Running And Rowing...
My sister Rosy and I spoke on the phone today, I loved hearing her voice and chatting away like we had seen one another yesterday… We talked about lots of things, and then the conversation moved to our passions... Rosy's rowing and my running....
We are both engaged in a time of 'getting very fit', and we chatted about doing our sports side by side together in June…
It was ages ago when we first mooted this idea, Rosy had just taken up rowing. She was doing all her training on the concept 2 indoor rower before taking to the water... And we hatched a plan for the future... To row and run for miles together on an adventure; like across Europe or some such journey…
We knew it was an 'in the future' thing, because Jamie and Jess, Rosy's children, were only little then… But now they are eighteen and almost fifteen, and so vistas of possibility are opening up...!
We are starting with a seven mile 'Row/Run' in Exeter along the canal when Anadi and I are in the UK in June... 'How fast will I need to run....?' I asked her, a tad apprehensively...!
'You'll be fine' Rosy reassured me.... Then we talked of doing it again in September when we are back again, but going further....
I love that getting properly fit again is giving me the feeling of freedom to make plans... To look ahead up the running path, and that the healing of my left side is giving me balance in my body and confidence to execute these plans...
I read a post on Facebook today that showed a dancers feet. One foot was in her ballet points, the other was bare, showing the battered and bruised and bandaged toes, the caption read, 'Everyone wants success until they know how hard they have to work for it...'
I love the hard work of running training and I know I respond to high mileage... I also know I am an athlete that takes a while to find form, this therefore means consistent weeks of miles and miles.... Finishing one week and starting again the very next day....
But I suit this too, because I have a very high energy and training hard allows me to express it in a limitless fashion, but this doesn't mean it doesn't require 'digging in' at times...!
This is also why I love it so much.... As we ran to the start of our loop yesterday I said to Anadi 'this is why I love running...'
'Why?' he asked...
'Because nothing has ever challenged me in the same way and to the same level, and nothing has allowed me to access where I am still holding tension in my body and mind...'
I like heading towards events or journeys or adventures on the horizon, because it asks that I prepare for them, and in this space I meet myself....
My pointy knee has responded to Greg's distant healing, care and advice... He has sent me more exercises today, a diagnosis, and the suggestion of icing to bring down the 'pointy ness' even further
My whole body is responding to Rodjas regime - I have increased confidence and trust in my running step... And the miles are getting me stronger and fitter....
Consistency for week after week is the key, whilst at the same time remembering that there is no rush. You cannot rush the dawn of a new day, or the blossoming of a flower and I cannot rush my body into good racing form....
This morning Anadi and I set off for a seven mile run, we discovered in a few steps that our legs were very tired from yesterday! So we took it very easily indeed, and it was a joy to gently journey side by side....
'It's being consistent that counts' I commented to him, 'it's about keeping getting out of the door...'
As my dad would say...'Softly, softly, catchee monkey...'!