Brutal

Posted byFractured Faith BlogPosted inA Fractured FaithTags:, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Brutal running conditions of late, thanks to the permanently wet and windy conditions hanging over Northern Ireland. I’ve battled on, however, as the Omagh Half Marathon is three weeks tomorrow. At times I’ve been barely moving forward as I’ve struggled to overcome ridiculous headwinds which seem to change direction at a whim, buffeting me from all angles.

Sunday looms up as my long run day. St. Patrick’s Day no less. I’ll have to dig through my drawers to see if I have a green running top. There will be no Guinness or Irish stew as I’m aiming to run 15 miles. My previous longest run this year was 12, so I’m a few weeks behind schedule due to a virus and chest infection which put me out of action for a month earlier in the year.

I’m going out tomorrow to measure a loop of the village. I think it’s roughly 2.5 miles of undulating country roads so I reckon it will require six circuits on Sunday to rack up the required mileage. Some might reckon running the same route six times is boring but it helps me manage my pacing. Plus, I tend to switch off when running and take no notice of my surroundings.

The Belfast Marathon is less than two months away now and Sunday will go some way to deciding whether or not I enter it. I really want to as it will be my 10th but I’m also realistic. I’m not as well prepared as I’ve been in previous years and I’m not going to allow stupid male pride to force me into a race which is brutally unforgiving. Hopefully all this training in the storms will stand me in good stead.

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

33 thoughts on “Brutal”

  11. I pray the Lord gives you strength and blesses it! We just went through a major blizzard here in Colorado. It was called a “Bomb cyclone” storm and we had blowing snow with category 2 hurricane winds. Crazy Springtime weather courtesy of the Rocky Mountains. 🙂 Stay warm and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We will be decked out in green celebrating our Irish heritage! God bless you and your fam and God bless Ireland!

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  14. Great post! I just started this new venture of running..I’m 35 and the last time I ran was back in high school and at best a mile at the most…my body feels strong after I workout or run but every time I run I feel like I just downed a pack of cigarettes—it’s my breathing that’s struggling. Any helpful hints? I’ll do my first race (a 5k) on July 4th…

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