If I see one more social networking, "copy and paste" status that says that the public services and especially the military are facing cuts whilst our taxes are going abroad to other countries, I swear I will scream.
In 2009, 0.52% of public spending was overseas aid. Now, I know I'm not a professor in Maths, but that is not really a huge sum of money to go towards helping those who need it. Considering how much money it's estimated is going into the pockets of our own citizens who are more content to sponge off of the State, I shouldn't be surprised the public is quick to shift the blame onto Johnny Foreigner.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Friday, September 03, 2010
Why running?
I hated running at school. I hated the cold, I hated the pain, I hated the fact I could barely keep up with the slow, fat kids but most of all I hated running because I wanted to be bloody good at it. And I wasn't.
I've always enjoyed watching athletics. I can remember watching the first London Marathon on the TV as a kid. Every year after that, I would watch the coverage and tell myself "one day, I'll do it". I was right.
I said I was crap at running at school. I did have my moments. Usually on cooler, overcast days, with a fresh breeze in the air, and a low pollen count. I should have twigged something wasn't right when I clocked the best 400m time for our PE group (which was double my 100m time, run the week before in blistering sunshine, after which I collapsed fighting for breath), with seemingly little effort. I was 17 the day after my asthma was diagnosed. I wonder to this day, if it had been spotted earlier, could I have enjoyed distance running as much as I do these days?
I took up running in my mid-twenties as a way to keep fit. Since then, I've grown to love it. If illness or injury prevents me from going out, I get grumpy. I try to organise my day around a running session, not the other way around. It's easy to get addicted to. As well as the natural hormone release contributing to a feeling of well-being, for me, there's the feeling of self-improvement. Every time I run a route quicker, I don't just feel pleased with myself, it makes me want to go out and run it even more quicker. I like being able to say that I can run for miles; not from the perspective of belittling anyone who can't. I don't really care what anyone else can or can't do. No, I'm an asthmatic, exercise induced asthmatic at that, and one with dodgy joints. I might not be skinny, and I might not win any races. But I can run for miles. It's a sense of achievement that I personally feel proud of.
But I still want to do it quicker than last time ;-)
I've always enjoyed watching athletics. I can remember watching the first London Marathon on the TV as a kid. Every year after that, I would watch the coverage and tell myself "one day, I'll do it". I was right.
I said I was crap at running at school. I did have my moments. Usually on cooler, overcast days, with a fresh breeze in the air, and a low pollen count. I should have twigged something wasn't right when I clocked the best 400m time for our PE group (which was double my 100m time, run the week before in blistering sunshine, after which I collapsed fighting for breath), with seemingly little effort. I was 17 the day after my asthma was diagnosed. I wonder to this day, if it had been spotted earlier, could I have enjoyed distance running as much as I do these days?
I took up running in my mid-twenties as a way to keep fit. Since then, I've grown to love it. If illness or injury prevents me from going out, I get grumpy. I try to organise my day around a running session, not the other way around. It's easy to get addicted to. As well as the natural hormone release contributing to a feeling of well-being, for me, there's the feeling of self-improvement. Every time I run a route quicker, I don't just feel pleased with myself, it makes me want to go out and run it even more quicker. I like being able to say that I can run for miles; not from the perspective of belittling anyone who can't. I don't really care what anyone else can or can't do. No, I'm an asthmatic, exercise induced asthmatic at that, and one with dodgy joints. I might not be skinny, and I might not win any races. But I can run for miles. It's a sense of achievement that I personally feel proud of.
But I still want to do it quicker than last time ;-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)