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| Erik Lee puts 'you girls' through their paces once again |
Day 211
Our Erik session was truncated because of work commitments and the rain that seemed set to stay. We did boxing, blades, leg lifts, ball slams, weighted lunges, waist twisting.
In the evening, the trains prevented my getting to the Kent AC track session on time, so I only managed 5x800m (in each the first 400m at 10k pace, the second at 5k pace) with a 1m recovery.
Thinking, writing and developing ideas about the midlife woman runners is continuing to exercise my brain as I train. I know that running, and focusing on my hopes for VLM 2015 is seeing me through a challenging time. I wonder if my coming to running so late in life (I was 44 years old when I ran my first 5km race) is in some ways an advantage, when it comes to reconciling the self to the physical and emotional changes that seem to dominate more with every passing birthday. All women fear the invisibility that comes with the end of fertility. Nature sees no reason to keep women sexually attractive, instead, the natural tendency is to lay down protective fat, and by association, keep us cuddly for our grandchildren. So why does this come with an unhealthy side of depression and grieving? Is it because in the old days, we'd be slowing down for death, instead of bleakly looking at a further 30 years of being sidelined in our professions, ignored by men and pitied by our lissom daughters?
And coming to running late in life? Well, it meant that I did not experience that inevitably distressing experience of becoming a 'veteran'. In athletics, everyone over the age of 35 is thus categorised, which must be a little galling for club runners who still reckon they're spring chickens. I have only ever been a veteran.so I suppose I'm under no illusions.
I've gone off my point, but need to bathe and sleep. I'll be back on point tomorrow.
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