A mile or a marathon a day?

I watched the first of half of the documentary "Eddie Izzard: Marathon Man" on television last night.

Last summer Eddie ran 43 consecutive marathons around England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, having never run before, on less than 6 weeks training.

It certainly put my 1 mile each day into perspective. The only thing is that I believe that what I'm doing adds to my daily life, whereas what Eddie Izzard did obviously took over his entire life and was his life, at least for the period of his adventure.

Still, it was very impressive and also inspiring.

I do seem drawn somehow to these acts of endurance that go beyond what we commonly believe can be done, Rosie Swale Pope's run around the world being another example.

For me it was a case of just another day, another mile (and a bit).

Oh, and was yesterday the best day of my life? Only time will tell, but setting the intention definitely made it more enjoyable, and who knows, maybe seeds were planted that will grow into something bigger than ever imagined.

About beasts, running and life

Ah, Saturday morning means weekend, means getting up a little later.

I still haven't pushed myself beyond the one mile yet, the weather is not enticing enough or there's too much to do. I have any number of reasons, but the truth is I'm not inspired enough yet to do it.

Since finishing Born To Run, I can't get inspired either by the novel I'm reading, so I've ordered Rosie Swale Pope's book about running round the world solo. I'm looking forward to receiving that some time next week.

Do you reckon I might have tendencies that could be bordering on the obsessive (Nicky you don't need to comment on this one) at times? It does seem that when I get enthusiastic about an idea, it percolates everything I do. Maybe that's just what being passionate is?

I do tend to see running, and my experiences when I'm running, as a fantastic metaphor for life as a whole. For example, the following quote from Born To Run (for a change):

“You can’t hate the Beast and expect to beat it; the only way to truly conquer something, as every great philosopher and geneticist will tell you, is to love it.”

That's just so relevant to any aspect of life. Along the lines of "what you resist, persists", and that you can only change a situation once you accept that it is as it is, and then choose to change it.

Day 57 - why I do it

I am definitely beginning to notice the lighter mornings. The fact that it's not raining certainly helps, but the early morning run is still a game of attempting to dodge the puddles.

Two days ago I was writing about it being hard to get going even after 55 days, but now I'm feeling that running a mile is just something I do in the mornings, I don't even really think about it. It's like brushing my teeth.

How can I have changed my thinking so quickly? Maybe tomorrow it will be a struggle getting going again?

What is it I'm trying to prove with this mile each day experiment? I've forgotten.

Actually, I don't know that I'm trying to prove anything. First and foremost I was just trying to see if I could actually run a mile every day for a month.

Now I know that I can, I'm just curious as to how long I can keep it up for. Also, I'm curious as to what I discover, if anything, from continuing the experiment for as long as I can.

I wonder why I always try to find a purpose? Running is something that I know nourishes me, my body, my mind and my spirit, so doing some of it ever day makes sense.

I watched Jill Bolte Taylor's TED talk - "A Stroke of Insight" again yesterday. I never fail to be inspired by this video, no matter how many times I've seen it, and it brings me back to what I have eluded to in a previous post about running and connection.

Running somehow temporarily disables my logical left side of my brain that relates to the past and the future, and that sees me as a separate entity. It engages my creative right side of my brain that lives in the present moment and that recognises that I am just part of an energy force that encompasses everything I can see, hear, feel, taste and touch.

This helps me feel that it is never just me alone. I am always a part of something way bigger. I find that uplifting, empowering, reassuring and inspiring.

And how I got here from how I started this post, I have absolutely no idea.

Oh well.

The natural born runner

Are all GPS devices inaccurate?

We're running exactly the same circular route every day at the moment, sometimes one way and sometimes the other. Why then does my Garmin Forerunner 101 vary in the distance it says we're covering by about 5%?

It's not that important, but when you're trying to encourage someone who is trying to get into running and you know they have run a bit faster today but your GPS device says it's slower, it's not that helpful.

On the running in old trainers without insoles front, my plantar fasciitis is definitely getting better. I have to concentrate to identify any remaining soreness. I tell you it's working!

Today's quote from "Born To Run" is "a Natural Born Runner - someone who ran for sheer joy, like an artist in the grip of inspiration".

Now that's something to aspire to.

Day 52 - fun and play

Wet and cold today. I do love this country and our variety of weather, quite often all in the same day.

This is the 4th day that I've run with Nicky on her "Run for Lent" initiative. For me running is not about competition, it is about fun and connection. When running with someone else, it is a great opportunity to share and connect, and when I run on my own it is an opportunity to connect with myself and with nature.

Sounds a bit "woo woo" I know, but running is the closest I've ever got to a meditative state. Most of my best creative ideas come to me when I'm running, particularly when it's just me and nature.

But the key for me is running should be about joy, fun and inspiration. When I get to pain, suffering and struggle, I know that I'm doing it wrong.