Yorkshire Grit versus OCD

Saturday 21^st  April

Distance: 8.36 mile
Time: 1:54:03 min
Avg Speed: 4:37 mph                            
Avg Pace: 13:63min/mile
Calories Burned: 1133

Wow! Today in spite of still being snotty and harbouring a latent cough from the reluctant-to-leave-me head cold I have had for three weeks, I ran better than I have in ages. I stated going with the intent ‘let’s just try and get to last week’s marker’ but I got there in reasonable time and on eager legs so I just kept going and going. I managed to run out for 4.18 miles before deciding to turn around and go back, in fact I would have kept going but the dammed app stopped working (again) and it had the effect of draining my enthusiasm with it. Had it not stopped I genuinely think I would have just kept on going. Never the less having got to 4+ miles I evaluated how I had got there and realised that although I had had stretches where I walked, for the most part I had run more consistently and this realisation pleased me greatly. It is my stated aim to improve the duration of the run part and work to eliminate the walking parts bit by bit. So at 4.18 miles and peeved with the app I turned and began the return journey. I called at the cemetery and popped to see my family - it would be my mum’s 91^st birthday this week, I so miss the old bugger, do you know I always believed she would live for ever; I used to joke that we would have to take her out and shoot her at 110! But that was not to be, love ya mum and miss you as much today as the day you left us xxx.

Whilst lying in bed at 5am this morning thinking should I get up and go now or snooze until 6.30am when I had intended to get up? It dawned on me that I was awake at 5am waiting to get up and go for a run on a spring Saturday morning!!!! Where had that come from? What was it that ensured I now regularly awoke before the alarm went off? I am the kind of person who likes my bed, in fact I love my bed I am a good sleeper, I very, very, very rarely sleep badly I can fall asleep anywhere if I feel I need to doze I just curl up and shut my eyes and job done. Yet, ever since starting my training I am frequently awake and ready to go. So what is it that makes me wake up? I thought about it and thought about it and then as I pounded the Headingley streets I found myself thinking about my Raison D’etre’s speech at our wedding. Now he will always harp on about the fact that I interrupted him and pre-empted his joke. I always maintain I just improved it. None the less interrupt it I did just as he was commenting on my single minded (or some would say bloody minded) determination to get things done I pointed out it is ‘Yorkshire Grit’ just before he was about to make the Yorkshire Grit joke. So I thought about it and I wondered what it is that is driving me, above the determination to run for him and other sufferers of MD there has to be something else that is making me do it. Is it because of my Yorkshire Grit that I am driven?

Of course being from Yorkshire does give me an advantage. I consider myself truly blessed to have been born and brought up in 'God's own county'. However being from Yorkshire not only gives me access to that well known Yorkshire attribute of single minded stubbornness, I wish to state here quite categorically though that the other Yorkshire attribute of carefulness with the cash does not, never has and I doubt that it ever will apply to me just ask my Raison D’etre.

So is it Yorkshire Grit alone that drives me? Confession time here folk I have always had a character that verges on the moderately just slightly crazy side of OCD. I get obsessions about things to do (yes I actually do write ‘jobs to do’ lists) or start crazes or start collections - I have the Beany Babies to prove it – I sub-divide and alphabeticalise my CDs, the books on my shelves are in author order, my clothes are hung in colour groups, etc. etc. I realise that I have a compulsive nature and that that, along with my love for my man are what keep waking me at unearthly hours of the morning. If I am honest I am enjoying it I like the solitude of the early morning  run, I like the time alone with my thoughts, I like waving a cheery hello to the other runners especially the regular ones who I think now recognise me; actually in my bright orange Up and Running jacket you cannot fail to recognise me! So thanks to my determination I know I will keep going. I am grateful to all of you who take time out of your day to read my ramblings as your support is also giving me encouragement. Please feel free to comment!!!

Of course, as usual I reiterate my point that I am doing this for my Raison D’etre and to this end I add my usual postscript to this entry. If you want to read about the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign its work, outreach, campaigns and research just log on to www.muscular-dystophy.org  and see why I am doing this. If you feel you want to support me then please log onto my ‘Just Giving’ account and make a donation www.justgiving.com/Team-LewisMDC. A huge thanks you to all of you who have donated already.

Thank you for your support.