My Runner's love letter to my body

You've read the title of this post and you're wondering where I am going with this one. Don't worry, I'm not about to boast about my decidedly average body, but yeah, it probably is a bit hippy. (The post, not my body)

That's right, it's possible to be really happy whilst running! (I'm in the white GB vest)

A few years ago, I became totally fed up with my lack of running. GPs and surgeons had told me my knees were knackered and that I should avoid impact. The surgeon wanted to poke a camera in to my knee but he "managed my expectations" by down-playing any possible benefit that I might have. He dismissively mentioned physio but gave it little chance of success (he couldn't have been more wrong) .
That was when I decided to spend all of the tiny amount of disposable income I had on a specialist physio and give him the long, long list of my aches and pains that started at the soles of my feet and made a slow, painful journey up my body and ended at my shoulders. Best money I have EVER spent.
For the next year, whilst the physio and I worked hard, chasing the pains around my body with various exercises and stretches, I really only managed to run a couple of 5ks a week. Any more and my shins would start screaming, but at least the noise from my shins would drown out the shouting from my back, hips, ankles, etc. etc, etc.

In frustration I posted this status on Facebook:

Dear body, I feel I have been very patient with you over the last two years. All I really want to do is be able to run for long distances. You, however, do not seem to want to let me. I have pampered you in every way I could. How can you forget the two stones I lost for you? I now feel it is time for you to wind your frigging neck in (not literally) and just let me run. Please. I beg of you. With affection, Scott

Now, I feel that it has relented, so it is time to write to my body again......

Dear Body,

I've been meaning to write to you for a while, but this time, it's to thank you.
A couple of years ago we were going through a really bad time together. I began to fear that we would never see eye to eye; that communication between us would forever be strained and that we would never fulfil my dream of running freely.
I had neglected you, I admit it. I had put poor quality fuel in to you and failed to maintain you properly. I let you grow out of shape. It was a shameful period and I apologise. No wonder our relationship suffered. It was my fault and I am sorry.

2 years later and my Manchester marathon medal hangs in the kitchen and I couldn't be more proud of you.
Time and again I have asked you to rise to a challenge and despite the problems, the set backs, the blood, toil, tears and sweat, you have achieved each one.
Many times I thought this day would never come, so I can barely begin to tell you how very grateful I am.
Allowing me to run 18.5 miles off road for the first ever time on Sunday was a real high point. Truly, you were fantastic!

3 years ago I plodded around the Leeds 10k in 48 minutes (albeit beating my 50 minute target) with painful shins, bursting lungs and burning muscles. Today, I run several minutes faster than that in training and with little to no pain. From where we started, this seems incredible to me. I never dreamed I could reach this point, but together we worked towards this goal and discovered what we could accomplish. I am immensely proud that we put in this work despite the problems.

Look what I put my body through, and yet it forgives me!

I doubt you will ever grace the cover of "men's health" because let's face it, we like beer and pizza too much to have 6% body fat. But! The moobs are gone, clothes fit properly and I would no longer scare Gok Wan in a changing room.We may never win a race (then again who knows? Maybe we will) but that's not the ultimate aim anyway and I am very grateful for the progress we have made and the improvement I feel in all things.

Now we seemed to be in sync. We like each other, we talk and the recriminations are gone. I can now believe we have a long and wonderful relationship to look forward to. Even better, we now have a brilliant and dirty ménage a trois going on with Running and it's amazing to think how well this little threesome gets on these days, especially considering just how much you two used to bicker.

I know that I have to keep you happy too. I don't mind forgoing some of the food and alcohol that I would otherwise consume and I don't mind buying you special clothing, corn plasters for your nipples and paying for your massages. These are small prices to pay considering what you do for me.

So many people questioned my faith in you. They told me you were too old, that you had too many issues, that you would let me down in the end. They were wrong, very wrong. You have stepped up to the challenge. We still have some way to go before I achieve everything I want to, but I now know that we will get there, rather than just hoping that we will.

So thank you body. Thank you for carrying me to places I feared were beyond me. Thank you for learning to live with my ever-increasing demands. Thank you for learning to work with me instead of against me. Thank you for listening to me and giving me feed-back when needed.

Thank you. I can now honestly say, I love you.

Your faithful servant,

Scott

Me and my body, working together, having fun. Smiling like Grommit