Author: MarathonMannUK

After recovering from being ill for three weeks, the second run I did was 6 miles (from 2 the day before).  This was a big mistake and for the last 1/2 mile one of my knees was really aching!  This tought me to be very careful in upping my mileage because I can’t even think about running 26.2 miles if trouble starts at 6.

So first came a careful 3 miles, then up to 4, followed by a tentitve 6 last weekend.  After a midweek 8 miles (still pain free) I felt confident to do 10 this weekend.  I chose to do the Thirsk 10 because I really like the race (I got my 10 Mile PB there), even though I had to pull out one year due to hamstring trouble.  It was great to run with people rather than do a lone run and I did resist the temptation to race and the bottom line is that I got round pain free.

Bring on the 1/2 Marathon distance next weekend; I really feel like I’m getting somewhere!

If you think I am looking jolly pleased with myself you’d be right!  After the disaster that was last month and in my second week of “recovery” training, I’ve done a steady but completely trouble free 8.3 miles which gives me tremendous confidence for my planned 10 miles on Sunday.  (I have to give credit to my amazing physiotherapist at Coach House in Leeds since after my run and then sitting down for an hour and a half, I don’t feel the least bit stiff).

Now, here’s the thing: I’ve entered this March 100 mile challenge with Awesome Running Events and if I follow my current training programme to the letter, I will do “just” 85 miles in March (which ain’t bad given my Feb total amounted to more than 25).

In the world of business, if a manger has a target to achieve but can’t quite see where all the sales are going to come from, they can add a “judgement” to their forecast, which basically means that they reckon they can call pull out all the stops and eek-out an extra so much.  So I thought I would do they same for my running and add a “judgement” of 15 miles to my monthly forecast bringing it up to 100 miles.

What does that mean in reality?  We’ll certainly make sure I religiously log all warm up and warm down runs, maybe add a little bit extra to some of the runs (like .3 today), maybe the odd jog down to the Tesco Express, who knows? However I do it, I want the medal I get for achieving the target!

Now what about the biblical note I have started to add to my Blog?  Well, in the Bible the term “judgement” is used various other contexts.  There are plenty of examples however, of how people faced with seemingly impossible tasks, achieve them by putting their trust in God (like David and Golliath for instance).  A most famous and often quoted passage is Proverbs 3:5

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”
‭‭(NIVUK‬‬)

When I was a small boy, around 5 years old, I tended to go to school in long trousers.  Don’t ask me why because as was the norm at the time, most of my compatriots wore shorts.  One day, in order to be like the other boys, I went to school in short trousers but this didn’t get the reaction I expected.  Instead of acceptance, I got ridicule and was the butt of playground chants of “shorty” which seemed to my young mind to be completely bizarre, since my abusers were accusing me of being like them! It also taught me that contrary to the popular misconception that little boys are innocent little angels, in packs they turn into little monsters! However, although I remember this unfortunate incident in my childhood, it hasn’t left me in any way bitter and twisted or averse to showing bare legs.

So I was really pleased today because for the first time this year I could not only go out running, but wear shorts and a t-shirt; it was very nice outside.  It was great to run a steady and injury free six miles along the canal towpaths with Helen Mann.  Helen managed to finish the route a bit quicker than I but I was being careful; that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

It’s so much nicer running around the canals and lakes on our doorstep than pounding the streets.  Over the winter there was a lot of flooding that affected the area including the Aire and Calder Navigation and St Aidan’s nature reserve, but now things are distinctly dryer.  I can’t wait to make even more use of the local footpath network when I’m fitter and stronger.

“I establish my covenant with you: never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.’” Genesis 9:11 NIVUK