Talking to Myself

The city has emptied out, and so has the park and running path. Everyone has gone for Easter holidays, and the die-hard core of my training group went to another park in order to practice for the biking portion of their triathlon.----------------------------------------------------------------------My running book says that once you decide you want to enter a race longer than 5K, you will have to train your mind to concentrate on the job in hand and not to wander all over creation as you make up tomorrow's shopping list or wonder if that gurgling sound is your stomach. Well, I have news for the author of the book. You'd better start developing your own internal pep talk from the outset, or you are doomed. Once you get past the gasping-for-air beginning stage of your training, things just get harder. At least, they do thanks to Adrián. So that initial euphoria will still be there, but you are just going to have to talk yourself through to the end of each training session, especially toward the end:-------------------------------------------------------------"God, only eight minutes left to go, and I'm through for today. What's that gurgling sound? Okay, ignore it, just concentrate, glance at your watch just to make sure you don't overshoot the eight minutes....Jesus H., only 20 seconds have gone by!!! Okay, okay, stop looking at the watch and try to find a groove....I've got sweat in my eyes and my glasses are fogged up, that helps, I can't see the watch anyway.....Look, there's a policeman on watch at the next street crossing, if I can just get past him then I'll stop no matter what. No, no, just keep on, if you collapse he'll call an ambulance. Oh my God, I only have 31 seconds to go!!! Who cares about 31 seconds, I could stop right now....no....no....there's no wimping out now, and I won't worry about those body parts I think fell off somewhere, my stretcher bearers can pick them up when they carry me home.....Gosh, Holmes, I really miss you!"