New Way, New Life

[marathondan]

Not sure how to put this. But it seems I’m about to resign from running, and from the forum.

Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But not by much.

Regular readers of my diaries (both of you) will have no doubt noticed a recurring theme of job dissatisfaction cropping up from time to time. Well, as the half-time whistle sounds in the football match of my working life (the home side started brightly, but find themselves 2-0 down), it’s time to try a new tactic. 

As of September 1st, I will be embarking on a reckless mission to destroy my career, my family's financial security, and perhaps my own mental health. After a mere 20 years of thinking about it, I'm jacking in my job and retraining as a teacher. This is well-known as a stressful and long-hours pursuit, and I’ve spent the last couple of months pruning all non-essentials from my lifestyle. To date, one luxury remains: running. And it, too, is going to have to go. In the past I’ve successfully fitted it in around a normal job. But my working week will be going up by about 20 hours, if most accounts are to be believed. 

This is a tragedy for me, but it's a measure of how seriously I need to change my life. On the plus side, two reasons that I run are to combat the boredom of corporate life and the sedentary office environment. Both of these will hopefully be disappearing. 

I set my current #100m100d “challenge” to finish on August 31st. It stalled around day 50, and so far I haven’t bothered picking it up again. For the last week or so I’ve been getting my aerobic jollies from cycling to work, a pleasant 20 mile round trip on country lanes. It’s nice enough, but it lacks almost all of running’s magical qualities.

But in summary, after August I'm afraid I won't be appearing much on the forum. Who knows, I might manage to fit in a few miles in the school holidays, in which case I will definitely pop my head in. In fact, this whole post is perhaps a bit melodramatic, and the rumour of my demise (that I’m starting) might be exaggerated. But as foolhardy leaps into the unknown go, I reckon this one is right up there. So I suppose this post is just my way of sharing that with some extremely valued friends.

   

[Sweder]

Good on you for taking your destiny in both hands, Dan. So many of us have the feeling that we're steering the wrong course, so few are brave enough to come about. Who knows, you may find that running finds you, no matter how much time you lose. An after school running club, perhaps? Imparting the wisdom* gleened here might tempt you to inspire the next generation of distance runners.

*babbling nonsense

Your statement is as much for you as it is for us, a marker, a line in the sand. Hopefully you'll feel compelled to dip your toes in these waters from time to time (as SP does) despite not running. We both know that Running Commentary is about more than running.

Good luck mate, and please do keep us posted as and when you can.

[glaconman]

All the best Dan with your new profession. I'm sure running will find a way back into your routine. But I can understand you wanting to have a plan that is lean for the next few years and puts the family and job at heart of things. You are, after all, The Man with The Plan.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

I'm rather late on the scene I'm afraid, but being in something of a similar situation myself, I well understand how you feel. Having married a teacher, doubly so at that. As Ash said, it takes a brave heart to make that call and finally put away the running shoes, but sometimes it has to be done. Good luck with your new direction and endeavours. I really hope you do check in from time to time if only to stay in touch. I really do want to meet you properly too one day - not just waving from the side of the road as you ramble past in your Gus guise!

Anyhow, once again, all the very best to you and yours. Please pop by on occasion and wave!

[marathondan]

Hello chums, thought I'd check in with a quick report from the chalkface (or interactive whiteboard these days of course). Half term is here and I'm one sixth of the way through the training year. Very much the easiest sixth though. Only taught three full lessons so far, but next week I'll be averaging around one per day and that will increase. A mere trifle by proper teaching standards of course, but you have to start slowly. The parallels with marathon training are obvious - I've run my first complete mile, I'm now working slowly through the couch to 5K, longer distances seem possible but a long way off and a marathon seems inconceivable, but others have achieved it so why not me.

No idea yet whether this will turn out to be the career for me, but it's fun so far and beats the hell out of sitting in an office.

As I expected, no real time for running, and that's only going to get worse. I've done a few 25 mile round trips on the bike along the A4 to Reading, but my uni phase is mostly over now so that will stop. Whenever I drive past my field I get a little wistful, and once or twice on a Sunday evening I've felt the call of the moonlit tracks. But it's clear - as I already knew - that a major reason for me running was to introduce some adventure into an otherwise humdrum daily routine, and things are a long way from humdrum at the moment. Long may that continue, but it does mean running will stay on the back burner for a while.

I've been having a little lurk now and again - good to see that everyone is doing at least a bit of running, and battling valiantly with the usual enemies.

[Sweder]

Nice to hear from you, Dan, and pleased that the adventure has not lost its lustre.
Enemies is right. The bastards are all within, too. Plus ca change!

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Hi Dan, nice to see you! All the best with the new career.

[marathondan]

Blessed with a generous Christmas holiday, as I'm between teaching placements, I limbered up with some intensive Christmas shopping and then set myself up for my first run in three months or so. Unfortunately I tipped a pan of boiling gravy on my foot earlier in the day, which put paid to that. A week or so later, plenty of cold water and cling film, and the foot was good enough to survive half an hour of plodding. Three miles around my favourite field, swampy of course with the unseasonal mildness, was just the ticket, sweating out those Christmas chocolates and getting a little of that transcendental state that money just can't buy.

This will remain a school holidays only treat for the forseeable future, but a timely reminder that running will always be there for me. A uni week for me next week, then back into the melting pot with a placement in a robust Slough comp.

Best wishes for 2016!

[Bierzo Baggie]

 
Sup up your beer and collect your fags- there's a row going on down near Slough


OK Dan, name that tune...   


Hope you are still intact after your first couple of weeks! 
And I'll be looking for one of those little fields soon by the way... might have to make do with a park though.

[Sweder]

Hullo, hooray, it's a jolly fine day ...

[marathondan]

Some of the lads said they'll be back next week...

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

All that running puts hair on your chest?

[marathondan]

Bagged a couple of Parkruns this week as it's the school holidays. Trying for a fast 5K isn't much fun when you haven't been training. A few times I reached for the next gear, only to find that it wasn't there. But nice to be out in the fresh air and mud with some fellow runners for a change.

So now the runners will be packed away again for a few weeks. Looking to the future, my hometown half is in September; it's already on its 5th edition and I've never got round to entering it. I should probably take the opportunity of the long summer holiday to train for it.

Keep up the good work folks - great to see various phoenixes rising from the ashes around the world once more.

[Antonio247]

I'm sorry I didn't write any commentary before but I must have missed it, Dan. I'm glad you've managed to go for a run from time to time and I wish you all the best in your new job. Besides, thank you very much for keeping record of the race reports we have written so far.