The Long Weekend

There’s a clip in the movie Fight Club I am reminded off this weekend. It is a clip when Fight Club goes global. We now it has gone global because men are walking the streets with black-eyes, burst lips and cut noses. There seems to be lots of them and while the general public are probably thinking, what’s going on with all the facial injuries, those who know now.

While training for the Dublin marathon is not Fight Club this weekend is that scene. For it is usually this weekend, four weekends out, that marathon runners will push themselves to the limit in the hope of preparing for the big day. This is the time in our training where we will do that big run, our longest run before we begin lessening our miles and initiating the taper (where you get your body into recovery mode). As a marathon runner we know each other. And if you keep your eyes open you can see us too.

·         Tired limbs.

·         Looking finished.

·         Shoulders hunched forward from 16+ miles.

·         Pain etched across our faces (more than on the faces of the regular weekend runner).

·         Belts around our waists with sachets hanging from them.

·         Containers of water being held in our hands.

·         Utterly determined 1,000 mile stares on our faces.

·         Embodiments of pain.

If you are one of us out slogging away this weekend good luck. Try to get yourself onto the softest and safest surface going and give it your best. Try to get into a good friendly group so those many miles and countless kilometres go past much more quickly. And if you miss the meet-up time try to find someone to share the burden with as you run but don’t look too desperate like a 19-year boy at a quarter to two in the morning looking for the shift.

Remember, this is the toughest run you’ll probably do and unlike Fight Club, don’t be afraid to talk about it.

Thursday’s training

Nothing. I could call it a recovery run but it wasn’t planned. I was just too exhausted so took the day off.