5 things I've learned from running a half marathon...

I'm feeling quite good at the moment - well in fact I'm feeling pretty damn awesome.  On Sunday I ran the Bath Half Marathon in a time of 1 hour, 44 minutes and 36 seconds - beating my previous time by over 8 minutes from way back in 2007 (i.e. the time before the booze and bad food really took hold, and definitely before I had a 9-5 office job to sit around not exercising all day).  How did I achieve this?  Simple - practice, I trained and changed a few things about my lifestyle... and I did one thing that was inconceivable to me just a year or so ago - I joined a gym!  This experience has also taught me/reminded me of a few things that I'd like to share for the benefit of those doubters - the people who probably scoffed when they read that it took practice or those who want to do something themselves but are too scared or not motivated enough to:

1. Not all people who go to a gym is a steroid taking, body-building Arnold Schwarzenegger wannabe's who want to embarrass you

Well there are some steroid/supplement users, there is the odd body builder and I'm sure some of them would dream of being Mr Universe but they are far from the norm (at least in the gym I attend so if you're at one and there are so many that you feel uncomfortable shop around!) and even those who are are pretty polite and friendly or just stick to themselves, they are their for their own goals, not to embarrass you. 

In actual fact I've found the gym a vast mix of people, from those training towards specific events (like myself), those who like to keep fit/want to stay in shape, those who want to lose weight, and those who want to build muscle (most of whom are far below Arnie standard).  Not one of these people have been anything less than pleasant, at worst they keep to themselves and at best they are friendly with the occasional conversation every week or two which is mutually encouraging.  

The staff as well are incredibly helpful and approachable - even the one who would be Arnie's closest match, they spend all day with people and are used to the nervous newcomer so are really good at putting you at ease, giving you that initial confidence you might need.

2. You don't have to be the best - you can just do your best

My favourite banner I saw whilst running along the 13.1miles was one that said "It's you against you, the paradox that drives us".  I loved that, however the paradox lies in the fact you can't win, whereas you can - I did.  I beat my last time, I beat my target time, I didn't get lapped (it is pretty much a two lap race, other than the first & last mile or so, the middle 5ish miles are done twice) and I didn't walk at all - therefore I beat myself, I won.

Thinking back to PE as a kid, it was the only subject that wasn't segregated by ability where it was possible to differentiate by ability.  I remember what it was like, every single person was made to do the same thing and then you were ridiculed if you couldn't do as well as other kids (either the PE teachers would be on your back or the other students would be afterwards).  

I was fairly lucky, not the best athlete but I always tried which often meant me being picked a little above my ability when it came to teams being chosen and I didn't get 'stick' from the teachers (plus the head PE teacher was afraid of my mother - always a bonus).  The whole system revolved around you having to be able to do everything, not just what you are capable of - a system designed for the kids who are already good at it to show off whilst reducing the self esteem of the others.  As a result lots of children are put off and try to avoid PE, this quite easily lasts into later life as well.

However, since training again you see all sorts of people taking part, including those who are quite clearly out of shape who just do a slow mile on a treadmill and week on week you see their improvement.  It happened with myself, I couldn't run 5 miles solidly not so long ago, so I did what I could, ran for as long as I felt able then walked, before running again.  In school this would have been allowed - otherwise you'd be punished, where as in reality this helped me build up to being capable of my goals.  

If you think about it it's ridiculous to think just cause you can't do 13.1 miles doesn't mean you shouldn't do 1 mile - that's like saying because you can't save 13 injured people (an amazing thing) doesn't mean you shouldn't save 1 injured person (amazing in it's own right).

3. Specialist equipment is not just an attempt to bleed every drop of cash out of you - it makes a difference

I'm not going to say that every last bit of equipment people buy is worth the price they pay for it, but if you really do want to improve then it's amazing what just a small change in attire or intake can do for you.  For instance, when I first started running years and years ago (before my 4 year break) I did so in some scruffy old trainers I had.  Then, for my birthday, my parents kindly bought me some running shoes (maybe to try and encourage me to keep it up), and oh my, what a difference.  Suddenly I could feel the extra support when my feet landed - previously I put too much pressure at one particular place and it had lead to a constant niggley pain in my left leg.  Running in these shoes in no time at all that pain had gone.  

Now step forward to this training, gone are my heavy shorts (the only ones I had) and normal t-shirts, in come nice lightweight actual sportswear and you know what, you feel a lot freer.  The running shoes themselves are much lighter than the normal trainers and that lighter feel really makes a difference to your time and your attitude, less weighing you down, more free as a bird.

4. You do actually improve

This sounds silly I know, but when you first start off your goals could seem impossible.  Granted I wasn't starting from scratch but like I said above I couldn't run 5 consecutive miles, that really wasn't too long ago.  If you go back 6 months before then I struggled past 2 miles.  However over the past month or so every single distance I've ran on a treadmill I've done so at a personal best.  I now run 6 miles in under the time I used to run 5.  My time for 8 miles has come down by over 10 minutes since the turn of the year - that's under 3 months!  

You don't have to be able to run a marathon straight away in order to be capable of doing it eventually. You just need the determination to keep at it.

What's better is the sense of achievement you feel when you do lift weights you didn't think possible, when you finally manage to do an unaided pull-up (here's hoping!) or when you beat an hour for 8 miles - you really do feel unbeatable, which leads me nicely on to...

5. It is actually enjoyable and makes you feel good

... and not only when you actually achieve your goals (as above).  How many times have you seen those annoyingly happy people on TV as they push others through a gruelling workout?  That's just because they are an annoying personality right? Possibly.  How about those people who swear by their morning run as a way to wake them up and make them feel like they can take on the world - well I only know one of those people but if truth be told they are right, as is every other sanctimonious exercise freak who has told you that it makes them feel good - because it does.  I enjoy it.  I didn't at first, at first it was tough - ridiculously hard work, but now I look forward to it.  The endorphins  kick in and you feel like you can take on the world.  

You do also have more energy as a result.  I know that on the few lunch times when I've had a "social" run with a colleague my afternoon productivity has been much higher.  I feel less lethargic, I need less sleep (as the sleep I do have is better) and I am more restless - as I want to be doing something more active than just a sedate activity.  

The other week I was actually feeling really rough, taking 2 paracetamol and 2 ibuprofen every four hours to try and shake a headache that just wouldn't leave.  The only thing that made me feel better for the entire week was the couple of occasions I made it to the gym and jumped on a treadmill - I was then considerably better for the rest of the evening.  Now I'm not proposing running as a cure to all of life's illnesses, but it helped me in this case!

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One thing that has helped me be so pleased with myself and helped with the motivation was the fact that I was raising money for a charity - a small local charity that I now have quite a bit to do with.  I posted about this a little while ago, the fact that I don't give to big charities any more (unless I'm sponsoring someone for something and I know it means something to them) whereas, Charles and I raised over £800 for a cause where I will actually see the money help.   In that blog post I mentioned that this will make you a superhero, and I can tell you whilst running that half marathon that knowing how much I had helped to raise for such a small charity made me feel like a superhero - and I didn't need to be one of those people in fancy dress! 

Why I no longer donate to (big) charities...

Firstly, one of my favourite bloggers is James Altucher, so before anyone claim's I'm stealing his posts I'm going to reference him for his two excellent blog posts How to Become a Superhero and 10 Reasons Why I would Never Donate to a Major Charity.

Don't get me wrong, I have been a keen supporter of charity all of my life.  I am a firm believer that everyone should try and help their fellow man, also that a society should be judged on the way they handle the less fortunate amongst them.  A bit of my background:

• My first taste of any form of work was helping out on a market stall raising money for Multiple Sclerosis.
• During my time University I volunteered in a charity shop that was raising money for a children's home in Kenya called Kanyawegi and during the holidays I volunteered for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
• I've raised money for countless others - mainly though when I ran the Bath Half Marathon in 2007 I raised money, again for Marie Curie.
• I also try not to throw things out that could be used by charity shops - in fact I currently have a bag of clothes waiting to be donated to a local charity shop on Saturday. 

With regards MCCC, at the time cancer charities were quite important to me, as I'm sure most people at some point lose a loved one to this terrible illness, so I really wanted to feel like I was helping in some small way.

But recently I've started to realise just how small and almost meaningless this contribution was to MCCC.  Yes, they need funding, however they do obtain funding from a wide variety of sources, and their costs incurred to obtain donations are considerable.  I still think it is a great charity - however it is not something that I feel like I make a difference.  As James says:

"The American Cancer Association might be a great charity. But what will my dollars do for them? Nothing. Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are spending $100 billion on eradicating cancer, AIDS, malaria. Other billions are fighting every major cause out there. The baby boomers are about to leave behind $9 trillion. Hopefully a good chunk of that will go to charity. They can handle all of the major causes. My money will make zero difference.  And I have no way of doing due diligence on the charity so I won’t know how my dollars are being spent."

Next to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and the likes, my donations don't even touch the surface, they are still at the top of the mountain trying to break into the small stream, before it becomes a river and finally trying to become a drop in the ocean.  My contributions to charities like that make no difference at the end of the day - it may be selfish but I'd much rather be a Superhero, make a big difference to just a few people's lives than try and fail to save everyone.  I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad about giving to charity, far from it, it's just my personal preference.

What I'm doing instead

That's why at the start of the year I accepted a position as Treasurer of a small local charity - Bath Child Contact Centre.  This charity sets up a safe, neutral place for children to meet up with relatives whom they otherwise wouldn't have contact with.  Referrals have to be made through a negotiator e.g. The Courts, CAFCASS, Solicitors or Social Services.  This may not sound as fancy as fighting cancer but it really can make a difference to kids' childhoods.

As treasurer I can really see what their money is spent on and how much is needed, unlike major charities, the only employee cost (one employee) is directly employed with regard the end product.  They mainly however rely on volunteers who run the centre on a weekly basis.

Unfortunately due to local council cuts they are expecting a funding shortfall for 2012-13 year as the majority of the funding is far from certain.  That is why I am ending this post with a request - I am running the Bath Half Marathon next month (March 11th) for the first time in 5 years.  I've had to get myself considerably fitter over the past 5 months or so  to stand a chance of making the course and now with under a month to go I'm actually feeling confident.   So anyway, my request is, for those of you who like giving to charity but don't like not knowing where your money ends up or if it makes a difference, please give to one of your local organisations (there will be plenty you've never heard of) where you will really make a difference to people around you that you ordinarily don't notice - or failing that sponsor me and give to mine, be a Superhero (even just £2 would be greatly appreciated!):

http://www.justgiving.com/bathchildcontactcentre

2012 Resolutions

I'm not normally one to make resolutions as they are hard to stick with but I figure if I write them down I'll have something to look back in December to see if I've done as I wanted.  I guess most of these aren't really resolutions, more goals...

1. Post more than the 144 posts I made last year.  Aiming for 200 this year.
2. Write more in general - I want to write a novel which I have the outline in my head.  I don't care if it's good, I just want to prove I can write that much.
3. Beat my previous time in the Bath Half Marathon - and my previous donations.  (I'll post up who I'm collecting for later this month).
4. Make full use of my gym membership (starting tomorrow as they are closed today!)
5. Drink less - I'm not an alcoholic but at 26 I think it's time I cut back on heavy nights out.  
6. Work harder - make sure I'm happy with where I'm at in relation to work.
7. Try and learn French!

Nothing really inspiring I know, but they are there for reference!

Two days in the Dam

I haven't written a blog for a while as I've had a week off visiting my family and also a couple of days in Amsterdam with one of my oldest friends.  As such I'm only up to Sunday 28 with the Lib Dem Voice and most other blogs that I read (although I have caught up on a couple of my favourites) so the only thing I can write about now is the Dam.  

One of the many canals

For those of you who haven't been I totally recommend it.  It is genuinely a beautiful place.  Out of all of the cities I have been to it is the only one where I think I would feel comfortable if I lived there.  When I say city, I only consider major cities as cities.  In that sense I've been to all of England's, Cardiff, Paris, Seville and Malaga (the latter a bit loose in my definition).  It felt as busy as most of the others, however as everyone was on a bike the whole place seemed to be at a much nicer place.  With all of the canals it felt so serene, and the limited amount of road vehicles meant the air quality was really good.  

In the two days I was there I didn't see all of the attractions but here are the ones I did see:

Annoyingly I didn't get
a photo of my own

Anne Frank's House

This really was a humbling experience.  At first it didn't seem too bad as you were walking through what was the factory.  But then once you walked up the staircase behind the bookcase it really was almost shocking just how small their living areas were.  I had been anticipating that it would be rather small but this was even more than I had imagined.  Rob (my friend) is a rather chatty person (in a good way) but even he was subdued and in a sombre mood when we were leaving.  It was incredible that they had lived in such a small place for so long and really put into perspective the suffering that people were put through.  I had never known that Anne actually died thinking she was the last one left, however her father had survived her, I found reading about this particularly heart breaking.

No photography inside but this was
outside - not as impressive as the real
thing!

Van Gogh Museum

After the emotional visit to Anne Frank's house we decided to do the thing we had both been looking forward to to pick up our spirits a little bit.  The Van Gogh Museum has over 200 pieces by the man himself and I have to say they were very impressive.  I am not exactly an art critic but I have always been a Van Gogh fan so it was really incredible to see it all close up.  My particular favourite has always been the wheatfield with crows so I was particularly pleased to see that there.

The Heineken Experience

As we were over in that part of town we wandered across to the Heineken Experience.  Now I'm not a lager, beer or ale drinker.  I drink pretty much anything else however my pallet has never developed a liking for these.  Even so the tour was particularly enjoyable, even the tasters of Heineken were not as bad as other lagers I'd tried over the years (I still didn't drink more than a half though).  Particularly good fun was the simulator where you 'become the bottle' and Rob was also really pleased that he was able to buy a bottle with his own name on!

The Amsterdam Dungeons

With lots of time to kill and money off vouchers on our final day we decided to give the Dungeons a try.  This was not what I was expecting at all, I had hoped to see real Dungeons (the gothic side of me coming through) however it was more of a haunted house sort of feel.  You went from room to room with various actors trying to scare/intimidate you.  I was disappointed by my misconception, however given what it was it was actually a good way to spend an hour or so, though the ride at the end could have been better.  I'd still do it again for the price we paid.

Liberal

Overall, it felt really great to be in such a liberal city.  One doesn't have to partake in activities just to believe that others should be able to.  Despite the fact people could smoke inside there wasn't an overall smokey smell in most pubs we went into - though the coffee we went in for there was a different smokey smell.  The red light district wasn't as bad as I was expecting either (when you're there curiosity makes you walk through).  I tried to keep an open mind, I may have worry about the women in the booths, however you have to think this is a lot safer for them than standing on street corners and being taken away by random strangers.  

I know it's dangerous to make sweeping generalisations based on two days and nights in a place but I found the whole atmosphere to be so much more welcoming (and now I'm not talking the girls in the booths) than in the UK and I really want to go back one day - which given I want to eventually see the world I wasn't planning on doing too many repeat journeys!