10 April 2015
BS7 Gym Administrator, David Finch, has recently completed his fifth Half Marathon and is now preparing for the Manchester Marathon on his 40th birthday weekend in April. Here, he reflects on the pain and hard work of training and the joy of race day
I ran my first race, the Bradley Stoke 10K, in 2013 at the age of 38. Prior to that, I had always led an active lifestyle but had never run or trained for a specific event. After a moderate amount of preparation, I joined a group from the gym in the race and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of race day. Since that day, I have completed five half marathons, the most recent being the Bath Half on 1st March.
Over the last two years, I have consistently failed to train as much as I would have liked but have learnt to accept this as inevitable when working full-time. Some of the training runs have been enjoyable, others I have hated. Other runners may think differently but for me they are a means to an end. The whole point of them is to enable me to enjoy the experience of race day and if possible to beat my previous best time.
I always find race day an amazing experience, intensely moving and exciting. It’s the sort of occasion when an averagely fit person like me can get an idea what it’s like to be a professional sportsman on the day of a race or a big match. The crowds are always wonderful. I didn’t feel 100% in the lead up to the recent Bath Half but was determined not to miss out and had a brilliant day missing my personal best by a matter of seconds.
So, as I write this, contemplating, somewhat gloomily, an early morning run before work in the morning in preparation for my marathon in less than two weeks, anticipation of the excitement of that day and the satisfaction of completing the 26 mile course keep me motivated.
I look back with a tinge of regret that I did not start running 20 years earlier but have had some wonderful experiences and have achieved things I wouldn’t have thought possible three years ago.
To anyone considering entering a race for the first time, I would say ‘Go for it!’. The pain and sacrifices will be worth it.