Why Are You Doing This?

Before the Bath tri, Margo asked me one evening "Why are you doing all of this?"

That's a slightly difficult question to answer. But it's part of the feedback that I've received a great deal.

After I'd finished one long run, I had a shower and then went to the pub to meet some people. When I arrived, the first thing that happened was the people asked me if I'd just been for a run. The feedback was pretty unanimous. "utter madness" said one. "So how far can you run now?" said another with a sick look on her face. "How fast are the Africans at running the whole thing?" said a third in a "well you're not very good, are you?" sort of way.

This kind of reaction is no different from that that I've had from pretty much every quarter this year. The only person who has consistently and genuinely seemed happy at what I'm doing is my pal Paul Beddoe.

And to lots of other people's reaction, I'm tempted to say "What's it like being unfit?" but that might hurt people's feelings, mightn't it?