Every step

The race is long and in the end,
it's only with yourself
Baz Luhrmann

Everyone always says you're only running against yourself and not to compare yourself to other people, but I never really got it. You (or at least I) always assume its a level playing field. I always thought I was just slower, or I wasn't putting as much effort in or I wasn't as good as other runners.

When I was out running this morning, I remembered something Jacquie (sports podiatrist) said to me on Wednesday. I'd completely forgotten about it. She said because of the way my feet and ankles are, it's taking me twice the effort to propel myself forward when running. Apparently every step I take needs to stabilise first, which breaks the momentum created by the preceding step. In short, it's tougher for me to maintain any momentum when running. It explains why my legs are always so wrecked after long runs.

I thought about this round my 6 mile run today. It's bloody amazing I made it round one marathon, let alone 4. It makes me even more proud of my achievements. Just think what my next one will be like when I have my new orthotics and a little bit of momentum...

This picture is taken from my run this morning - near Duddingston.

Running mileage (15 March - 15 March)
Today's run: 6 miles
Total mileage: 53.5 miles