ENCOURAGING me to get out and train this week, a friend said: “Get running. You don’t want to turn into the Nutty Professor!”
Now I know that is never likely to happen, but just the other day I had been thinking about how Sherman Klump’s motivational phrase becomes “Yes, I can”. In one scene after finally pushing himself and managing to run up a flight of stairs he does a little celebration dance at the top, which I have always loved.
So as I struggled to run up a hill and winced at the pain in my calves, I imagined what Sherman would do and “Yes, I can” rang around my head.
“If the Nutty Professor can run,” I thought. “Then so can I!”. I even imagined myself doing a little victory jiggle at the top of the hill for when I eventually got through it.
Until I started running, I had no idea how much mental power was needed to keep going. Aside from needing the physical strength to get through a long distance run, a lot of it involves mental strength too.
And without someone pushing me along I sometimes find it all too easy to stop running and walk when I get out of breath or feel tiredness in my legs. But after a small prep talk in my head and forcing myself to keep going, I manage it.
I just need to make sure I can keep that up for 13 miles!
This week I had a disastrous attempt at a four mile run. I made the mistake of not warming up properly and then getting shin splints two miles in. I practically walked the last two miles back home angry and annoyed at myself.
The second run was much better as I joined other mad joggers and dog walkers on the roads by getting out at 7.30am on a Saturday. This time I did a 3.5 mile run in 38 minutes and for the first time ever I managed to run up my road (which is slightly uphill) without stopping. I managed to repeat this same route on Monday night with no problems.
That definitely deserved a little Sherman Klump style celebratory dance in my books, even if the neighbours looked at me a bit funny.