Formula One

Think I'm nearer the other end of the spectrum!

Still not able to run, I did contemplate attempting another Saturday morning lie in, but then remembered that I'd to get up extra early with H! That plan scuppered only one thing for it, parkrun!

A very cold morning for volunteering and entrusted with the job of timing, it was then a matter of trying to keep my hands warm enough to operate the stop watch ninety three times which I did, AND without making a mistake this time! A one off, getting better with practice, or the added pressure of my fellow timer being the run director? Who knows!

Undoubtedly I would have been warmer running, but that aside I was surprisingly OK about not running. I'd like to say that this is because I've got my head around the need to rest up and repair however, for whilst I have made huge gains on this recently, I am also starting to feel a little anxious about running again. There is a certain safety for me now in not running - a place where I can hide from the potential disappointment if my IT Band hasn't settled enough for me to run - and I know it's going to take quite a bit of courage to step back out in my running shoes to face the truth (I'm hoping I will be pleasantly surprised!).

On the suggestion of the Biomechanics Man, I listened to a pod cast yesterday (my first!) during which the analogy was made between running and Formula One, and the amount of time a F1 car spends in the garage being fine tuned for a race as opposed to the amount of time runners put into making sure they are set up right, ready to run!  The fact that I was listening to this whilst walking to the garage to collect my car from it's MOT reinforcing the point!

At almost fifteen years old my car is about as far removed from an F1 car as you can get, and required a bit of welding and some bits to be replaced before it could be classed as roadworthy and pass it's test - which then came with the warning that the front tyres are close to wearing out.  I can't help but see the parallel's between this and me! I've been botching myself back together for too long just to get back out on the road, and if I want to take it up a gear than I'm going to have to get a solid baseline level of fitness to work from and only then can I look at making some performance improving adjustments.

Thankfully I reached this conclusion post hot chocolate and cake in our new found post parkrun café  - for all the deliciousness that it was, fine tuning it was not!

M - 472

Brighton Half - 29
Liverpool Half - 141

Glasgow Half - 253

Total Distance covered   456.9 miles