do not obsess about adding 5% to each run to reach a goal.
I get laughed at and pointed at when I run and people in cars beep me while laughing to their mates at the site of me running.
I get laughed at and pointed at when I run and people in cars beep me while laughing to their mates at the site of me running.
But I do run!
But I do run!
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As I got close to my goal, I was arguing with myself:
As I got close to my goal, I was arguing with myself:
‘I’m tired’ - ‘Keep going.’
‘I’m tired’ - ‘Keep going.’
‘I’m hungry’- ‘Live with it.’
‘I’m hungry’- ‘Live with it.’
‘I could just finish here?’- ‘Oh yeah? How are you going to get home?’
‘I could just finish here?’- ‘Oh yeah? How are you going to get home?’
‘I don’t want to bloody do it’- ‘Okay. Fine. But if you don’t finish it, I will punish you tomorrow.’
‘I don’t want to bloody do it’- ‘Okay. Fine. But if you don’t finish it, I will punish you tomorrow.’
But, If not now, when?
But, If not now, when?
I finished the run. It took all of me to finish.
I finished the run. It took all of me to finish.
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How could she leave me? How could she be so selfish?
How could she leave me? How could she be so selfish?
I hobbled towards the half way point, and called my Dad. ‘I can’t do it Dad. I’m in a lot of pain. I’m sorry that you donated money. Can I finish?’
I hobbled towards the half way point, and called my Dad. ‘I can’t do it Dad. I’m in a lot of pain. I’m sorry that you donated money. Can I finish?’
He told me to be proud of myself for getting that far, and to go home and have a bath and call him in the morning.
He told me to be proud of myself for getting that far, and to go home and have a bath and call him in the morning.
When I got to Hove Park I shouted at the announcer. I was in tears and knew I couldn’t complete. My left foot was in so much pain I was struggling to walk. The announcer said ‘You’re here! You've finished. You did it!’
When I got to Hove Park I shouted at the announcer. I was in tears and knew I couldn’t complete. My left foot was in so much pain I was struggling to walk. The announcer said ‘You’re here! You've finished. You did it!’