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.

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