Top five

With my first, self-defined, running season concluded, it seems this blog has little life remaining. Still, I'll keep writing up my thoughts as and when they come, without forcing the issue. In truth, I've surprised myself in keeping it going for so long. It would appear I have a lot to say on the subject, regardless of whether or not it makes any sense.

For now, I'm happy to look back to some of the defining memories of the last thirteen months. It's difficult to compare the different stages of the journey, but certain moments stand out and are due another mention. The countdown begins here...

5 Breakthrough

I'd been labouring away for around two months, struggling to cover even three miles without regular stoppages and even at slow jogging pace. Head dropped, I entertained the thought of giving it up, since it didn't seem to be going anywhere. Maybe I just wasn't cut out for this running lark. Then it happened; on one defining run last June three miles became four and I was buzzing, with energy in the tank and breathing under control. Before I knew it, I'd hit five miles with only one thought on my mind: keep going. On I went, until I eventually hit the treasured 10k mark. Still at slow speed, but for the first time I'd demonstrated endurance, and loved every minute of it. And there my love for running was born as for the first time I believed what once seemed unthinkable: I can do this.

4 Ramadhan nights

As I embraced the holy month of fasting, I realised this was the period that would define my preparation for my first big race, the Birmingham half marathon in October. With the days so long, my only reasonable option was to hit the roads in the dead of night. I soon became reliant on the eery silence of the Oxford streets in the deep hours and what was once a daunting prospect soon became one of the most uplifting experiences of running.

3 Birmingham Half - The arrival

My mind plagued by injury concerns, I entered the much anticipated race with a heavy dose of scepticism. Could my knee really last 13.1 miles? And would the race really live up to expectations? Within seconds of the start, these negative thoughts were replaced by the ultimate runner's high. My first race, surrounded by 12000 fellow runners in the carnival atmosphere of Birmingham. And boy did it help; to date it remains my most clinical performance, a 1:38 shattering even my wildest expectations. Hype became reality as I delivered on the big stage.

2 Jurata

With my marathon hopes hanging on by a thread, it was all or nothing at the Maths conference in Poland. On paper, I had no chance here; limited food options, disagreeable weather and academic commitments did not form the ideal backdrop for my longest training run. But with the Baltic coastline providing the setting, and weather almost ideal on the day itself, the run manifested itself as sheer joy. The sea, along which most of the run took place, made for some of the most beautiful scenery I've enjoyed. At times I was flying and by the end, I'd made the crucial breakthrough. For the first time, I believed I could beat the marathon.

1 Paris

An epic event in every sense; the culmination of twelve months of blood, sweat, tears and so much more. I left for Paris on Saturday morning and was back by Sunday evening. Everything in between remains a haze except for the race itself. I could not possibly forget the 3:48 journey that led me to a defining moment in my life. The last hour delivered all the promise of the fateful wall and so much more. It's a strangely profound feeling to endure such pain and come out the other side smiling. For all the emotion that running has brought with it, the finish at Avenue Foch was the one time I couldn't hold the tears back. This moment alone was worth all the stress, uncertainty and anguish that came before it. A timely reminder of what one can achieve when their heart desires and their mind wills.

It's curious that these moments are in chronological order, suggesting that as time goes on my experiences with running may become more significant yet. How I will top Paris I don't know. But I can't wait to find out.