Failing to prepare is preparing to fail...

....and fail i did, today.


So, there i was in May or June deciding i needed to set some goals and achieve some things this year.

I have my Karate grading and i look at my bucket list and think 'hey, i can do a marathon, that would be a good one to cross off and get a bit fitter in the process!' and so i sign up for the Naha marathon in December.

I train for about a week, get bored and lazy and think that its so far away i can do it soon. Then life happens, i take a trip back to the UK, Karate preparations for the grading and Japanese lessons all end up taking priority.

Then, here i am about to try to do this race with no training. Zilch, Nada, Nothing. The furthest we ran was a couple of kilometres last week. Now i want my body to take me 42- with a time limit.
It goes better than expected and i get halfway before they stop me because of time restrictions. So I half did a marathon. Therefore, i still can't cross it off my bucket list. Bummer.
Here's the life lesson-
I train karate for five years- many times a week, making many hours of practice. I grade and i pass.
I decide to run a marathon and don't train, meaning i didn't finish it. I fail.
Don't get me wrong, i'm actually happy with how i did- for me, its a big personal achievement. 3 years ago i was so unhealthy and unfit that i couldn't run a hundred yards down the street (no exaggeration). Today with no proper running training i complete a half marathon in two and a half hours.
As i was running past the 11km mark and was starting to struggle, something i had read recently came into my head:

"You can't just do whatever" You meant that whatever I choose to do, I must not be aimless I must not simply spin this globe and go wherever I stick my finger Because 71% of the time I will end up in the ocean And if I do end up in the ocean I can't just do whatever, Better learn to swim.
I can't just do whatever.