Slow and steady finishes the race

This is how I feel whenever I go running and there are other people there (i.e., anywhere outdoors). The feeling of sluggishness is compounded during road races or joint training sessions, when I never had a chance and everyone else sets off at speeds beyond 10km/h. It is especially infuriating when most of them are heavy smokers (this was when I was running in China).

I’m not a long-distance runner. I’ve never been a long-distance runner, and I should never lose sight of that (i.e., I frequently feel like crap because no matter how much I train, I never really get faster). I run because it’s something I can do alone (and not depend on anyone else showing up) and for the most part, doesn’t cost anything. I also run to remind myself that non-smoking gives me lung capacity.

(Yes, I did notice the irony. Yes, I do repeat myself. I need to constantly reinforce the core message.)

Most people are surprised when I say I’m not getting any charity sponsors for the run on Saturday. But I don’t want the efforts on the day to go to waste. So if anyone wants to ’sponsor’ me, make a donation to your favourite charity. But don’t tell me you’ve done it until after the race, because I might end up breaking my ankle or having another life-threatening anaphylactic reaction if you let me know beforehand.

Not like I’m superstitious or anything.

For your donation, you’ll know that I will plod along at about 8km/h for the entire distance (I run at that speed no matter the length of the race, although I am trying to use some speed training for a gradual increase), but I will finish the race. I might be behind everyone else (even my colleague who’s barely done any training, but he’s only 20 years old), but I’ll finish. It’s winter in Glasgow, so I’ll definitely finish as I’ll want to get out of the cold as fast as fucking possible.

• 29 Jan 2007

• Thinking