Rule No 138 - What's the old saying? "Don't look back; somebody might be catching up." Well, don't even slow down, much less look back.

Okay, I have a good example for this rule. I started running (I use this term very loosely, it was more of a shuffled walk) just under a year ago in Spain. I had a 5km walk to and from work most days and on my off days I started feeling as though I needed to get out and as we know from a previous post, bikes are not my thing, so the next best thing was a brisk walk around the golf course. The furtherest I managed was, I think, about 5,4km at a gentle jog.

One day a friend of mine, who was doing 10km in her sleep at the time, asked if I was keen to do a 10km "fun run" in Gibraltar with her. Feeling up for the challenge and fitter than I'd felt in years, I agreed. I mean, why not. I was thinking of the Gun Run my sister and I did the year before and even though that was a 5km the vibe was awesome, with hundreds of people of all shapes and sizes. On the morning of the race we met up and headed towards the start, where there were about seven other people. Strange, I thought. But maybe we were just REALLY early. Time went by and one or two incredibly professional looking runners arrived. Not hundreds, there was no music, no cheerleaders, no actual start line in fact. It was round about then that I started freaking out. Next minute, there was a whistle and off we went.

The last runner disappeared from my sight about 12 minutes in and the next time I would see any of them would be at the finish line as they all waited for me to do the prize giving. I think I was at least 10 minutes behind the last person. Even the marshall's had given up on me and I had to ask passing cars which direction the last runners were going in. Turns out, it wasn't a fun run, it was a Gibraltar running club race. Like for professionals.

The thing that kept me going in this race was never looking back. I kept picturing someone else behind me and as long as I didn't actually look, I was not last. This weekend I ran the Two Oceans Half Marathon and I couldn't help thinking, if I had looked back (figuratively) and given up on that first race, I would have never run the most beautiful race in the world or met some incredible people through training. Plus I've gone more races lined up.

So ya, Willie is spot on, the ol' stoner. Don't even slow down, let alone look back.

Comments

Rule No.33 - Never kick a fresh turd on a hot day

Okay, rules are back and what a classic one! This quote is by Harry S Truman. He was the 33 rd president of America, historians call him “a controversial president”, the band Chicago wrote a song just for him and he has a commemorative holiday in his name on the 8 th May in Missouri. This is brilliant advise, not in the literal sense, well, that too, but if you having a seriously bad day, don’t make things worse by deliberately doing something that will bite you in the bum later. I did this the other day, so I am talking out of experience here. I went into a situation and then on the way out, after realising it was a bad situation, I kicked a fresh turd cause I was so mad. (again, not literally, although, that might have been a better idea in hindsight) My advise in this circumstance is to stay indoors that day until you have calmed yourself down. I’ll leave you with another quote from Truman : A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who ...

Rule No.59 - If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.

"Bull", meaning nonsense, dates from the 17th century, while the term "bull*&$*" has been used as early as 1915 in American slang , and came into popular usage only during World War II . The word "bull" itself may have derived from the Old French boul meaning "fraud, deceit" (Oxford English Dictionary). The term "horse*&$*" is a near synonym. Worthy of note is the South African English equivalent "bull dust". Few corresponding terms exist in other languages, with the significant exception of German Bockmist , literally "billy-goat *&%*". Funny, Suze Original and I were talking about this the other day. She went for an interview and we were laughing cause we both do the same thing. They ask you a simple question that could be answered in a line or two but we both start elaborating so much trying to make a good impression that what started as "My favorite hobby is... right to.. and that's why I...

Rule No.6 - Don't panic

Panic is a sudden sensation of fear which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic f ight-or-flight reaction. It also rhymes with manic and tannic. Perfect example of when to not panic and then when to start panicking. My very first night in my new flat here in Cape Town, I was woken up by my curtain being opened from the outside. Odd, first of all, because I live on the first floor, and second of all, because there was a man, well boy, suddenly staring at me from my window. A little shocked and confused, but not panicked, I squinted through sleepy eyes and said "hello". He looked at me, a little confused as well and greeted back. Then I asked him what he was up to at my window so early in the morning. "Washing your windows", was his reply. Okay, so it's Monday morning, my first night in this complex, maybe Monday morning is washing...

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