According to my schedule, this week is an easy week for me. According to what I’ve read, these are key to have every four or so weeks, to give your body a bit of a break. My schedule, however, must have a sense of humour, as by “easy” it means it’s only one mile less than last week!
It’s probably just as well, considering last night’s run. I had to stop after just two of my planned three gentle miles due to continued pain to the side of my right knee that I hurt on Saturday. Tonight, it’s still causing me slight grief going downstairs, so goodness only knows how it might cope with seven miles tomorrow. I’ll see how I go, but never having any problems with my knee before, I’m a little concerned.
I thought I’d give a brief mention to Internet forums today, after reading one particular annoying one. Have you noticed how the worst traits of humanity are regularly displayed for all to see? Pick an interesting subject (usually sport for me on the BCC forums) and no matter what it will attract mindless comments from people hiding behind their keyboard. I can understand it with football, as we all have passions for our own teams, but it seems any subject has people willing to leap in with a cutting, usually ill-informed remark, and then a war of words erupts which simply is not worth the bytes it’s stored in.
What’s worse is the constant slagging off of some fine sports people – I mean who in their right mind would call Paula Radcliffe a loser? Sure, she’s failed at the big one a couple of times and had her problems in Athens, but she’s the fastest woman ever over 26.2 miles!! She’s a legend and gives it all she’s got. Boy, I’m feeling sorry cause I got a sore knee and it might cost me come race day, but she’s suffered recent stress fractures of her leg, has only a few weeks left and yet is probably going to defy all logical and do her best to win gold for her country! And you know what? If she breaks down half way through many will round on her for even starting. Starting a race when you know for sure you can’t do it is not good, I agree, but if she thinks she can start and compete, she will, so give her a chance. You don’t become an Olympic champion if you’re not willing to put absolutely everything on the line.
So go easy on our could-be heroes. Some (like a certain disgraced sprinter) should expect our scorn. Others we may point at and wonder exactly how they can justify earning £100,000 a week whilst trudging round a pitch looking disinterested. But some give their all, every minute of every day simply because they know their rivals are. Olympians don’t become great because they had a lucky race, they train their hardest just to have a hope of a chance of beating the best of the best around the world and grabbing glory for both themselves and their country. And if they do, I hope that single disc of gold round their neck shuts up all their detractors for good.