Who Are You Trying To Beat?

Day 11, Wednesday 28th March 2018

Today, I feel a little tired after doing my Wednesday morning 8 mile run, it’s nice to be on my feet again, zooming around Wanstead Flats, it feels invigorating, I finally feel the enjoyment found in simply participating in sport, rather than competing.

Last week I wrote about my marathon woes, after the hint of a tendon niggle sent me into a tailspin of fear and anxiety that my third (and final) marathon attempt may have gone down the drain. Well, a week of R&R alongside a gentle approach to training have seen my leg recover back to full strength and my training is back on schedule. With just over five weeks of preparation left, I’m back on course to run my first ever marathon. Fingers, legs and any other appendages are firmly crossed (and well stretched).

I’ve often reflected upon the aggressive nature of sport, many participants of sport act in angry, confrontational ways and the actual activities we partake in can feel very aggressive. Just look at certain cyclists in London and you can see the sheer loathing and vitriol pouring out of their skin as they race through town.

The act of cycling itself is aggressive, as soon as you go quickly it becomes dangerous and highly competitive cyclists sometimes sustain awful injuries. Track cyclists with broken collar…