Gosh. It's been almost 2 months since The 100 finished, and all I talked about for a whole month afterwards was The 100, and then for the next month I haven't written about anything at all. How dull.
So, let's catch up. I'm quite an emotional person, and make no apology for it; from sadness to happiness, our emotions shape us, and therefore I don't think we should be afraid to show them (apart from anger, which makes me anxious, see previous posts on red faced angry people). But enough of the deep and meaningful, I digress, I meant only to introduce my next topic: Emotions Following A 100....
- Day 1: Thank God that's over. I've never doing another! I'm tired, my feet hurt, and so does my mind. I feel quite tearful (for no reason). I'm so tired that I can't even form coherent thoughts, and I'm so tired I only managed two sips of wine at dinner. Anything that makes you feel like this is not OK.
- Day 2: I finished it, hurrah! But in 30 hours and 1 minute. I wonder if I could do one in under 30 hours? And it only hurt a little bit really. I think I might do another.
- Day 3: I love 100s! It was brilliant! I'm doing another. Definitely! Thank goodness I kept the leaflets they were handing out for next year's 100 in Yorkshire....
I've always found that, following a really big event that you've been working up to for ages (a running event, or a big event in your life etc), that after it finishes, there is always a period where I feel lower in mood than usual. I suppose that makes total sense. I think of it like a balloon.
Take The 100, for example, because surely no one can be bored of this topic by now. Can they? Well, imagine you're not then, just for a bit longer.
Pretty much most weekends leading up to it had been based around running even more than usual; lots of travelling to events, hours and hours running. This was the blowing up of the balloon part.
Then leading up to the event, all the the planning, kit buying and trying and checking, plotting routes...it was almost like another job (but less stressful). This is the blowing up the balloon right until it's about to burst, and it's all red and shiny (if it's a red balloon, of course, which mine is, because it reminds me of red-angry man. If red angry men still don't make sense, part 6 of The Dorset 100 blog will put their red shiny faces into context).
And then you do the event, and this is where you let go of the balloon and it makes a funny rude screeching noise (which is always funny, no matter how old you are, even if you're really really really old), and shoots all around the room.
And after the event, you're all tired out, and emotional for completing it....and then you have a huge gap in your life where the preparation for it used to be. And that's where the little balloon is lying all deflated on the floor, in a corner of the room.
Sob.
Take The 100, for example, because surely no one can be bored of this topic by now. Can they? Well, imagine you're not then, just for a bit longer.
Pretty much most weekends leading up to it had been based around running even more than usual; lots of travelling to events, hours and hours running. This was the blowing up of the balloon part.
Then leading up to the event, all the the planning, kit buying and trying and checking, plotting routes...it was almost like another job (but less stressful). This is the blowing up the balloon right until it's about to burst, and it's all red and shiny (if it's a red balloon, of course, which mine is, because it reminds me of red-angry man. If red angry men still don't make sense, part 6 of The Dorset 100 blog will put their red shiny faces into context).
And then you do the event, and this is where you let go of the balloon and it makes a funny rude screeching noise (which is always funny, no matter how old you are, even if you're really really really old), and shoots all around the room.
And after the event, you're all tired out, and emotional for completing it....and then you have a huge gap in your life where the preparation for it used to be. And that's where the little balloon is lying all deflated on the floor, in a corner of the room.
Sob.
While the balloon was lying there, I had 9 days off from running after The 100 finished, but did do some yoga, and ate a lot, and enjoyed talking about the event a lot, but not actually doing anything.
On day 9, I decided to pick the balloon back up, and start to dust it off and start putting some air back in it again. I did a 4.5 mile run. It was quite hard. Then a few days after that, I ran the first half of the South Downs Way with Andrew (28 miles on Saturday, 20.5 miles Sunday).
I thought I would be totally wiped doing it so soon after, but it felt brilliant to be back out running again, although I did feel pretty tired. So the next week I cut it back down, and started to build up again, with 5km, 10km, and 12 mile runs, and 2 yoga classes. The next week I built it up a bit more to 5 mile, 10 mile, 20 mile runs, and 2 yoga classes, Then the week after that I took it easy in the week with a couple of short runs and yoga, because at the weekend we finished the second half of the South Downs Way (35 miles on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday). This time I felt much better compared to the first half a few weeks ago. It felt like the spring was back in my step. In fact, I felt like this:
On day 9, I decided to pick the balloon back up, and start to dust it off and start putting some air back in it again. I did a 4.5 mile run. It was quite hard. Then a few days after that, I ran the first half of the South Downs Way with Andrew (28 miles on Saturday, 20.5 miles Sunday).
I thought I would be totally wiped doing it so soon after, but it felt brilliant to be back out running again, although I did feel pretty tired. So the next week I cut it back down, and started to build up again, with 5km, 10km, and 12 mile runs, and 2 yoga classes. The next week I built it up a bit more to 5 mile, 10 mile, 20 mile runs, and 2 yoga classes, Then the week after that I took it easy in the week with a couple of short runs and yoga, because at the weekend we finished the second half of the South Downs Way (35 miles on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday). This time I felt much better compared to the first half a few weeks ago. It felt like the spring was back in my step. In fact, I felt like this:
The balloon was re-inflated.
But the next couple of weeks turned into a bit of a disaster running wise, as work got in the way, so I didn't get chance to get much running done. The balloon shrivelled up again, Although, thinking about it, I did do a 20 miler at the weekend with the trail running group of the Serpentine Running Club, along the Stour Valley Way in Essex which was brilliant (although I gave myself a migraine by forgetting to take sunglasses and migraine tablets). And, I met Alan, who was the man in a red top (but this time a nice red man) who ran past me 10 miles before the end of The 100, and who was really happy and friendly, and who really cheered me up! Thanks Alan!
Then, very excitingly, I went to France with Andrew for my friend's wedding, and spent a week and a half there. It was genuinely the best holiday in ages....the first time in forever that I've felt totally relaxed. The wedding was beautiful, and it was fantastic to spend time with friends celebrating. The South of France is beautiful; the landscape of sunflower fields, fields of sweetcorn. and pretty villages all bathed in sunshine, and french wine, it was divine.
We fitted in some running too. Early in the morning, before it got too hot. We made up a 3.5 mile route around the countryside around our gite, and set up a little aid station by the gite on the way past, with a banana and extra water.
We fitted in some running too. Early in the morning, before it got too hot. We made up a 3.5 mile route around the countryside around our gite, and set up a little aid station by the gite on the way past, with a banana and extra water.
And now it's now.
What next.....
I had a look back, and right back at the beginning of this year, I wrote a blog about my depression, which was causing me trouble at the time. At the time I'd set myself some aims, as this approach helps me to deal with the depression, and take back some control. So, my goals were to try my first 100 mile event, and to reach 50 marathons by the end of the year. So, now the first of those goals is done. And I'm feeling so much better in myself as well. I don't believe in standing still though, always move forwards and challenge yourself. So now is time to tackle challenge 2. Altogether so far, I've done 39 official marathons/ ultras, so there's 11 to do before the year is out. There's 22 weeks left, so that's one every 2 weeks. And a whole lot of red balloons to get.
