There’s a battle raging between the devil vs. the angel, both are sitting on my shoulders
The devil’s conversation, more or less as dictated to me…
Tired, oh I am tired, maybe I needn’t run today
Under the bedcovers, it’s so cosy, why run?
Evidently, I don’t need to run today, I’m ahead of plan
So, I could just stay here and mooch awhile
Default position is that I can run tomorrow, and nothing will be lost
And besides which, I haven’t had a cup of tea
Yawn, I do feel a little tired – bed’s a good place to be
The angel’s…
Go and do it
Even if you’re tired, you’ll feel better if you go
That is your running kit on the chest of drawers – it’s winking at you
You’re doing this for a good cause, a very good cause in fact
Only you can do this, there’s no team back up
Until you get out, I’ll continue to nag you
Rise out of your pit and go!
Alrighty, that’s progress, we are clear of the duvet
Running kit is being put on
Setting the Map My Run lady up
Exiting the bedroom
On the way to kicking the devil off my shoulder
Up and down the hills of Le Marche
Ten kilometres done, with a twinge or two, but it is done
Am I the only person to feel this way from time to time? Today was a mental battle to get out, even allowing for the cajoling from Mr JCR. The thing I don’t understand is that this challenge is entirely self-set. There’s no-one forcing me to do it, although I think I’d feel duty bound to return some sponsorship if I didn’t do it.
How do you keep yourself motivated when at times, like today, it feels too hard to contemplate? Thinking of having to write up an admission that I didn’t want to run, stopped me from flaking, but it was close.
If anybody has any great ideas on how I stop these particular devilish gremlins, then I’d love to hear them…, or was it just a case of a terrible Tuesday?
Playlist
Still rocking the eighties vibe
Runnin’ Down A Dream – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
I Ran – A Flock Of Seagulls
Talk Talk – Talk Talk
Shout – Tears For Fears
Every Day Hurts – Sad Cafe
Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder
Hold Me Now, Doctor Doctor – Thompson Twins
Visage – Visage
Don’t You (Forget About Me) – Simple Minds
Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
I’m Still Standing – Elton John
I Melt With You – Modern English
Eighties – Killing Joke
Liberator – Spear of Destiny
Cuddly Toy – Roachford
Ride On Time – Black Box
It’s A Sin, West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys
I Only Want To Be With You – The Tourists
Don’t Go – Yazoo
Stats
Distance 10.59km
Time 1:20:12
Average Pace 7:34
Elevation Gain 98
Alzheimer’s Challenge
This is my mental kick up the arse message to myself
You are running 2018km in 2018 to raise £2018 for Alzheimer’s Research, if you can
Your friends and some strangers too (although friendly ones), have donated to keep your efforts going.
You are over 2/3rds of the way there to completing the challenge
You will be letting yourself down and others if you don’t do it
Kms Run So Far 1442.62
Kms To Go 575.38
Jancanrun 
You need to find some other people to run with. Join a running club or group. Then the run becomes an enjoyable social outing not just exercise. Also, when you are committed to a meeting time and place, staying in bed would mean letting the other person down, so not an option.
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I agree in principle except that I actually prefer running on my own – which is a dreadful admission but true. Generally I am okay with getting out to run – it is probably that now my challenge to run the year is biting a bit hard, especially with the heat here in Italy. With the benefit of a rest day I think the cooler weather will help so I hope yesterday was just a glitch.🤞but thanks for taking the trouble to suggest something to me.
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It just seems a shame that you don’t seem to enjoy your running. You so often moan about it. Most people who run do so because they love it. And I still believe that love is enhanced by sharing the experience. Changing the subject – you have mentioned frustration at not getting quicker. To increase speed you need to vary your training. Do hill reps or fartlek for a couple of runs each week. Running at a steady pace will not, on its own, improve fitness. Again, involvement with a club or group really helps with this. (I am a runner and an old school acquaintance of Colin’s – that is why I follow your blog). I have only started running in late adulthood but love it with a passion – hence being sad that you don’t seem to get much pleasure from your 2018 project.
Last point – to prevent injury and improve running performance, cross training really helps. Weights and core toning essential in my book. Having a strong set of abs takes pressure off legs and knees. Good luck!
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Hi Someone, I don’t know if you’ve read every one of my entries – but I don’t feel that I do moan often about the running. I actually love running, sometimes it feels like I am flying, but the blog is a truthful account of my feelings as I encounter each run -if I lie and say every run is a joy, I wouldn’t be being truthful, and I do take the Mickey out of myself as a standard, which of course may lead folk to wonder whether I hate myself and the running! As a new runner, when I set myself the run the year challenge, I knew there would be a time during the challenge when it would be hard, but I just didn’t know when that time would occur and I think August has been my nemesis month. My previous maximum run rate was about 20km a week, so doubling to 42km, without much preamble, which I did by running 6 days out of 7, was undoubtedly going to be a hard thing for me to do. Having banked some extra kms, I can drop my run schedule to 2 days on, one day off and the extra rest is helping.
I agree on cross training and doing things like fartlek – one of the things I’ve now realised is that there isn’t a training plan for what I am doing and my observation is that by having spent 6 days out of each week, actually doing the challenge (which requires me to run /no walking, and to do a minimum of 5k each time, hasn’t given me the necessary rest/cross training time. Prior to doing my challenge I was cross-training with kettlebells and doing squats, and now I have 2 days a week rest time, I can pick that up again.
Please don’t feel sad about my running, I am not at all and in fact take great pride that this time last year I’d just finished C25K and despite advice from lots of serious runners, who told me I was crazy to consider running 2018km, I am chuffed to bits with my progress.I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts – I wanted some ideas and you have given me food for thought, not least that when I have a fab run I should perhaps focus on that positivity a little more!
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