As promised, this is my last post on this blog. My intention from the beginning was to keep sharing my thoughts until they were no longer prevalent in my mind. As timing would have it, it is pretty much a year since I started chronicling my thoughts and feelings, most of which were running related but some of which breached the frontiers of Runner 'Been and attempted to offer some wider lessons in life. Those lessons were primarily meant for me; as was this blog. It was a compelling way to keep track of my progress; mentally rather than physically. My mind is swamped with vast reaches of thoughts and ideas, mostly mundane so that I often misplace those crucial rare epiphanies. I hope I've captured the important underlying themes and lessons that distance running has presented to me, whatever they are.
As I have previously mentioned, my primary thoughts currently lie elsewhere. However, running is now an integral part of me to the extent that talking about it almost seems unnatural. After all, I don't blog about eating, sleeping or breathing (and let's be thankful of that). Such is running; I can't imagine my life without it now and am grateful for the opportunity to benefit from something I love so much. Sensationalist, perhaps, but that's how I'm made. After all, it would be a shame to spend a year blogging about anything short of a passion.
So I'll march on, hopefully. My immediate plans with respect to running are now set: the Birmingham half in October, as a prelude to the next main event: the London Marathon 2011. All the time, I am improving all round fitness and, whilst injury concerns continue to infiltrate my thoughts, optimism and joy remains. I don't know if and when it all ends, but I am excited at the prospect of venturing further to great unknowns.
I part with a simple piece of advice. Don't take up running just to get fit or because it seems like a sensible thing to do. Keep an open mind, because there is something truly wonderful lurking once you probe deeply enough. We are, for the most part, built for running and like anything worth having in life, it takes a great deal of patience and endurance before you get to see the pretty side. Trust me, it's worth waiting for.
Runner 'Been signs off, with a huge thank you to everyone who has supported my efforts in the last year. My journey continues off this page and I'll always welcome your kind words of support and helpful advice (not to mention donations). I'll finish with this relevant adage:
"We don't stop running because we get old. We get old because we stop running."
:)
Sunday 25 July 2010
Tuesday 13 July 2010
A little bit of everything
It’s been around a month since my last entry, suggesting this blog has little fuel remaining. It has been a year since I started chronicling my thoughts, as a naïve, inexperienced and frankly clueless novice runner. So not much has changed, then. Still, with five races under my belt, including my first marathon, I’m well on my way. To what, it remains unclear. Here’s what I know: the last twelve months has allowed me to cover new ground (quite literally) and add a new dimension to the monotony of my daily routine. Running and all round fitness training is now inherently within me; a lazy weekend has left me desperate to hit the roads tomorrow, just for the sake of staying active. The buzz is still there and I want to do more marathons, in faster times, across the whole world. Patience is key, as always, and I must find a way to balance the demands of my personal and professional life with the delights of running.
My absence over the last month owes to several factors. Training itself has taken up much of my time, with increased gym sessions and swimming taking centre stage. In recent weeks, I’ve made a comeback to running, with a view to increasing speed and building up towards some races in the Autumn. Aside from the World Cup (more on this another time) taking up much of my leisure time (and beyond), it seems I have recaptured my academic mojo. Whilst the DPhil remains a hard slog, I’m no longer stuck in neutral and even have a finish date in my sights. I hope to submit my thesis by next Summer and am currently spending much of my time writing up my results so far. It seems too convenient to attribute my recent academic form to running, but the comparisons between these two seemingly polar opposite endeavours is not lost on me. Both entail long periods of uncertainty and frustration in the face of stagnant progress, but slowly and surely reveal subtle lessons the sum total of which make for quite the life lesson. In short, success is defined within and if one approaches one’s interests with a cocktail of patience, sincere intentions and genuine passion, there’s little one is not capable of.
My plans beyond the DPhil remain as clouded as my aspirations for running. In the meantime, I’ll continue to follow my heart and throw myself into that which serves up the perfect balance of meaning and joy. The DPhil must take priority over the next year and now that I have some momentum I must pounce on the opportunity to see it through in good time. Running will remain a focus but there are serious issues to address; do I go barefoot, as seems to be the direction in recent weeks? Do I focus on strength and work towards an all round fitness challenge like a triathlon or head for future marathons? And what of these ridiculously tight hips and worryingly wobbly knees?
Questions remain and the search for answers will continue.
In any case, this blog has surely outlived its usefulness, since my thoughts are no longer primarily occupied by running. It remains an important part of my life and I hope it will continue to bless me with great moments, but it is now in the backdrop of what is a very busy time for me. It is without a sense of hyperbole that I suggest the next few months represent the most defining period of my life. For reasons mentioned and otherwise, I feel I’m in a transition phase, ready to break through walls and arrive at new frontiers.
I’ll save my goodbyes for a farewell post, as any such post warrants an in depth review of my running journey itself. The blog may expire but let’s be clear: Runner ‘Been is going nowhere.
My absence over the last month owes to several factors. Training itself has taken up much of my time, with increased gym sessions and swimming taking centre stage. In recent weeks, I’ve made a comeback to running, with a view to increasing speed and building up towards some races in the Autumn. Aside from the World Cup (more on this another time) taking up much of my leisure time (and beyond), it seems I have recaptured my academic mojo. Whilst the DPhil remains a hard slog, I’m no longer stuck in neutral and even have a finish date in my sights. I hope to submit my thesis by next Summer and am currently spending much of my time writing up my results so far. It seems too convenient to attribute my recent academic form to running, but the comparisons between these two seemingly polar opposite endeavours is not lost on me. Both entail long periods of uncertainty and frustration in the face of stagnant progress, but slowly and surely reveal subtle lessons the sum total of which make for quite the life lesson. In short, success is defined within and if one approaches one’s interests with a cocktail of patience, sincere intentions and genuine passion, there’s little one is not capable of.
My plans beyond the DPhil remain as clouded as my aspirations for running. In the meantime, I’ll continue to follow my heart and throw myself into that which serves up the perfect balance of meaning and joy. The DPhil must take priority over the next year and now that I have some momentum I must pounce on the opportunity to see it through in good time. Running will remain a focus but there are serious issues to address; do I go barefoot, as seems to be the direction in recent weeks? Do I focus on strength and work towards an all round fitness challenge like a triathlon or head for future marathons? And what of these ridiculously tight hips and worryingly wobbly knees?
Questions remain and the search for answers will continue.
In any case, this blog has surely outlived its usefulness, since my thoughts are no longer primarily occupied by running. It remains an important part of my life and I hope it will continue to bless me with great moments, but it is now in the backdrop of what is a very busy time for me. It is without a sense of hyperbole that I suggest the next few months represent the most defining period of my life. For reasons mentioned and otherwise, I feel I’m in a transition phase, ready to break through walls and arrive at new frontiers.
I’ll save my goodbyes for a farewell post, as any such post warrants an in depth review of my running journey itself. The blog may expire but let’s be clear: Runner ‘Been is going nowhere.
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