Gloominess

I've received lots of email support from the Platinum Group runners since "shocking" them with my disclosure to skip this Sunday's 30K race. For all of the votes of confidence, I'm thankful. So perhaps I owe my well wishers a slightly more lengthy explanation to my decision. My reluctance stems not from my lack of fitness nor doubts of hitting a certain goal time. In fact, returning a good race time has never been my plan. Even if I was game for a time trial, the new race route has effectively ended any such foolhardy thoughts.

I've never been afraid of toeing the starting line when my fitness isn't that of a jerboa (I don't know why I mention jerboa except that they're so cute and have runners' thighs) and weekly mileage of an arctic wolf (a beautiful animal which covers a wide territory and therefore travel high mileage in search for food). I've had my fair share of running under the influence of medication previously and finishing the races embarrassingly slow. My decision to DNS, therefore, is not due to these assumptions.

It's because I can't seem to shake my persistent cough. Some bouts of light-headedness (for no reason) have also been bugging me especially towards the evening. It's probably stress at work. If it was going to be a 20K I'd have no hesitation in gritting it out for 2 hours or so. But I reckon that to cover 30K hacking my lungs out can only slow my recovery. The US National Library of Medicine mentions that coughing is "usually your body's way of healing" so I need to let this malady run (pun intended) its course.

I still hope to collect a finisher's medal, knowing it'll be a rare thing for me this year, so I'll leave it till Saturday night to decide. But if you ask me right now if I'm going to be at Lake Gardens this Sunday, my answer would be a "No".

On separate note, kids shouldn't have to face this situation or this. But that's the sad truth. Often in a war, there's no right parties - the children suffer for the adults' pride, ignorance and arrogance.

I'm going to show these articles to C1 tonight. There are life lessons to be learnt in both examples about being thankful, humble and living simply.

NB. After posting this, my wife informed me that she had to work this Sunday (she's in the same project as I'm in). Since we've but 1 car, there's no way I can play any part in the race.