On the verge of something big ….

I haven’t written for a while. I suppose life had taken on a certain rhythm and not too much was changing day to day. However looking back, a whole lot has changed. It’s just that the changes happened so gradually that it was almost unnoticed.

So what has changed.

The biggest one seems to be that running is becoming part of what I do and who I am. Running has become a real interest. The books I read, the documentaries and video clips I watch, the tweeters I follow and read, are all to do with running and learning and finding out what others do, where their struggles are, and what they do about it.

The other massive and gradual change has been to do with people, and in particular the ones I have met at ‘Intraining’ Running Club, and how other runners form a strong support group around you, and help make reality the dreams one has.  It’s extraordinary, this journey when I started, was to run a marathon, and maybe there were others like me around the world who could all join up and we could do it together.  I started a blog so we could connect across continents and maybe have some chats going, and try and help each other.  In my head we would all be about my age, about my body shape, about my pace and have more or less the same dream.  It never occurred to me that in my local running Club, (I didn’t even know about running Clubs) there would be a whole bunch of inspirational people, all ages and shapes and different running abilities, all fierce and determined, all of the mind set that we as a group are stronger and better than an individual would be by themselves. They pick up any newcomers to the Club, a bit like a school of fish.  Some are in the lead, some are behind, but it’s a group which moves together.

This sport of running is so surprising.  I am blown away by how little I knew about this world, and how much there is to learn and discover.  I am loving every bit of it, even the hard bits and there seem to be quite a few of those too.

Coming back to my headline, marathon school is officially starting this week, and I am super excited, nervous, quite scared, most of which is to do with worry about not being good enough, or fast enough for the new groups I will be meeting.  I will also be leaving my beginners group and our coaches and taking these early steps on my own again.  Now that I have found this bunch, it seems to be much harder to make a change, than when I first joined.  Its not all sole sailing though.  There are a whole group of them doing the same as I am.  It would appear we will be doing a speed session, a tempo session, and a long run session.  I will be able to tell you more about them once I find out exactly what these are.  But, already we are planning to do our second and third session as a group which will be super fun and comforting.

So the reality of running a marathon is taking shape. I can feel it, I can sense it. The dream of crossing that finish line is less cloudy and has more shape and definition.  The work that is required to get there is also clearer.  I feel so very lucky to be able to do this.

Happy running everyone where ever you are.