100 Club AGM marathon - #97

Still catching up... The 100 Club AGM was a few weeks ago now, here's the report, written pretty soon after the event.


The 100 Club AGM is 5 laps of an outer loop and an inner loop, nice for breaking down the distance and making the time pass quickly. Unfortunately, it's been 4 weeks since my last marathon and a misplaced motivation has meant my longest run since was just short of 11 miles. And that was being dragged round by Mark. It was quite clear I was knackered after only 2 laps, so the third and fourth were a bit of a trial. However, having watched 127 Hours yesterday, it was pretty straightforward to maintain perspective. All I was doing was getting round 26 miles, not exactly being stuck under a rock for 4 days before cutting off my own arm, and then dealing with the dehydration, fever and shock to abseil out of the canyon and stumbling god knows how far to find help. Top film by the way, go see.

Anyway, I was knackered but at least the time didn't matter, 4 hours 32 was fine for #97. I can't wait for Malta, and I'm not sure I'll run another marathon again after the few I've got booked (the usual April suspects Brighton & London, and Stockholm in May as I've wanted to run it for ages). I haven't enjoyed running for a long time and am finding it next to impossible to train; on more than one occasion lately, I've got up, put my kit on, had a cup of tea, and gone back to bed. It's cold and dark and boring and just too much effort, but that's not really an excuse. The problem really is I don't have anything to work towards. Last year it was the 10 in 10 which is a proxy for your first marathon really, it's way more than you've ever done before, the training dominates your life and it feels like a huge achievement when you get there. Unfortunately, that sense of achievement is very shortlived for me, and I need a bigger and better fix. Hence loads of marathons, and hence, really, the 10 in 10. I loved the training, loved the side effects of it and loved pushing myself to my limits. But I can't go further than the 10 in 10 with a full time job and the desire to spend time with my friends, my boyfriend and my family, the 10 in 10 was almost too much and that was with such an undemanding job that I could piss about all day recovering. I actually have to apply myself now and it's quite tiring. 

So, there can't be another running challenge that's bigger than the 10 in 10, getting quicker isn't a challenge as I don't care about it enough (it'll never make me stand out as I'm firmly mid pack and always will be) and the 100th is fast approaching. I need something different. This time last year was similar - I knew I had to leave my job as I was bored rigid, not progressing, not learning, with no chance of a pay rise or bonus, but I didn't want to stay in finance. I spent months considering other options before I was headhunted (to another job in finance, but this time with a shed load of cash to invest and a better package, so yes, I continued to be a sell out) so the answer was given to me. I don't know what to do now. Get a bike. Start climbing. Join a boxing gym. Take up fencing. I'm starting with dynamic pilates, on those machines that look like a cross between a medieval torture rack and a kinky bit of kit in an S&M club, it's a good combination of strength and stretching, but it won't be enough of an adrenalin fix. Canyoneering, without the self-amputation perhaps?