Keep on Marching on, for 2012 miles in 2012. And I did. This month I notched up over 200 miles, not all running of course, I am not that mad. My miles of enjoyment come from spinning and swimming this month and lots of it. I swear by swimming as a recovery day, a mile or so here and there, a chance to get wet (Wet Wet), a chance to sweat (Sweat Sweat) in the sauna or steam room after.
This month I was so inspired my one of my old running buddies who decided to run 4 marathons in 4 days so all my milage goes out to him. I continued to increase my long run distances each sunday not because I had to but because I felt like it. What a great feeling. As many people are forced out for their long runs in preperation for their spring marathons I had a real spring in my step as I run long because I want to not because I have to. It’s the best feeling ever.
There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life. But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint. So, too, are you. Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to beGeorge Sheehan
I had never been bothered about a marathon and to this day I am still not bothered about a marathon. I had never run a marathon and to this day I still haven’t run a marathon, however I have run 27.4 miles. It wasn’t fully planned nor was it ‘unplanned’. My GPS wore contraceptive so there was no excuse, however the excuse was that I decided to ditch the music and go natural after 2 miles into the run and I just ran and I just ran and I just ran.
The week before I had acieved 25 miles and felt good so I just ran. Near on home I could feel the distance in my legs as I began to feel lethargic but nothing that a little energy gel or a date or two with a sexy dried fruit couldn’t fix and I was surprised when I got back home that I had run over 27 miles in around 4 hours, I felt great and had a very clear mind. However I was struggling with lack of water – time for a hydration pack.
Running long and hard is an ideal antidepressant, since it’s hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time. Also, there are those hours of clearheadedness that follow a long run.Monte Davis
So the following week I borrowed my 4 marathons in 4 days friends’ Inov8 rucksack with horizontal bladder and off I went also armed with new trail shoes, lighter than my gortex Kanadias which were like running in bricks. Thanks to Accelerate in Sheffield for fixing me up with the Saucony trail shoes, they like me and I like them. They could become my next best friend.
I decided on my last March run to reduce the distance but stick to trail only, and a fellow club member had mentioned some stones to pay a visit to. So with a mere 2 hours sleep due to a fiesta next door and the clocks changing to BST off I went in search for “Oxstones” some stones in the middle of Burbage Moor in the Peak District – a stones throw away from my house well kind of. Although I felt tired I ran up the hills adjusting the rucksack where necessary but liking the freedom of the bladder and getting used to my trail shoes. It was a slow run, some 2 hours 30 minutes later and covering only 15 miles but with a stop and a chat to some cyclists and discovering a few routes that I hadn’t been across before, this was all about ‘runmoor’ literally. I feel adicted to longer distance running now.
We know that not all addictions require treatment, because we runAuthor Unknown
During March I also got in some great spinning sessions, including the fantastic 1 hour spin on a Friday – a tough but very rewarding session. I don’t have a training schedule, I don’t really have any goals, maybe this is a bad thing, maybe my goal is just this to complete 2012 miles in 2012? I think I would like to do an Ultra race, but it’s in thinking stage at the moment rather than proper commitment stage. If anyone can encourage me further to do an Ultra or two then please tweet me @runonthemoors.
The last week in March saw the clocks turn forward marking the gorgeous start of BST, light nights and more evening running including the abilty to get out into the parks at our ‘Sheffield Running club’ Tuesday evening runs. I am loving countryside off road running so much so that road races are not really appealing to me anymore, maybe my next stop will be some timid fell races, more trail races and possibly a mini ultra if there is such a thing?
Here’s to many more miles of the 2012 kind amongst 2012 pieces of chocolate.
- Running: 157.00
- Cycling:54.00
- Swimming: 7.00
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away George Carlin
