End of year races

After doing my triathlon and ride across Iowa in July, the next plan was to start training for Marine Corps marathon in Washington D.C. at the end of October.

With Reshma, Brooklyn Rock N Roll 10K

However... I just wasn't feeling it.  When I started running seriously about 4 years ago, I was determined to prove to myself and to others what I was capable of athletically.  Give me a running leg, and I'll do a marathon.  I'm a big believer that the main thing anyone needs to cross over a marathon finish line is willpower.  Strong legs, heart and lungs definitely help, but willpower is probably the number one ingredient.

Having completed five, I can now safely say I can do them, but I also know how much they take out of me.  A marathon is 3 - 4 months of training, a certain amount of pain on marathon day, and a couple of months to fully recover.   Running has also given me some lower back pain, which could be helped by more stretching and core body strength training, but I'm a bit lazy about this.

I'd still like to do another marathon one day (maybe Berlin) but I didn't feel putting myself through it again this year  - my body just felt tired and was telling me it needed a rest.  So, I sold my bib, and enjoyed doing some smaller races, 5 or 10k's over the last few months.

Race for Rehab:  Soo crosses the finish line

One week-end, I ran in a rock n roll 10K in Brooklyn with my friend Reshma.  It is nice going out to Prospect Park in Brooklyn for a change of scenery, plus I was running for Team Refuel, for free entry sponsored free supply of chocolate milk, and entry to the VIP area after for a nice spot of cooked breakfast afterwards.

The day after, I ran a 5K race in Valhalla, Westchester County, 30 miles north of NYC.  The race is organized by the rehab hospital there; it takes place on the grounds of the hospital, and the proceeds go to Achilles.  It's always a fun trip out of town, and the students always give Achilles members such a warm welcome.

Another good race I did was a Shoe4Africa 5K in Riverside Park in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  Shoe4Africa is a fantastic organization founded by marathon coach Toby Tanser.  Toby is currently raising money for the first public children's hospital in Kenya.  For this race however, all proceeds went for people affected by Hurricane Sandy.

For this one, my company Thomson Reuters had entered a team, but the most memorable moment was provided by Achilles member Patrick.

Partrick approaching the finish line

The few hundred people of us who had finished the race waited around for an awards ceremony and raffle after.   When this was over, we all thought the event had ended, but this was where Patrick proved everyone wrong.  He'd been doing an abbreviated version of the course on his walker and hadn't finished yet.

While all of us were engrossed in the raffle, he had been slowly but surely making his way towards the finish line, just behind where everyone was gathered.   As he came into view, everyone turned around 180 degrees, and started cheering him on to the finish line.  It was a really emotional moment.

Patrick was very tired, and had to stop every few steps to catch his breath.   He finished, bathed in sweat, to the loudest cheer of the day; looking around, I could see some people were crying and others were visibly very touched by his determination to make it to the end.  Another priceless Achilles moment!

I'm excited for my plans for next year.  I hope to ride from Lands End in the SW of England, to John O'Groats, at the top of Scotland.  I've signed up for the Timberman Half Ironman in New Hampshire in August.  These will involve a lot of training, which I'm going to get stuck into from January 1st.   I will need to start doing some more core strength exercises, spending a lot more time in the swimming pool, and a lot more time on the bike, but I know if I train diligently enough I have another year of exciting challenges ahead.

Team Achilles, Valhalla Race for Rehab, Westchester County