I have probably hesitated about writing this post for too
long, as it was not only a recap of how I did at the Valencia marathon but also
of the year of running for me in 2019. To say that it has been an eventful year
for my running is an understatement. A cursory glance at the improvement in my
times at various distances would confirm that. Along the way I have also learnt
a lot about my strengths and weaknesses. More importantly, when things have got
really tough, I have remembered why I like running and what it means to me.
The importance of running came almost as a revelation to me
as I was listening to the Marathon
Training Academy podcast, a show I think it would be fair to say that is
predominantly aimed at people new to running. In this particular podcast the
hosts were providing helpful ways for people to increase the consistency and
frequency of their running, especially after achieving a big goal race; stating
that besides focussing on the process of going out on a regular basis to run,
it was also about understanding that races and times are just one part of what
makes someone a runner. It occurred to me that I had never looked at my running
in that way, and even though I had some of my greatest successes in 2019, I
still had a lot to learn about why I ran as well as what motivated me deep down
to continue to run. Nowhere did this become more apparent than when I was
injured in 2019. Hence why this final entry for 2019 is not just about
Valencia, but a review of my running as a whole and how in many ways Valencia
was a culmination of the many ups and downs of running for me in 2019.
