(Half) Marathon Man

Dear George,

Good evening mate, How are you?  I must confess i've not read your blog for a couple of days and i do hope you've not lost a leg or anything.  It is a mild evening over hear in London.  18*C and mostly cloudy.  No train journeys today but lets assume the service was crap.  This day in 1957 Russia launched the 1st satellite into space, it was called Sputnik.  First class stamps are 46p.

Well, i was reading through my last few letters to you and just wanted to tell you all about the half marathon i ran last weekend.  I don't know if know mate, but i love running.  I always feel so energised after a run and now i'm the other side of 30 it won't be long before middle-aged spread sets in so all the exercise will put a stop to that.

It all began a couple of years ago when a friend from work was getting sponsorship for a half marathon she was doing.  When she got to me with here sponsor form, clip board and pleading eyes, i caved in and was ready to sign away some absurd amount of money.  But, she asked if i was interested in running it with her.I will point out now this friend of mine is... erm... advanced somewhat in her age and the idea of doing a good deed without putting much effort in sounded awesome.  I later learnt that this seemly frail old lady is off running, cycling or swimming in races every other weekend.  I reassessed, clearly i was going to have to put some work in to this so i began jogging at lunchtime maybe twice a week for around 20mins...

However, after a month of this it was pointed out to me that my friend not only ran half marathon regularly but cycled everywhere and i would be mocked forever if she finished ahead of me.  So i up'd my training, only to discover that she'd roped in a couple of other work mates to run too.  Now i was beginning to stress...keeping up with an elderly lady running 13miles is one thing but to be then told that i'd be dragging my sorry sweaty limp and lifeless body 13miles with younger and fitter more attractive colleagues.  Now i was jogging ever day, and not just jogging.  I would now be found in my lunch breaks running up and down the fire escape staircase in the theatre... half an hour a day running up and down 8 flights of stairs.

Race day came.  I had put on my application a predicted time of between 2h-2h 30mins... my time 1h 55mins.  Not only that but i beat everyone from work i ran with...but that was mainly because no one had been threatened with an eternal mocking like i had... alas, alas...

So anyway,  that was 2 years ago.  This year i was determined to beat my time.  i wanted to think i was in better shape now than i had been, ever. Race day came.  i had worked 19 days in a row leading up to this day.  I had a shitty cold and i came so close to calling it off but while waiting for my train that morning, a lovely lady who was running too chatted away to me for the whole journey and filled me with the confidence i needed.  I had once again written on my application form i predicted 2h-2h30min to complete the run... my time 1h 48mins!

i can't put into words how good it felt to see that time, and think about all the work that i put in to gaining that level of fitness this past year.  Now how do use this skill so make money?

Off to bed now mate, i'm worn out just think about that run.

Take care buddy,
Yours,
Little Dave