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| Winter wall |
In spring 2009 I said farewell to the company car, the daily suit and tie, and the two hundred mile commute. I left behind working trips to the Middle East. I parted company with targets and bonuses and quarterly reviews.
I gained perspective, a certain amount of freedom, and a much greater desire to go to work each Monday morning. And... a bombproof little video camera, courtesy of a very generous whip-round from my ex-colleagues.
I gained perspective, a certain amount of freedom, and a much greater desire to go to work each Monday morning. And... a bombproof little video camera, courtesy of a very generous whip-round from my ex-colleagues.
I’m not the most technically minded person. I'm practically a luddite, and to be honest, this is where I’m comfortable. I become happy with a level of technology, and stick with that. My laptop, Garmin, iPod, and this swanky little video camera must all despair of my limited abilities.
So in summer last year, I went running with the intention of shooting some video, and trying to make something watchable. I chose a reasonable out-and-back that took me from my front step, a few miles out, and a few miles back. I figured it had some aesthetically okay bits, and the turning point was a throwback to my youth that always made me smile.
So in summer last year, I went running with the intention of shooting some video, and trying to make something watchable. I chose a reasonable out-and-back that took me from my front step, a few miles out, and a few miles back. I figured it had some aesthetically okay bits, and the turning point was a throwback to my youth that always made me smile.
“The Wall” is a term some runners use, referring to a point in a marathon where the body only wants to stop. I’ve heard different mantras and mottos intended to get people through this psycho/physiological barricade. Strangely, it wasn’t until I was thinking of a name for this video that I saw the metaphor. It seems that in this case, they might be right: the Wall does indeed have a Hole in it.
I’ve moved since I made this. The Hole in the Wall run is no longer an out-and-back from my front step. But since I wanted to share this video, this evening I composed a loop that would take me back there, and through it again.
Running solo tonight, armed with underutilised phone, overused headtorch, and the ubiquitous water bottle, I felt good, ran fast, and rounded the distance up to fifteen miles. The trails were soft, the rain was cooling, and the Hole in the Wall felt bigger than I remember. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that February is almost here.
Perhaps going through the Wall is like everything else; it gets easier with practice.
Summary:
Today: 15.2 miles, 1:57 hrs, 2126 cals
January: 357.0 miles, 51:58 hrs, 48239 cals
Summary:
Today: 15.2 miles, 1:57 hrs, 2126 cals
January: 357.0 miles, 51:58 hrs, 48239 cals
Enjoyed the video Gary, you must have used a tripod and you had to have been running backwards and forwards for those shots! How many times did you go through the hole? Gary, you're running, approach and dedication is simply inspirational but possibly what stands out the most is your passion. I'm even thinking that I might try some higher mileages when I'm mended. Those miles are just going to keep rolling in aren't they? Excellent ;-)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your video, and I love the title
ReplyDelete“The Wall” is a term some runners use, referring to a point in a marathon where the body only wants to stop. - Ive not heard this one before, its definatly something i recognise.
ReplyDelete@Jenks - Thank you - I used a tiny tripod, and ran twice the distance back and forth. I only had to do the Hole three times. On the first one my water bottle came out, the other two I used. Finally, more miles to come, I'm not finished yet!
ReplyDelete@Lena - Thanks very much
@2shoes - The general theory is that when a runner's accessible reserves are depleted, normally after 20ish miles, they hit a Wall. As soon as they're on empty, the subconscious mind tries to stop them running. It can be a challenge, and is probably the main reason most marathon plans include one long run beyond 20 miles before tapering.