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.