Hardy
During my hard (that is, difficult – not what runners mean by "hard", which is fast) run I was thinking about Thomas Hardy. For some reason, this passage from Far From the Madding Crowd has stuck in my mind for twenty years since I read it (forcibly) at school.
I can remember being totally unable to relate to either the need or the solution when I first read this. But recently I’ve been employing the technique all the time. 1.5 laps into a 6-lap run, I’m telling myself that I’ve nearly done a third, which is nearly a half, and then it’s all downhill from there. After 4 laps, I’m telling myself that I’ve nearly done 5, and 5 is virtually 6.
Remarkably, it seems to work. But yesterday I think it failed for the first time – by 5 laps there was no consolation – just another 5 miles to be plodded.
She said again in the same tone, "I'll believe that the end lies five posts forward, and no further, and so get strength to pass them."
This was a practical application of the principle that a half-feigned and fictitious faith is better than no faith at all.
She passed five posts and held on to the fifth.
"I'll pass five more by believing my longed-for spot is at the next fifth. I can do it."
She passed five more.
"It lies only five further."
She passed five more.
"But it is five further."
She passed them.
I can remember being totally unable to relate to either the need or the solution when I first read this. But recently I’ve been employing the technique all the time. 1.5 laps into a 6-lap run, I’m telling myself that I’ve nearly done a third, which is nearly a half, and then it’s all downhill from there. After 4 laps, I’m telling myself that I’ve nearly done 5, and 5 is virtually 6.
Remarkably, it seems to work. But yesterday I think it failed for the first time – by 5 laps there was no consolation – just another 5 miles to be plodded.
