The Running Marketer

Brains can be dumb.

This week my brain told me:

1. My leg needs to be amputated. After my long run on Saturday there was still a bit of bruising and a small lump. Of course it’s something dangerous and needed amputating. I’m actually fine with that idea. I’ll get a blade and hopefully join the Australian Paralympics team. Then in the Games after the next one I can switch to the US team because the country will be back to normal by then.
2. It’s a rare cancer in my leg and I’m going to die. This one was a little less encouraging and logical brain shut it down pretty quickly. The same Olympic-qualified (ooh, there’s a theme in these thoughts) doctor who said it’s not shin splints, a bone stress injury or compartment syndrome has looked over all my blood work and markers and found nothing to say it’s cancer.
3. I’m too unfit and can’t run a marathon. Yeah, this was after Thursday night’s terrible strength session. My left leg was weak and my balance sucked. I fell over a few times. My brain told me I’m useless and can’t get to marathon distance in 12 weeks so may as well drop to the half marathon now. My brain kind of has a point here. I am cutting it fine, but I can either stretch to 42.2km or over-prepare 21.1km. I’m choosing stretch.
4. I’m a terrible writer. My first project for Transurban is currently rolling out, but it was more project management than writing. My second is terrifying me. My brain is saying I’m not qualified, I’ll do a terrible job. I’ve been doing customer-focused writing for nearly half my life. I’ve got this. Go away brain.

Let’s see what it tells me next week.