As of late I have embarked on a mission to
train for a Half Marathon – The Great North Run. This is 13.1 miles across
Newcastle and the region of Tyne & Wear, also appealing as my Grandma lives
five minutes from the finish line! Running long distance marathons is something
I have always wanted to get involved in, and I am finally taking that step to
pursue my goals.
I find running to be extremely therapeutic
and rewarding, not to mention it is also cost free! So if you are on a budget,
or looking to save some money in order to buy that designer
handbag/car/holiday/house deposit, then taking exercise for free is something
that you really should consider!
It is not for the faint hearted though. It
is proving to be a massive mind over matter challenge. I have to train a lot at
night to fit around my work schedule, when sometimes I’d much rather curl up on
the sofa with a glass of wine and good food I have to get out there and train!
I believe that the body gives up a long time before the mind does when you push
yourself beyond what you would normally do for exercise. I was told once, by a
friend of mine who is a South African rugby player, that when your body wants
to pack in, you can actually do what you have already done, ten times over. So
I am definitely learning more about persevering through the comfort zone at the
moment – quite possibly an amazing lesson I will carry with me for the rest of
life.
I am going to post more articles as my
training progresses, sharing experiences, and also diet and nutrition tips that
help me along the way. However I am mainly fascinated by the minds ability to
push the body beyond what is comfortable, the ability to persevere through
pain, and to achieve great things. I believe that the mind is a powerful tool
and I will be looking at how the marathon training can help build skills that
can transfer into all areas of life and pursuing goals.