My hiatus has ended. I’ve been away for over a month. I’ve been running, spinning, training with weights and training in general but words have sort of left me. Hopefully, I’m recuperated and get back to writing here at regular intervals.
The past month has flown by so quickly. I’ve been pretending to be busy training, reading, playing taxi, baking, catching up with friends, and searching for work. I also finished all my coursework for my masters and I will be graduating in December which I’m excited about. Though the eternal student in me is considering undertaking further study, and I might do so once I’ve started working and decided which career path I’m taking. I have one of those personalities that changes often and requires constant amusement. I get bored very quickly. If I don’t have something happening I get depressed and start doing stupid things. I’ve tried changing but that’s the way I’ve been made so I’m going to make the most of it.
My training has revolved around the Gold Coast Marathon that is coming up in, oh, nine days. To be totally honest I haven’t done any runs over seventy-five minutes which means I’m not as prepared as I should be. I just can’t bring myself lately to run for more than an hour or so on my own, I get so bored. I’ve used the road along the beach a couple of times which is also the route for the marathon. I know the path like the back of my hand so I know exactly what to expect. It’s a flat race from start to finish and it’s around my home town which makes it so much easier.
The scenery is going to keep my mind of any pain that may arise; the ocean on one side, ostentatious real estate on the other, and four thousand other runners enjoying the moment. I’m not worried about the first twenty-five kilometres at all; I know I can pace myself for that long. What I’m concerned about is the final ten to fifteen kilometres that I have no idea how my body will handle. I’m worried about needing bathroom breaks, a weak stomach, cramping, my knees buckling under the strain, and not being mentally strong enough to complete the distance.
My primary goal is to finish. Sure, I’d like to do it quickly but who wouldn’t. I’m going into the race to enjoy the process rather than the end result. It doesn’t matter whether I cross the finish line in four hours or five hours, the most important thing is that I’m trying and doing something that I haven’t done before and have wanted to do for many years. The courage is there and the rest will take care of itself.
If you’re interested to check out more information about the GC Marathon, go to http://www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au .
And if you have any tips or tricks on how to survive the first marathon or would like to share your story here, please let me know, I’d love to hear from you.
