I Am Free
I have a very stretchy birthday indeed... This year it started in Provence on May 2nd with a special meal out with my brother and sister in law...
It has continued with special occasions ever since, cake with my cousin Carol, lunch with my sister Rosy and there is more to come...!
I am also fitting in three park runs in different venues in May to celebrate racing into my 58th year.
Last Saturday I had chosen to run the Tilgate Park run, and only just arrived on time by leaving Anadi at Gatwick airport in a long queue for our hire car; I raced up to the second floor of Gatwick airport and hired a taxi to get me to the start.
As we arrived my friendly taxi driver asked a man in the car park if we were in the right place, after establishing we were, he announced he was carrying the winner!
Looking through the results afterwards I found that I did in truth sort of 'win the race', as I did the 'best performance of the day' in age graded terms, and I was third woman overall, but the two in front of me were 19 years (my alter ego racing out ahead!) and the other in her thirties...
I really enjoyed the run... I decided before the gun went that I would chase the guy who was pacing 21 minutes...
Given that my previous best time was 21.55 this was a little ambitious!
The course went around a lake first and I felt quite relaxed on the shoulder of Mr 21 minutes for the first mile...
As I ran past my friend Ange - who had driven up to meet us there - and Anadi, I was feeling stretched but good...
Then we hit the first hill and Mr 21 started to disappear...
And gradually got further away...
As I was running around the lake for the second time feeling, by this time, extremely stretched indeed, I reflected that even though I was flat out and had 'gone off too fast' I felt relaxed, and without any negative internal dialogue... I was aware that the old 'not measuring up' energy has gone from my being entirely.
Relaxed under pressure, relaxed when it's hurting, relaxed when stretched...
If we can clear tension and stay relaxed under any circumstances, life feels entirely different... Our energy levels remain far higher and we can embrace Rudyard Kipling's words more fully...
'If you can meet with triumph and disaster just the same....'
I wouldn't describe my finishing time of 22.07 as a disaster, simply a reflection of my experiment which I am glad I tried...
It is always worth 'giving it a go' to 'find out what is possible' and without the dragging back of 'not measuring up' I am free...!
