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Running for Retrak: Week 10

14:27 17/04/2013

This week’s lesson was twofold. 1) It seems we all have rather different ideas of the meaning of “slow”. 2) Someone has to come last, and it might as well be me. As part of my couch-potato-to-20km training programme, I signed up to the Brussels Runners Meetup group, hoping for a bit of motivation and an improvement in pace. A very nice bunch they are too, but even at their “slow” pace, the first session soon saw me trailing pathetically far behind, giving it my all as they loped ahead round Cinquantenaire with the greatest of ease. The tricolour flying beneath the arches might just as well have been a white flag of surrender. Perhaps a case of my trying to run before I can run.

But we are not disheartened. Sunday is the Antwerp 10 miles, in which I’ll be properly putting myself to the test for the first time since signing up for next month’s Brussels 20k. I’ve no expectations of posting a good time – especially as that elusive sun is threatening to make another appearance – but it’ll be my longest distance yet and I’ll be thrilled just to get round in one piece. The best part about this stage of training, of course, is that just about every run ends in a personal best.

Finally, good luck to friends running the Antwerp and London marathons this weekend, and of course, for what it’s worth, my sympathy for the victims and families of Monday’s attack at the Boston marathon.

I’m running the Brussels 20k next month in aid of Retrak. Huge thanks to all those who’ve sponsored me and helped me reach my fundraising target.

Written by Sally Tipper