The Adventures of TinTin and Snowy

I've been jogging every day now for the past two months and I've never really crossed the 30 minute barrier. After a tip off from my boss who runs marathons, I decided to ditch the tread mill, as well as the university campus perimeter circuit. I decided to venture into the country side and run aimlessly in the fields in a general circular route. This Saturday, I kitted up in a particularly revealing tshirt, skimpy shorts and shades, grabbed a bottle of Lucozade and headed towards the canal near my house. I made sure I stretched properly and set off along the canal. Now I half expected to quit in around 15 minutes and head home. I normally get these chronic shin aches when I run on the road. However, I stuck to running on the grassy paths all along the canal. It was really gorgeous. I've never really looked at the canal and the things on it. My interest normally ended at the different pubs located on the canal. But while jogging, I got to see so much more. Luckily I was carrying my handy Samsung D500 and snapped pics on the route. There were really nice little houses on the canal with beautiful gardens.

As the canal started bending towards Galgate and out of Lancaster, I cut across the canal and scaled a fence surrounding a farm. I ran down the narrow hedge path and everything seemed to be flying past me at thrice the speed.

I then burst into a lush green field where sheep grazed lazily. I gave quite a few of them a scare and they all gamboled off away from this sweaty strange beast.

In the distance I could make out the red brick warehouses on the docks of the River Lune and I cut across the field in that general direction. I ended up in a quiet residential area with children playing on the streets on little tricycles. As I ran past them, some of these little brats started chasing me on their three wheeled roadsters. Luckily for me, I wasn't in danger of being smothered by little kids and out ran the toddlers. I lost sight of the docks and got lost in the housing estate. After running around in circles(literally), for a while I managed to find the river.

The sun was out and it was glorious. It had been raining on this side of the river and a rainbow was out.

By this time I was completely spent, but I refused to stop. If Alex, 33 could do it, I could do it. If Abey Uncle, 50 could do it, I could do it. I ran along the river till the bridge and then weaved through traffic and the city to head back home. The last stretch was pure torture. The road to my house is a steep 50 degree incline. I picked up my pace to climb the hill and I kept saying "Push!, Push, Push" in my head. I burst over the hill and I could see that I had only another 200 m to go. My legs, my chest, were burning and were on fire. Everything else around me ceased to exist and all I was thinking of was "Push!, Push!, Push!" and I didn't realise that I started to say it out loud. I was just steaming ahead on the pavement and people swept aside to make way for me. Quite a few of them had startled looks on their faces as I surged past them. And finally, I reached home and staggered inside and fell onto my sofa. God. Home sweet home.

Its only when I finally opened my eyes and got off the sofa that waves of pain flooded me. I lowered myself into a hot bath and sat there wallowing in pleasure. Never before has a hot bath been so relaxing. I love that feeling, of pain and then you keep pushing your body beyond its endurance and the only thing that makes your body listen is your mind. And after a point, the pain sort of subsides but your mind gets consumed by wanting to give up. Its wonderful to have that war in your mind between your will and your body.

Did I mention that I ran for 1 hour non-stop? Next years marathons, here I come!!