The goal that wasn’t meant to be

I started 2016 with the high hopes of meeting (and exceeding!) one simple running goal: To run a sub-2:00:00 half marathon. I knew it would be a challenge, but I also felt quite confident that I would manage it. However, it was a goal that wasn’t meant to be.

Yes, I started with high hopes, and even decided which races I would run for the year. But my plans were in vain.

My first (and, as it turns out, only) race of the year was a slightly disappointing 5K at the tail-end of a cold. I pulled out of my second race in March (the Inverness Half Marathon) the morning of the race because I was very illAnd I had to miss the Edinburgh Half Marathon in May because I hadn’t fully recovered from my March illness. Then, I learned that I would be missing the Scottish Half Marathon in September because I had to travel to Croatia for a conference where I presented an academic paper.

But I wasn’t going to let that get me down. Instead, I was just going to keep up a healthy training regimen and attempt to reach my goal during my October and November half marathons. Would it be a challenge? Yes, certainly! But was it possible? Yes, of course, it was possible!

And then, I broke my ankle. And with that break, all hope of shattering a running goal – or, indeed, running at all – was gone for the foreseeable future.

Frustratingly, the recovery has been a bit longer (and more painful) than I imagined. And after so many months of down-time, even if the recovery had been faster I still wouldn’t have been able to reach my sub-2 running goal.

So instead, I’ve had to forgo that goal for another: To simply run a 5K before the year is over. So far, I’ve managed 2.5 miles (point six miles shy of a 5K). I’m slow and I find my post-run recovery for such a short distance is similar to what my 10-mile recovery time is, but I am sure that will improve over time.

In the next couple of days, I hope to have an exciting story to tell about finally meeting my modified 2016 running goals. So stay tuned to see if I succeed!!

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