It doesn't take much for me to think I'm not particularly good at this running lark, but when you read something like this it really hits home how crap I am.
This fellah is 63, trains six times a week - including a 22-miler every Sunday - and London will be his 66th marathon.
His 66th!
He's aiming to beat his time of 3:30 last year, which I would have been over the moon with myself!
It started when he went to the gym, then he got the running bug. Another very good reason never to go to the gym in my opinion.
I know I'm doing it again, so some might claim I've got "the bug", but there is a crucial difference between me and Terry. Well, there are many actually - he can run 22 miles, is healthy, dedicated etc.
But the main one is probably that I run out of stubbornness, not pleasure.
I'm not doing it to be healthy, find myself, or even to raise money. These are some of the side effects, but not the motivation.
I'm motivated by the fact I did so badly last time and need to redeem myself. It's pure bloody-mindedness, no more, no less.
Yes, raising money is great, and I've still never felt as healthy as when I did it last time, but that alone isn't enough for me to strap on the trainers.
I don't know if it's a psychological flaw, and I don't really care, but I know that if I'd made it round uninjured last time, I wouldn't be trying this again.
But I didn't, so I've got 13 weeks to get ready to get round.
And try to reconcile myself with the idea I'll probably be beaten by a 63 year old.
Lightning reactions
8 years ago