I dedicated this week’s long run to a trip down memory lane, having been sorting through some old photos this week. At this stage in the training running had become a bit monotonous, so this seemed like a great way to make it more interesting.
Because of a previous injury I’m a tiny bit behind in my training compared to some other people, but I was still aiming to run 16 miles on Sunday, which meant I could cover a lot of ground.
I decided my long run should take me back through Putney and on to Roehampton, where I started my life in London. It was easily the best and most enjoyable run I’ve ever had. Giving my mind so many memories to focus on made the time fly and it seemed so much more effortless than usual.
I ran past the halls of residence where I spent my first ever night in London 14 years ago. I moved there at 18 to start university and it was quite emotional to think of all the laughs I had there and how far I’ve come in that time. It made think of old friends like Hannah, Fiona, Darran and Chrissie, and drunken nights at the Digby Bop. The campus looked fairly different now as they’ve added a new building. I wondered if the students there now had any appreciation for the years of history that happened before they arrived.
I ran past the Holmes Place gym I joined nine years ago when I was like a skinny little boy in comparison and was reminded of all the hard work and laughs I had there over the years.
I ran past the first ever flat I owned with my brother and was reminded of the times I cried there having had my heart broken for the first time, how my brother told me he was gay there, how our friendship had developed over the years we spent there watching TV and idling chatting, the times we spent laughing and listening to pop music as we decorated the whole place, and some of the upset I suffered before I left that home.
I ran past a house I lived in with eight students in Holmbush Road in my final year of university. It was a huge house that was very old and completely rundown. We used to fantasise about all the things we would do to the place if we could have bought it and done it up. I was reminded of the times we would go rummaging through the junk in the basement, the drunken parties and the stresses we went though there as we all sat our final university exams. As I ran past I noticed the place has been completely done up with matching blinds in all the windows and a well tended garden, obviously no longer owned by Mrs Corn and rented to large groups of students! Again if they only knew the history that happened there before them.
I had such an amazing and enjoyable run. It really made me realise how far I have come in my 14 years in London, and how many fond memories I have. The upcoming marathon is like the icing on the cake. 14 years covered in 16 miles. I love my life.
Paul
x
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
Monday, 29 March 2010
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Comparing yourself to others – 9 March 2010
I’ve never thought of myself as particularly competitive. I have always compared myself to others but thought this was a pretty natural way to be? How else are you supposed to know if you’re doing well?
One of the best and worst things about training for the London marathon is the number of other people training for it too. Having had a recent set back in training because of injury, and now playing catch up, I’m finding myself taking more interest than ever in how other people’s training is going. I realise it’s not helpful as it just adds extra pressure to hear others are running more than you, but reading other people’s blogs about injury and set backs is also strangely reassuring. Maybe it’s that strange human mentality of seeking comfort in knowing there are people worse off than yourself.
A friend of mine emailed me today telling me about the progress of some of the other runners from his charity. Those that are aiming for sub 3:15hrs, mums training between family commitments, and one person hoping to wing it on the day. It sounds like he’s comparing himself to others in a similar way to what I am.
And that’s leads me on to how so many others training too is one of the best things about the London marathon. There’s a real sense of community in training, re-establishing friendships as you share stories of what has inspired you to run, meeting strangers running for charity and bonding with them, and finding out more about people you know who have run it in the past. I hope my friend won’t mind but I’ll copy and paste one of the great emails I’ve received from a friend who completed the marathon last year. It may motivate some of you running it this year.
“If you have never done it before, the best thing you can look forward to the atmosphere and pure buzz of it. I’ve played in lots of big football matches and I have never experienced anything like it before (maybe because its more individual than a team experience). Everyone is there for the same reason, which is to raise money for their chosen charity, so everyone is nervous but so friendly and helpful.
I was aiming for a 3 hour time, but thought I could take a further 30 minutes off due to the lack of training. All was going well for the first half and I completed it in 1 hour 28, then I hit the wall (well I seem to hit it after about 9 miles, but kept the same pace), from then on in I really struggled, I was running against the crowd looking for any sweets for energy (I even put what must have been a gob stopper in my mouth out of desperation). I had family around the canary wharf area, which was a great boost although it made me a little emotional, especially at mile 18 when I jumped the rail to kiss my little boy, it actually makes me a little emotional now reminiscing. At mile 19 was when I first stopped with cramp and once I stopped it was game over, I couldn’t run half a mile without stopping. It was the weirdest feeling in the world by this point, because I wasn’t tired, out of breath or drained, but my legs just didn’t work. So I was stopping and stretching the rest of the way and even had two massages by the ambulance crew. I crawled over the line in 3 hours 50 and looking back at my times, I completed the last 2 miles in 35 minutes. I was just pleased to finish in the end.
Please don’t let my last 6 miles experience put you off Paul, other that having my little boy, this was one of the best experiences of my life and I’m sure you will find it the same.”
With less than seven weeks to go I’m slowly putting my injuries behind me, and tonight will run 8.5 miles as part of my programme to get back on track. Wish me luck.
Paul x
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
One of the best and worst things about training for the London marathon is the number of other people training for it too. Having had a recent set back in training because of injury, and now playing catch up, I’m finding myself taking more interest than ever in how other people’s training is going. I realise it’s not helpful as it just adds extra pressure to hear others are running more than you, but reading other people’s blogs about injury and set backs is also strangely reassuring. Maybe it’s that strange human mentality of seeking comfort in knowing there are people worse off than yourself.
A friend of mine emailed me today telling me about the progress of some of the other runners from his charity. Those that are aiming for sub 3:15hrs, mums training between family commitments, and one person hoping to wing it on the day. It sounds like he’s comparing himself to others in a similar way to what I am.
And that’s leads me on to how so many others training too is one of the best things about the London marathon. There’s a real sense of community in training, re-establishing friendships as you share stories of what has inspired you to run, meeting strangers running for charity and bonding with them, and finding out more about people you know who have run it in the past. I hope my friend won’t mind but I’ll copy and paste one of the great emails I’ve received from a friend who completed the marathon last year. It may motivate some of you running it this year.
“If you have never done it before, the best thing you can look forward to the atmosphere and pure buzz of it. I’ve played in lots of big football matches and I have never experienced anything like it before (maybe because its more individual than a team experience). Everyone is there for the same reason, which is to raise money for their chosen charity, so everyone is nervous but so friendly and helpful.
I was aiming for a 3 hour time, but thought I could take a further 30 minutes off due to the lack of training. All was going well for the first half and I completed it in 1 hour 28, then I hit the wall (well I seem to hit it after about 9 miles, but kept the same pace), from then on in I really struggled, I was running against the crowd looking for any sweets for energy (I even put what must have been a gob stopper in my mouth out of desperation). I had family around the canary wharf area, which was a great boost although it made me a little emotional, especially at mile 18 when I jumped the rail to kiss my little boy, it actually makes me a little emotional now reminiscing. At mile 19 was when I first stopped with cramp and once I stopped it was game over, I couldn’t run half a mile without stopping. It was the weirdest feeling in the world by this point, because I wasn’t tired, out of breath or drained, but my legs just didn’t work. So I was stopping and stretching the rest of the way and even had two massages by the ambulance crew. I crawled over the line in 3 hours 50 and looking back at my times, I completed the last 2 miles in 35 minutes. I was just pleased to finish in the end.
Please don’t let my last 6 miles experience put you off Paul, other that having my little boy, this was one of the best experiences of my life and I’m sure you will find it the same.”
With less than seven weeks to go I’m slowly putting my injuries behind me, and tonight will run 8.5 miles as part of my programme to get back on track. Wish me luck.
Paul x
http://justgiving.com/paul-raybould
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