One step at a time

-This was started months ago, finally decided it was time to get it out there.

One of the most important things to me is running. A simple formula for life.
I don't talk to anyone, I am alone, but I am elated. I have my running earphones on, my nigh destroyed Saucony Grids that I have ran near 600 miles in and walked a quarter of in. I mean my grids are always in a case of falling apart, I've had them since early 2008. All my other trainers lasted about a year, I'd destroyed them big time, running up stoney hills, smacking my heels on the floor as I ran.

Shin splints have been a bane of my running life, they have stopped me for days, weeks and months. I've ran through them, I've been stopped by them. I've hobbled home, I've iced, put deep heat on and rested.

I changed my running style, that is, after I read Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. Good bye shin splints, piss off new "hi-tech" running trainers and I kept my "old trainers". Started landing on the balls of my feet, and slowly progressed. Since then I have been injured, I've damaged my adducters after not stretching for a while. The most annoying thing, on a hot sunny day, going through an 8 mile run, feeling a niggling pain halfway through and walking home from there. That was after doing three runs of a similar distances for a few months. Following a terrible performance at a fun run.

I couldn't run for months, the most depressing thing I can imagine is looking outside on a sunny day and knowing I can't run. Actually, no I can, watching someone run on a sunny day and knowing I can't run. I am a running elitist. I can't stand people who only run on a sunny day, I have ran in terrential rain, ice, snow, cold weather and all that. Not because it was a nice day, but because it is a day when I go running.

Also, charity runners, who the hell do you think you are? Not marathon runners, not 10K'ers, I have nothing against you. But you fun runners who run as little as 1 mile and as far as 3, I've ran past you whilst doing my sunday six miler (not doing this anymore), nearing the end and you've got a towel draped over your shoulder, a bottle of water and a bag of goodies for being charitable and then getting rewarded for it?! Not only are you lazy, you are hypocrites, taking profits from a charity. I ran six miles, with no water, no towel and you think you've done a 5k? Strutting with a strange sense of entitlement and a required reverence by the people that pass them by.

Anyway, moving on. I kept getting injured last year, started running shorter distances. Got faster, better and truly, stronger. Then I got injured again this year, took some time off and started running again as well as stretching. I was the fastest I've probably ever been at the beginning of this year and now I'm building myself up to doing it again.

I have to say, it's hard at the moment. I can feel my shin splints coming back, but sometimes you have to run through the pain. It can't always be a medititation, it has to make you question yourself, it must be a psychological and a physical battle. I've been bullied, called names, beaten up, but that only made me stronger, I've got to the point of my regular distance and pushed myself on for at least two more miles. When I am in this mode it, speed doesn't matter, grit does, a feeling that I'm willing to drop dead rather than give up. I'm in a competition with running and with myself.