It's a great metaphor for running. You can obsess about pace too much and forget the simple joy of just getting out there and exploring. I realised recently that a lot of runners seemingly concentrate on the finger all the fucking time. Strava makes it even worse. You see these fuckers on there making excuses for their "slow" pace in the run name all the time.
I was the same for a while, broke myself of that habit early though.
Yeah I'll have some finger races, really concentrated to get a sub 2 half at Thorpe this year (nailed it by 17 seconds), and if I manage to get an uninterrupted 16 week plan completed before Brighton next year I'll be setting a marathon goal but for the most part don't forget that you can make running fun and fulfilling without chasing a pb or feeling that you are training for something.
Look at me. I tend to be grinning most of the time when I'm out for a run. Especially on days like today when it's sunny weather and a long weekend. Smiley twat that I am...
So what's the secret of this running nirvana? Simple. Just switch off and run. Today I had a vague idea where I was planning to head but I set out with no goal in mind, just let the music, weather, and feel dictate my pace and direction. So load up the "Really Long Runs" playlist and off we go.
Thing about this playlist is it has everything from Disney soundtracks to Norwegian black metal. Shuffle it and you could be singing along to Tina Turner then all of a sudden some narly death metal kicks in and you choose the hilly path. Brilliant. At one point today I found myself sprinting up a really steep hill to the Rocky soundtrack and yes I punched the air and span round at the top.
Took some photos too. Can't do that if you are segment hunting.
Sunshine, woods, music. Would have been a shame if I'd just focussed on the finger.
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