100 Mile August

It's been a couple of weeks since I elatedly finished the Leeds 10k and, I'll be honest, I've only pulled on my trainers twice.  This is mainly because I have just come back from a glorious holiday in Wales.  I took the decision not to take my kit with me and to allow myself a well earned break from running.  This was my first planned running break since I started running in 2012.  There have been unplanned breaks and it is those I need to keep on top of.

The problem is, and this is an odd thing to be writing on a running blog, I don't actually like running.  I love having been for a run.  I love planning my runs in advance.  I love what running has done for me physically.  I'm developing quite a fetish for obscure finishers t-shirts for the races that only have a couple of hundred participants.  But the actual running, pulling on my trainers, warming up, plodding up and down the hills of Beeston does nothing for me.

Through running I have learned something about myself.  I am target driven.  After last year's Leeds 10k I had nothing left to aim for.  Although I had failed to set the world alight I didn't have any goals other than my original one to get fit so that I could run around with my son.  I had made steps in that direction but I gave myself some time off to recuperate and I was quickly back at square one.

I don't have any races* booked until the Abbey dash in November so I need something to keep me running and that is the challenge of running 100 miles in August.  I got the idea from Kass, a friend on Twitter who, having come back from injury, ran 100 miles in July.

I have already missed day 1 of the challenge having spent all day driving home from the holiday, so the first miles under my belt will come tomorrow at Cross Flatts Parkrun.  It's only 3.1miles (5k) but a mile is a mile.  25 miles a week will be an increase in my mileage since the Leeds half marathon, I just hope my legs have it in them.  We'll see.

*I'm no athlete but I have started referring to any event where I have to pin a number to my shirt as a race.  I'm never going to win but that's not the point.