Time to dance

Those of you who've been playing along at home know that for most of my big events I've had a theme song.

For the most part they've been powerful, meaningful songs. For The Great North Walk 100, I've chosen this.

Stay with me. I am serious. Read on and see why Shut up and Dance is perfect for me right now.

It's a commitment song

Don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.

People who don't know any better think that ultra running is lonely. It's not. Ultrarunning is all about commitment. In the months of training, and on event day, you and that event are the only things that matter. You think about it a lot, and it can become it's own living thing.

I read this race preview earlier this week. The Great North Walk 100 is described as
"a masochistic indulgence of bush solitude that chews you up and spits you out".

Now, this doesn't sound like the kind of thing you want to commit to. But I have. I can't dare look back, I need to keep my eye on this thing and own it.

It's defiant and throws caution to the wind.

Shut up and dance with me

There are some times in life when you need to make a leap of faith. Right now that leap of faith for me is believing that my body can handle whatever The Great North Walk 100 throws at it. I've done the hard work. My body is ready. 

In The North Face 100 I thought too much about my pain. I worried that I was breaking my body, so I walked. A lot.

I can't let that happen this weekend. I can't let my brain hold my body back. I need let my body do what it needs to do, what it knows it can better than my brain does.

It's about destiny

We were bound to be together.

I didn't choose this race. We were flung together through circumstance. I started looking for the right kind of event, at just the right time, and there it was.

So you could say it was destiny.

I don't know how it happened... but The Great North Walk 100s took my arm and now before I've even had time to think about it, here I am on the dance floor.

This weekend I need to shut up and dance.