An Absence (Partly) Explained

[El Gordo]

I require momentum, and once that momentum is lost, overcoming inertia becomes as much of a challenge as the run itself.

I can certainly relate to that sentiment. It's where I am at the moment, mojo-less. The good thing about my recent downward spiral (am a full 15 pounds heavier than I was in Boston) is that I know I'm near the bottom now, and this is when I will start all over again.

Great to hear from you MLCM, and am now feeling bad about not posting the message I kept telling myself I should to enquire after you.

Very interesting what you say about the marathon. I understand all that. Something I eventually cut out of my Boston report, because I thought it a bit too mawkish, recalled thinking about 3 people a lot during the race. The first two -- my mother and Moyleman -- were people who died during the lead-up to the race. The third person I kept thinking about was you, and recalling how disappointed you were not to make this time around. I knew you found that painful, and I suspect being an Aussie makes it worse. You guys like to paint things in black and white -- success and failure -- and I knew you thought of your forced abandonment of the training as a failure. That's impressive in a way, but I vehemently reject the sentiment.

Training for a marathon is a major chunk of time you need to find. I'm lucky. I work from home a lot, and with the co-operation of my boss, was able to rejig my hours when necessary to go out for a run pretty much whenever I pleased. Later in the schedule, when I was having injury worries, I was able to spend a couple of hours in the gym or at the sports therapist when I needed to. You didn't have that luxury. If I'd had to be out at work all day, I'd not have made it to Boston.

Don't write off your chances of doing a marathon. All I'll say is don't go looking for it. The marathon will come and find you when you're ready and able. In the meantime, do what you're doing: learn to enjoy the freedom it affords you, and the personal space it creates. In the manic job you do, this is all important.

Great news about Mrs MLCM. I'm looking forward to hearing about your joint adventures.

Good to have you back.

(Hmm. Though on reflection, is it a coincidence that you pop up just before the start of the Ashes? . Grrr. Clever git, taking a ringside seat for the Aussie gloat-fest to come.... )