Power of the Mind

This morning I ran 15k at the BRRC Championships. Mind you this took me 89:23 (5:58 m/K) but that was good enough to get me third in my category and a bronze medal. I suspect there was only three of us out there today though. I am totally amazed that I was able to do that and it is testament to the power of the mind and goal setting.

About 2 months ago I targeted three BRRC events as goals to motivate me to get out and do some exercise.  They were a 5k, 10k and 15k each a fortnight apart. The last was always going to be a stretch. The first two I was able to do relatively comfortably but the last fortnight (the fourth of my six chemo cycles) has been my toughest so far. This last week my feet have been constantly swollen and I have struggled to keep my eyes open as a deep lethargy seem to engulf me. On Wednesday night, I walked the 800m up to the High School for a function and arrived as if I had just run 10k. In a week I had managed to get out for a run only once and I really thought I had no chance of making it out for a run on Sunday let alone 15k.

But Friday morning I woke and the feet weren't swollen so I went out for a run but could only manage 5k at over 6:00 m/Ks and really struggled at the end. I didn't run Saturday and I really thought there was no hope and I wasn't even considering going. But Saturday night, I thought well I may as well just go along and start and see how far I get. I can always pull out at anytime so no harm done. The goal I had planted in my head was causing me to make these decisions.

I awoke on Sunday and the feet weren't swollen so off to the races I went. I started slow and just kept chugging away.  The first 5k loop was 29:27 and I was feeling OK so I started off on the second lap. I managed that in 30:00 and really to my total surprise I wasn't feeling that bad so committed myself to the third lap which I managed in 29:56. So a nice steady pace all the way did the trick.

Thanks to the wonderful Clairie for the encouragement out on the course and accompanying me over the final 500m.

On top of the bling I managed to score a random draw prize as well. What a day.

This was my last event in the 50-54 age group and I can't think of a more pleasing way of finishing it off.

Gee now I have to think up some new goals. With just a month of treatment to go (hopefully), it may not be too much longer before I can start thinking about running drug free.

Here I am with My Wife and Kewell at the recent Light The Night event for the Leukaemai Foundation. A big THANK YOU to every one who sponsored me for this event. The Leukaemai Foundation does incredibly good work and your generosity is mch appreciated. It also very telling that the majority of people who sposored me where runners or cyclists. It has once again shown me what a wonderfully supportive group of people runners are. I am lucky to be invoved with such a great bunch of people.