Illegitimi Non Carborundum

With two weeks to go before the Big Race, I am definitely now in my taper, even if my mind still has to grasp that fact. Still, I intended to do a few more miles on Saturday, maybe 12 miles or so, depending on how I felt. However, I was literally stepping out of the house when Niamh came after me with my phone ringing. It was a former colleague of mine and we ended up talking for close to an hour.

Just over a year ago I left a secure, well paying job to head for Dublin and join a startup that I always knew had a very realistic chance of going out of business. It might have looked like total madness but in reality I wasn't as much drawn to the new job as being repelled by the old one, where after 10 happy years (and productive, and we made heaps of money for the owners) some new managers took over and a few years later I'd had enough of the constant bullying, belittling of efforts, talking down to the workers and just the toxic atmosphere in general.

Getting out of there felt like I was finally being able to breathe once more. Even when that startup did indeed falter, I never once regretted my decision, having rediscovered what it's like to work in a professional, respectful work environment. However, 2 weeks ago I got the terrible news that not everyone had been so lucky and a former colleague of mine had committed suicide. While we will never know the exact reasons that drove him to such an extreme action, everyone, and I literally mean everyone I talked to, was of the opinion that it was the senior management in that place that made him do it. He had been on leave (like me he could not take it any more) but apparently had been put under pressure to return, and rather than face the same managers again ...

It sure validated my decision to get out of that place.

Anyway, we ended talking for a long time, and when we eventually got off the phone I had time for just a few miles, which were badly needed to clear my head. Running is a gift in such situations, a pressure valve, and badly needed.

Training doesn't matter at all compared to all that but to mention it just for completeness, I felt great on Thursday and awful on Friday. My back pain has improved significantly but there's something wrong in my right glutes at the moment, though that too will be gone soon.

Rest in peace Mike. I wish you had not let the bastards grind you down.

Late, late update: they got one of their minions to ring me up, asking me to take down that post. Fuck you!

14 Jun

10.3 miles, 1:20:59, 7:51 pace, HR 144

15 Jun

10.22 miles, 1:27:19, 8:32 pace, HR 139

16 Jun

5 miles, 39:02, 7:48 pace, HR 146

17 Jun

5.1 miles, 44:26, 8:42 pace, HR 139