6 km - our first run in December!

Hi Gang,

There are 116 days left until the Prague half marathon. Yesterday I managed to confirm that the three amigos in Prague will be joined by a fourth musketeer. My good friend, Arne Halvorsen, from the most beautiful city in Norway, Bergen, will be joining Dieter Fromberger , the mighty Harvey Day and I in Prague. So we have two brits (granted one a nationalized Canadian), a German and a Norwegian. Hey, at least we all speak variants on a German root language - and I guarantee you, we all drink beer.

On another note, someone asked me recently why I am doing this. It wasn't asked in a negative or condescending way but out of genuine curiosity. I have thought about it a fair bit since the question was asked and I don't actually have answer. I have noticed in my running room clinic I am now near the front of the class - always in the top third, usually in the top quarter. The folks at that level, however are usually young women - like 15 years younger than me. Understand that I am not built like a runner. I am built, really, like a coal miner - as both my grandfathers were.

I can tell you that this is not a mid-life crisis thing. I can tell you that I want to live a long life and be fit, rational and well to the end. I can tell you that I would like to pass on, among other things, a legacy of fitness and health to my children and, eventually, to my grandchildren. Other than that, I don't know what it is.

I do know, however, that a lot of achieving this is about imagery. I am very focused and using every tool at my disposal to achieve this goal which is to complete the Reykjavik Marathon in less than 5 hours. Prague is a step on that path. One of the tools I use to motivate me in this is, well, perhaps kind of corny. I actually think it is well done but others might disagree with me. Often when I need to get motivated I watch the following video snippet from the final Rocky film, Rocky Balboa. To set it up, nearly 60 year old Rocky has been invited to fight a exhibition match with the current world heavyweight champion and for very private reasons, agrees to the battle. Here is how he approaches training.



I can tell you that, thanks to my dear friend and trainer Andy, and to my best friend and mentor Harvey, I can do most of what you see in this clip. Not well (damnit, still can't do the chinups), but I am getting better. I appreciate you all following this blog and want to let you know that I am, in reality, as committed to these goals as Rocky is to his in the film.

So, after all the heavy stuff a report on today. Tonight I completed a 6km steady run in just over 36 minutes which is a great time for a road run. Still having a bit of trouble with my pace but it is definitely getting better. Looking forward to next weekend's long run.

Today's song of the day was Hocus Pocus by the Dutch band Focus. A very cool song for a very cool run.

Later,

Paul