The Finishing Line

The alarm clock it is buzzing I turn and switch it off Its five AM, not again, Time to get up Stagger to the bathroom Raise my eyes for the first time There’s rain…there’s always rain. Ten minutes later, dressed, I push for the front door Every step my sanity cries Its cold! Its wet! Go back to bed I open the door and the wind whistles in Step out, a typical Scotland morning. My foot falls onto pavement And I begin to run Already, there’s an anvil on my lungs Pushing down, I’ve gone a mile, easy But I forgot my hat I feel a headache growing Great, I close my eyes and struggle on Now here at last, the lock gates, Three miles down My feet, where the hell have they gone I sure can’t feel them, But I can feel my legs With burning brands instead of shins They urge me to give in Five miles, two to go My breathings heavy, I slip Now my ankle grinds against my shoe I pass houses, no lights on I wish to god I was them And as I pass, no streetlights now I run in darkness, by the canal Six miles, all down hill from here The pain in my ankle grows I think, hey…I could stop Walk the rest, nobody would know And it’s wet after all But I have only I mile left Not the twenty I will have, so push it! One hundred yards, I feel like I am flying now Its finished, all bar the shouting I imagine three months time Seven miles is torture, will I fall But I remember the feeling of crossing my door And the finishing line, will be sweeter, by far.in less than 3 months i am running the London Marathon. its a scary prospect. i have yet to run more than 10 miles! Written January 17th, 2002 © on Jan 17 2002 07:11 AM PST   0 • 10