Giordano’s Marathon – July update
Marathon Progress update – 75 days to go
October 3rd is looming on the horizon. These months of training have been enjoyable, although I have to constantly battle with injuries. Increasing the running distances led to muscle problems, especially hamstring. I can only begin to imagine what is the life of a professional athlete battling between training tables, tiredness and injuries.
Ultimately training is the balance between damage and repair. This is obvious for skeletal muscles, but it affects the entire body. For example, I have noticed my heart rate decreasing from 50-51 bpm to 42-43bpm in 2 months of relatively intense training. It is easy to see how important physical exercise can be to maintain an effective and healthy cardiovascular system. This is one of the messages that the Platelet Society wants to promote at the Virgin Money London Marathon 2021.
Sport – a metaphor for life
Why do I like sport? I think that sport is the perfect metaphor for life. The desire to improve, the strength to overcome challenges and the satisfaction to achieve your goals. Sport is a great school of life. Understanding the value of working towards your personal improvement is an invaluable lesson. As an amateur sport enthusiast, the competition is with yourself. It may be demotivating comparing your performance with professional athletes, but the satisfaction to improve yourself is the only reward that we need. There are no tricks or shortcuts. No one can make it easier for you and no one can do it for you. In this respect, sport is fair (probably more than life!). If you put the work in, your performance will improve. If it does not, your training is wrong and you need to change something. Applying the same philosophy to every aspect of life is a great way to live.
Time for me to go and keep on track with my training schedule. Don’t forget you can support the fundraising for the Society by ‘buying me a coffee’ – it all goes towards helping us reach our target – and being Italian I drink a lot of coffee!
Ciao
Giordano
