Did you ever feel like you had taken on a task and was more than delighted to do so, but then of course having taken time to reflect on the hasty decision you saw that the task at-hand was quiet significant. The ‘Blog-Boots’ to be filled are many sizes too big. Unlike the comfortable, snug fit of my running shoes, the eloquent John Finn has set aside a pair of very big boots and it’s a good question to figure out how they can be filled with regards to this blog. Nonetheless, God loves a trier…I think he’ll be trying to love me for the rest of the year.
So for you, what will 2016 hold in store? Do you have plans? Did you spend the 1st of January planning and plotting out all the running events that have taken your fancy for the year? Is the calendar dotted with 10kms, 10miles, half marathons and marathons, be they North, South, East or West? Or maybe you are such a seasoned participator for whom it is second nature and the events just flow smoothly along into each other – no thought required. Did you spend the 2nd of January sorting out the shorts and tee-shirts and looking for that rogue sock or two which had ventured into a black hole? There is always one sock which manages to disappear – I have a bag of them at home and about 10 black holes around the house.
Did you take to the by-roads in early November and weather the storm all along with miles here and there to keep the lungs from burning up? Did you keep things ticking over in early December and January, ignoring the torrential down-pours and gales tearing the country to pieces? - you’re another type of boot ‘tough as old boots’. Or are you more inclined to fit into the gang of those of us who might have ‘wintered’ more comfortably and not took the running shoes out of bag since last October? The couch, telly and cup of tea, on those dark nights, was a devilish option and won out on the ‘will I?, won’t I?’ argument.
The year has started wet, rainy, windy and stormy. No change there! So far it has been ‘challenging’ to get out and about, but Spring is shouting out loud “It’s time to get those running shoes on” and with the lovely stretch in the evenings excuses will be thin on the ground. As I’m often told ‘a drop of rain never killed anyone’ so I can’t use that from now-on to delay any adventures on the road. The Spring showers can no longer be a deterrent, but rather the long evenings are our calling.
We always have to look forward, there is nothing gained in looking back at time which is, quite simply, gone. No going back. So, leaving that thought well-aside, we are going to look ahead. We will plan per week, per quarter, per however you feel best suits you to break up the year. Manageable chunks with nice little achievable goals to boost the enthusiasm, keep the legs moving and give the opportunity to wear the orange jersey with pride. The Hurley-Hoey or Kinvara Rock and Road half marathon are now complete. The first of the Spring outings have been ticked off on that calendar. These were completed on a nice clear fresh morning, an encouraging indication for the upcoming Saturday morning meetings at DNG.
So, what’s next? …The Crusaders are a-calling…New-hires? It’s an oft repeated phrase “The more, the merrier”. Do you have any candidates in mind? What would it take to convince them? A phrase, a story, tales of camaraderie on the long runs, the fabulous army of hydrators, those great maps and punishing routes, the emailed instructions with turns right and left (depending on what angle you approach the junction from), warm-ups and warm-downs and even smashing breakfast if you’re back before lunch!. One phrase was the trick that was played on me, and now look, enjoying the whole experience as if it was recently invented! What planet was I on? God only knows why I hadn’t copped onto this running lark earlier and the great benefits, but better late than never. One of my friends recently told me that I had inspired her - me?, an inspiration?, nothing could be further from the truth – and while we chatted about the enjoyment of last year’s escapades she was already shuffling her schedule around to fit running slots into it – she’s already gone from novice to 10km and smiling
Close your eyes and picture it, the advertisement in next week’s Clare Champion/Clare People:
Vacancy: Clare Crusaders Running group
Entry requirements: No qualifications required, just pure determination to finish the long runs. A smile and a sense of humour.
Couldn’t be easier really!
Disclaimer: Signing up is the easy part… but the rest is good craic.
So for you, what will 2016 hold in store? Do you have plans? Did you spend the 1st of January planning and plotting out all the running events that have taken your fancy for the year? Is the calendar dotted with 10kms, 10miles, half marathons and marathons, be they North, South, East or West? Or maybe you are such a seasoned participator for whom it is second nature and the events just flow smoothly along into each other – no thought required. Did you spend the 2nd of January sorting out the shorts and tee-shirts and looking for that rogue sock or two which had ventured into a black hole? There is always one sock which manages to disappear – I have a bag of them at home and about 10 black holes around the house.
Did you take to the by-roads in early November and weather the storm all along with miles here and there to keep the lungs from burning up? Did you keep things ticking over in early December and January, ignoring the torrential down-pours and gales tearing the country to pieces? - you’re another type of boot ‘tough as old boots’. Or are you more inclined to fit into the gang of those of us who might have ‘wintered’ more comfortably and not took the running shoes out of bag since last October? The couch, telly and cup of tea, on those dark nights, was a devilish option and won out on the ‘will I?, won’t I?’ argument.
The year has started wet, rainy, windy and stormy. No change there! So far it has been ‘challenging’ to get out and about, but Spring is shouting out loud “It’s time to get those running shoes on” and with the lovely stretch in the evenings excuses will be thin on the ground. As I’m often told ‘a drop of rain never killed anyone’ so I can’t use that from now-on to delay any adventures on the road. The Spring showers can no longer be a deterrent, but rather the long evenings are our calling.
We always have to look forward, there is nothing gained in looking back at time which is, quite simply, gone. No going back. So, leaving that thought well-aside, we are going to look ahead. We will plan per week, per quarter, per however you feel best suits you to break up the year. Manageable chunks with nice little achievable goals to boost the enthusiasm, keep the legs moving and give the opportunity to wear the orange jersey with pride. The Hurley-Hoey or Kinvara Rock and Road half marathon are now complete. The first of the Spring outings have been ticked off on that calendar. These were completed on a nice clear fresh morning, an encouraging indication for the upcoming Saturday morning meetings at DNG.
So, what’s next? …The Crusaders are a-calling…New-hires? It’s an oft repeated phrase “The more, the merrier”. Do you have any candidates in mind? What would it take to convince them? A phrase, a story, tales of camaraderie on the long runs, the fabulous army of hydrators, those great maps and punishing routes, the emailed instructions with turns right and left (depending on what angle you approach the junction from), warm-ups and warm-downs and even smashing breakfast if you’re back before lunch!. One phrase was the trick that was played on me, and now look, enjoying the whole experience as if it was recently invented! What planet was I on? God only knows why I hadn’t copped onto this running lark earlier and the great benefits, but better late than never. One of my friends recently told me that I had inspired her - me?, an inspiration?, nothing could be further from the truth – and while we chatted about the enjoyment of last year’s escapades she was already shuffling her schedule around to fit running slots into it – she’s already gone from novice to 10km and smiling
Close your eyes and picture it, the advertisement in next week’s Clare Champion/Clare People:
Vacancy: Clare Crusaders Running group
Entry requirements: No qualifications required, just pure determination to finish the long runs. A smile and a sense of humour.
Couldn’t be easier really!
Disclaimer: Signing up is the easy part… but the rest is good craic.