The hard yards

It's now time for the hard yards, the slog, the grind. Training for longer distances is not like just running for the soul. There is sometimes less joy and soul when your training get to the hard yards phase. The problem is Mondays, the count starts at zero for week. The grind starts all over again! And you are at the bottom of a very steep hill. By Wednesday/Thursday I start getting into the groove and on Saturday I am feeling like a champion for sticking with the plan.
I thought I was immune to the grind of building the foundation, but stepping up the distance and then adding on top of that losing weight stresses (and tiredness)... it al adds up to a bit of a "lull" in the mood. Two nights in a row now we went to bed at 20:30. And slept. Slept like a moss-covered log. Last week's efforts were impressive, we upped the total kilometers for the week to 54 km. Which meant two long runs on the weekend. I know the hard yards need to be done (run), but it can make one feel a little snowed under. It helps me to stand still for a moment and remember that there is joy in the running. Stop and smell the fresh air, enjoy the beautiful sunrise and the new shoe smell. Remember to not focus on only the hard work, effort, sweat and tired feet. This is usually when I pull out my spreadsheet and graphs. Since actively starting to train this year (after recovery from my op), we've completed more than 200 km (in about 2 months). Not too shabby. Since starting this journey I've lost 4.8 kg - not only a huge advantage when running, but also a great morale booster. So when I get discouraged, I look at my records and I add up the numbers and I remember that the hard yards also add up and in a month these same tough times will no longer be "the hard yards", they will just be hard facts, telling the story of progress. I feel better already!

My quote for the day: There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results. (Kenneth Blanchard) - Running is all about commitment. I never consider quitting. Sometimes you just get tired and need to remind yourself why you are putting in the time.

PS: And after all of that, we are on the list for our Botswana adventure in August. Watch this space!