MCG

I am running the Melbourne Marathon on 14th October. I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to take part in this event not least of all because it finishes in the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) which is the biggest stadium in Australia and the biggest cricket ground in the world. It was the centrepiece of the Commonwealth Games, held in Melbourne in 2006, and referred to by locals as the 'G'. The tag line for this year's event is 'Back to the G' because it wasn't possible to finish there last year.

The promise of doing a lap of this stadium with the big screens displaying the action and the stands packed with spectators is what's keeping me going in the training now. It will be a once in a lifetime moment that I will be able to treasure forever and it feels like the ultimate finale to my first year in Australia. The effort I have invested in working towards this race has become symbiotic with my experience of being in Melbourne itself.

I have struggled with motivation for this, my fourth marathon, perhaps more than any other I have run. Yesterday, I ran with my iPhone using the mapmyrun app to give me some feedback on distance and speed. It is a hassle running with a phone but it had the benefit of allowing me to listen to the new Deacon Blue album I had just downloaded, The Hipsters. It was inspirational, particularly the title track that captures the spirit of a group of young people standing at the cliff edge of life, wondering what's going to happen and if they'll ever become the people they aspire to be.

It felt like an epiphany moment to combat the running misery I've been feeling recently and got me reflecting on what it's all about, really. I'm fond of an acronym so, since making it to the MCG has become my short term goal, I thought I would reflect on Motivation and Commitment in my next post. And...well, back to the G, what do you think it should stand for?