Ode to Carol

A little less than five weeks until race day and panic is starting to take up permanent residence somewhere in my lower bowels.

The bronchitis and sinus infection that side-lined me at Around The Bay three weeks ago have morphed into a lingering cold and cough that just won’t quit. My long runs are getting, well, seriously long, speed work is picking up a lot of, em, speed and I just can’t seem to manage either or them without worrying that my lungs are going to jump right up my throat for a surprise Sunday-morning showing.

What’s more, while my running buddies seem to be peaking – running faster and stronger than ever before – I seem to be finding record lows.

What have I gotten myself into?

I was clearly all guts, bravado and runner’s high when I declared my sub-4 goal last November and gave little thought to what I would actually have to do to achieve it. Mainly run about a 5:30 pace (that pace gives me time for a pee break and water stops) for 42.2km. Ouch.

Now I’m worried that not only will I not make it, but I might go down in a ball of phlegm. On the bright side, that would be the awesomest race photo ever.

But it’s still doable right???

Throughout history people have set seemingly unachievable goals and conquered them. Why not me?

Consider Carol Vaughn. Hero of the retired class.

It mightn’t have been easy, but for her, hard work and perseverance paid off. Collecting 5,000 individual bars of soap takes persistence, especially since at least some people in England would, I speculate, rather she actually used the stuff.

And I bet people said SHE couldn’t do it. Amazing.

As usual, at times like these, I am given to verse:

Ode to Carol

Where some saw just glycerin and sodium parmitate
You saw a mission, writ large as fate
Through bubble and trouble, challenge and trial
That mission drove you through mile upon mile
To Morocco, to Sydney, Helsinki and Nice
Collecting bar after bar from Russia to Greece

Your focus; to sacrifice baths, washes and showers
For the sake of collecting soap shaped like flowers
Some call you crazy, a tad bit insane
But I say, what a prize is that soap from Bahrain!
And where did you source the Charles and Di cleanser?
And words are too short for that Pez soap dispenser!

In contrast, my challenges seem kinda small,
Just a few mountains, not very tall.
To strap on my sneakers, draw breath and depart,
Seems nothing, when you are out stinking for art
So Carol, consider me your biggest fan,
My new running mantra? “Just like Carol, I can!”

No folks. I’m not giving up hope yet.

P.S Want more inspiration? With thanks to my reader, Krista,  just watch this. Seriously watch it, this guy is the real deal. It gets me every time.

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