“I gotta keep breathing, Because, tomorrow the sun will rise, and who knows what the tide will bring.” Chuck Noland, Castaway
24th Feb – Days to go on 100 days dry: 47. Days until the Dartmoor Way: 80
At school I used to really enjoy CDT (craft, design & technology, I still have the scar on my thumb as evidence, but that is a whole different story.)
I remember one morning when we traipsed into the room, probably grumbling about the rain (the workshop was away from the main building, you had to cross the playground to get there), on the workbenches in front of us were pieces of 2×4 with a nail stuck into it. We were told that the challenge was to drive the nail into the wood with only a single hit. I seem to remember that the teacher offered a prize for whomever managed to get the nail the deepest.
Cue half the class boasting about their strength whilst the other half rolled their eyes. Needless to say, being firmly ensconced in the first half I was pretty confident that I would get the chocolate bar, or whatever the prize was.
Lot’s of practice swings, cat calling, good natured roughhousing and then a staccato rain of hammer hits. Needless to say, we were singularly unsuccessful. And, to no-one’s surprise, we all managed about the same level of nail-wood integration. Smiling, the teacher munched down on the nutty bar, probably to teach us all a lesson in the dangers of hubris and then asked us to hammer the nail into the wood in any way that we felt the most appropriate. Of course we all started hammering furiously with someone on the other side of the room shouting within seconds that he had done it.
The teacher then told us the moral of that particular exercise, which I am sure you have arrived at well in advance of reading this, was, put simply, you cannot achieve anything with one hit, it takes considered effort to get to your goal.
I have thought about that CDT lesson a couple of times this week. I have found it difficult to get motivated over the last few days. Sunday and Monday were rest days, then I had a full day in the office on Tuesday, rather than the convenience of working from home. Keen to get out for a run on Tuesday evening I left the office so that I would be home with time to run, eat and unwind. The M42 however had other ideas. When I eventually got home at 8pm I had nothing left in the tank. Coupled with the disappointing KPI’s at the beginning of the week, I felt pretty miserable.
So yesterday, I lifted the hammer and took another swing. Finishing work for the day, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was still light outside. Putting all of the speedbumps behind me I donned my running shoes and set out. This was the last session of the phase that began with me not being able to complete the intervals. (Wall. Street. Crash). Starting out was tough, no doubt, but about half way around I remembered how much I enjoyed what I was doing, and the reason to do it. Not just because of Dartmoor, but because of the tangible benefits as a result of this activity.
(The sound of considered hammering continues in the background)
I have found that my mental approach to all of this has evolved. It is not a chore to exercise. When I compare my approach to running today versus, say, this time last year I find that just the process of putting my work stuff away and changing for a run is enough to raise my heartbeat by a few bpm. Don’t get me wrong, half way through, there are times when I want to stop, but again, just slowing the pace slightly and allowing myself to recover enough to finish that particular interval or stretch is enough for me to recognise that I am actually having a good time. (Sounds of hammering intensify.) It’s the same with the distance walks at the weekends. They are now taking up the bulk of the day. From 10 – 5 is a commitment to anyone’s weekend. Whilst I know that this is not permanent, it has carved a chunk out of Saturday’s. The planning, walking and subsequent recovery is a big ask. This weekend though, I have the weekend off. Some light walking and a run on Sunday. Maybe I’ll get a haircut and wash the car, but most of all it is a chance to recharge the batteries and look forward to the next phase.
Next big walk is a 30km circular route that takes me from Dursley to Nymphsfield and back via Nibley. I will need to set off at 8am for this so lots of prep on the Friday. This route is a big milestone, close to 20 miles, which represents a decent chunk of the Dartmoor trip. As before, when preparing for the other distance routes, I am a little nervous, but as the saying goes. One step in front of the other.
“A palace in which you know every room is not worth living in.” Tancredi Falconeri, The Leopard.
