Getting comfortable with uncomfortable.

It’s a place I’ve been to in the past but not visited for a while.

This week, it’s all come flooding back.

Getting comfortable with uncomfortable.

That inevitable shift from just tootling along, to actually putting the effort in - and seeing what happens.

I remember many years ago I was doing a 24 hour race. I think the laps were 6 miles and I was in a small team and it’s one of those where you take it in turns - like a never ending relay race.

There I was, pootling along when another runner decided that she was going to have a go at run-splaining to me.

I find this very annoying. It annoys me when I hear other runners doing it, and it didn’t land any better when she took it upon herself to try and encourage me to go a bit faster. Try a bit harder. Put a bit more effort in.

I’m the pace queen. Set me off on a steady pace, I’m set. I don’t need anyone poking me to go a bit quicker. (I save all that for my magnificent sprint finishes at the end…!).

So basically, she was lucky to not get punched in the face and happily, she got bored soon enough and pounced off.

Well, here I am, pondering over that fun encounter and thinking to myself, maybe she was right? She didn’t say it outright, but the implication was that I was being lazy. I wasn’t putting enough effort in. I could be a way faster runner if only I tried harder.

My default run button however, is set to pretty slow. Over distances, this body doesn’t go that quick… which is why the phase I am entering in my marathon training now is a bit of a punch in the face.

My lovely Garmin watch (we are not friends), has my runs programmed in and helpfully tells me when I’m too slow and how fast I should be for any particular run.

This morning I did a tempo run, with the 15 minutes middle part pushing me well above where I would normally be if left to my own devices.

Now don’t get me wrong - this is exactly what I need. The kick up the bum to start picking up my pace, improving my performance, getting my body used to going a bit harder, a bit faster.

And it’s a familiar feeling of discomfort.

That feeling where you have to just tell yourself that this is simply how it is for the next X number of minutes and get on with it.

That feeling where yes it feels hard now, but it’ll be totally worth it and chances are you aren’t going to die.

That feeling where if you can just hang on for 7 minutes and 35 more seconds, think how pleased you’ll be.

And then it’s all over and your watch is actually pretty pleased with you, and you’re pretty pleased with you and that awful woman from that race all those years ago would be pretty pleased with you.

Getting comfortable with uncomfortable. That’s the headline at the moment.

It’s been a week of it - which is why getting some miles sponsored in the last few days has felt so incredible!!

If you fancy putting a bit of comfort in my discomfort, please sponsor me here. Any amount will be very gratefully received!

If you want to go all in and sponsor a mile for £100, get in touch and let me know!

See you next week.

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