Frog March

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

It's not what happens to you when you fall off the proverbial horse, it's how you get back up and get on with it that counts.

Yesterday was a shocker. No, really it was. I was both mentally and physically exhausted and my scheduled run ended extraordinarily early after just 15 minutes. I'd covered a pitiful 2km and was utterly spent. I chucked in the towel and sought solace in the only place I knew that was dark, comforting and full of alcohol - my wine cellar.

This morning I awoke after a restless night, with a puffy, gluggy eye and general lethargy. My first thought was conjunctivitis, which I hate, and which began the day on a very sour note.

However.

Sometimes, even when you don't know why, there are things you just gotta do. Things you just have to get on with - in basic terms, a few things you just got to squarely punch in the face in order to put things right and feel better.

No lousy bout of conjunctivitis was going to stop me, and one bad, mangy 2km run was not going to totally stuff up my training plan! If I was ever going to test the power of positive thinking, this was it. I still felt lousy physically, but I wasn't about to quit just yet. I changed into my running gear, flexed my muscles and ... still felt like crap.

Mrs MLCM saved me at that point by heading out for her regular daily 3 - 4 hour gym session (no exaggeration, she really does put in around 20 hours/week in the gym). And so in the face of such inspiring grit, off I trotted too. Slow to begin with for sure, but the run actually felt much better than the previous days so I gradually picked up the pace a bit. By the time Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Fanfare For The Common Man" came through the earphones I was cranking it out and feeling just fine, thanks. Indeed, to hell with it, I was actually feeling so determined that I did Saturday's run as well! I'm still not sure how it happened, but somehow I just turned around a horror day yesterday into a fine, reasonably fast and very fit run today, even when I felt like rubbish at the start. All I had to do was get mad with myself, at least a bit.

See what you can do when you get grumpy with it? Grumpiness is good. A new running formula to remember - grumpy stubbornness is worth ... oh, at least five energy gels I reckon. Maybe more.

So later in the day I received my six-monthly superannuation statement from my fund which proudly stated that not only are they a multi-award winning super fund and that they are so proud to be "socially aware" that they are on Facebook, Twitter *and* YouTube, but they also managed to lose 4.6% of my money over the last six months. Without a hint of explanation or even the slightest tinge of regret. But it's OK, because they are on Facebook. And you know what? I suddenly felt I could run another half marathon, especially if the fund managers were waiting at the finish line for me to snap their necks. Grrr. Maybe make that grumpiness equivalent to 8 - 10 gels.

So, I'm going to write to them and ask very nicely if they could send a member statement just before my next race (whatever that may be), because there's a darn load of motivation in such nauseatingly conceited behaviour.

There you are then - a very emotional but successful start to March. After such a bad end to February (well, one bad run is not so bad really I suppose) it was just what I needed.

If you are reading this and you are a superannuation fund manager... well maybe keep quiet about it, OK?

24.0km, 2:33:38

YTD: 433.5km




P.S. The eye is fine - was probably just hay fever!