A challenge would not be a challenge if it were easy. A challenge would be boring if everything happened exactly the way you planned it.
I've kept saying that to myself for the last 72 hours. You see all was going dandy, except for the tired runs last weekend, until Tuesday afternoon. I had even run a very satisfying 10K on Monday evening. I was travelling to Dublin Tuesday to attend a Book Launch and would come back to Limerick Wednesday morning. So I went to a well known establishment to have a hot lunch before heading off.
I started to feel rumblings on the train. Later that evening at the book launch I got uncomfortable and dizzy and had to apologise myself in the middle of a conversation and sit down. 30 minutes later I made it back to the Hotel and stayed between bedroom and bathroom for 13 solid hours. Food poisoning.
It is now Friday morning and after tablets and rehydration with Dioralyte I feel half human again. Now this would be a very banal story if it was not for the following wee detail. I have a Marathon at 9.30am tomorrow morning in Lilliput, Westmeath and am travelling to Tullamore tonight.
Then this morning as I woke to that realisation 2 things caught my eye;
1- The Gorta Self Help Africa T-Shirt I got from Ciara Tallon in the Charity to wear for a pic after the race tomorrow. This brought me back to the reason I am doing this challenge, creating opportunities for sustainable farming for women in Africa.
2- The Special Olympics wrist band I wear at every training run because I like the slogan on it: Be brave in the attempt. This brought home to me how privileged I am to be able to undertake this challenge of running 12 marathons in 12 months.
So that's what I'll do. Stand at the start line, go and be brave in the attempt. Don't expect a Personal Best in my Monday blog, just expect honest endeavour! For my Belgian friends I'll say it in my Tervuren Dialect: 'k'goen maan devuure doen en op maan szjik baate'
You can sponsor the women in Africa via this link: http://www.mycharity.ie/event/patrick_mercies_12marathonsin12monthsin2015
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