NEMESES

Running is not about winning for me although finishing a standard half marathon or marathon or even ultra marathon for that matter is in fact a win for you yourself. I have always enjoyed the social side of competing and it can get quite social out there.

Sometimes I forget to run and end up running my mouth more then my feet as was a case today. After being the Biggest Loser in yesterdays weigh in I was on top of the world today and then I saw someone who I haven’t seen for a long time. In fact she had “hang up her shoes” but there she was in kit ready to compete.

Now this has something to do with Linda and myself bulling her into the George Archer 201 km. By the way that has now changed to the 211 km 5 day 5 marathon challenge. Eish

Anyway I digress, Sonia arrived in her kit so I ended up walking the start of the half with her and then got talking to another person about weight loss, all too soon I passed the 1 km mark and hadn’t even started running.



So why the heading ?

Well Nemesis is now often used as a term to describe one's worst enemy, normally someone or something that is the exact opposite of one-self but is also somehow similar. Whether or not we admit it we all have a nemesis somewhere in a race.

For me it takes the form of my former history teacher who now runs for Queensburgh Harriers. We are the same build, same style of running (although I think he takes longer walk breaks) I always pass him early stages of a race and the bugger comes back and takes me before the finish.


That is him man he is just too good for me but not today !!!

Really enough is enough so today was no different I passed him at about 6 km in the race and true as nannies he comes running past at 19 km only 2 km’s to go. I spoke to myself “Self “I said “Flippen run you idiot” and I did.

I passed him again much to his surprise, and I continued going as fast as I could…well not really but faster then what I was doing.

As I took the finish straight I saw that my friend Linda (a walker) who also passes me at about 17 km’s was just ahead, now I ran as fast as I could, I also passed her and went through the finish.


Linda and I on a trail run

So recap, did back to back running this weekend, was the biggest loser, finished ahead of my nemesis, finished before Linda as well What a weekend !!!!