Life is a funny thing, the smallest thing can teach you the most important lessons. Last weekend I did a Not so small thing and joined 25,000 for the 10 mile Great South Run in Portsmouth. It was a tough journey but it taught me 3 lessons.
1) I can achieve more than I thought possible
I didn’t think I could complete the run, previously I’d never completed a full mile! I was determined to run the first mile, but I got through the first one, then the next and I kept going. I didn’t run all of it, but I managed 80%, far surpassing my expectations. Cheesey maybe, but we’re all capable of more than we realise!
2) Practice makes perfect
It’s hardly a breakthrough but entirely true. My training consisted of a couple of meek jogs and my daily cycle. This practice left my cardio fitness high but my running ability near zero. My friend on the other hand started as a complete beginner, trained hard and was able to run the race in an impressive time.
3) I’m a sprinter
I’m glad I did the 10 mile run but I don’t think Ix’ll do something similar again. I didn’t enjoy the run, I found it boring. I don’t like holding back and keeping a steady pace, my favourite part of the run was the final 200m because I could finally run at my fastest. I like being able to exercise for short periods at full power. Some people love long runs, but it simply isn’t for me!
I enjoyed my experience and have been able to raise money for Children with Cancer, an inspiring national charity. If you would like to support them you can find my link on this post.
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