HomeAn unexpected half marathon
Somewhere along the Larapinta, Fraser had posed a question.
"So, what are you going to do with all this new fitness when we get back?"
The months of grueling training and weight loss had left their mark. While clearly not a candidate for any A-Grade sports team, I was in better physical condition than I had been in a long time.
My quick/glib response:
"I'll probably sit on the couch, watch TV, and lose it all."
It may have been an attempt at humor, but it also pretty well reflected my darker expectations.
My preparation had focused on the Larapinta. No thought had been given to anything beyond. The aim had been to complete the trek, not to get fit. The improvement in physical capability was simply a necessary prerequisite for achieving the goal. Once done, I would have no further need for it.
Despite that, I really didn't want to pack the pounds back on. They had been way too hard to take off.
Accordingly, post trek, I made a concerted effort to both keep walking, and to continue to eat healthily. A nagging doubt remained. I am very goal oriented. In the absence of one, could I keep this up?
Sans pack, my hikes felt like they were missing something. Almost without thinking about it I would find myself feeling like I was going too slow. Maxed out at walking pace I would sometimes break into a jog for short periods.
What the fuck?
I'd not really considered that running would be an option for me. Too old. Joints too worn out. Frankly, running had always been difficult for me. It was hard, and I'd never enjoyed it. Some people talk about getting an "endorphin high" from running. Not me. All I've ever experienced is pain and exhaustion.
Truth was, it didn't feel too bad.
And just like that, I had the big hairy goal I needed. All 42.2km of it.
I bought a pair of running shoes (the soles on my trail runners are too firm for road work).
Then I began to jog.
6 or 7 km runs.
Early morning. In the cool. All on pavement.
Every 2 or three days.
Body felt ok. Sore feet and ankles generally recovered in a day or two.
After a few weeks my neighbor told me about parkrun. 5km fun runs on a Saturday morning. I started doing those.
After 5 or 6 weeks my body kinda felt like it wanted to go further. Suddenly most of my runs were 10km+.
My first half marathon run came out of nowhere. Two months in. I'd gone out for a normal morning jog. After 6 or 7 km I knew that today would be a day to go a bit further. So I just Forest Gumped it.
Slight problem. I wasn't quite sure how long a half marathon was.
Above 21km and below 22km I thought. So I kept going until I reached 22km.
And that was that. Unexpected.
