Dealing With Disappointment

My running bib for the 2010 Silverstone Half MarathonI’ve never been particularly good at dealing with personal disappointment or failure, and today is no exception. Had all gone to plan, I would have just finished the Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon.

The Plan

Just having finished the Silverstone Half Marathon 2010, and in under two hours I’m elated. Surrounded by friends we go out to lunch to celebrate. Training continued to be fun, if gruelling and I learned that I really could put my mind to something and not give up.

The Reality

Er, yes, where was I? Oh, yes, at home, in bed feeling distinctly sorry for myself. Having suffered from a sore hip and knee over the last few weeks I’d been forced to vastly curtail my training so things weren’t looking too positive, but, I was still planning to attempt the race in whatever condition I was in. (I could walk it! Yes!) I don’t like giving up, didn’t want to let anyone down, nor see the last four months of hard work effectively go to waste. Fast forward to this week and me promptly falling ill and retreating under the duvet. That was that.

Onwards and Upwards

Disappointed in myself. I gave up, see? Failure. But even in the most stubborn of moments I would have had to admit defeat today. No use going into my first half marathon with a knee injury, and a mild case of the flu. I must put the frustration, disappointment and anger behind me. This is something to learn from, and not something that will get the better of me. There are (far) worse things in life! (Suppose I should stop pouting then…)

The Coventry Half Marathon is on the 23rd of May and I will be more than ready. 69 days to get it right, to be in the best shape of my life, and to smile. Here I go!

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A Distributed Company

5 Reasons why your company should be distributed by Toni Schneider, Automattic CEO.

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Assisted Suicide and the Role of the DPP

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) today released his final guidelines with regards to possible prosecution for asissted suicide under the 1961 Suicide Act. The new guidelines can be found on the CPS website.

The debate on this area of law and the potential legalisation of assisted suicide in any context is a sticky one, and not something I have anything like the knowledge and understanding required to enter into.
Nevertheless, it’s highly encouraging to see his comments relating to the proper law-making processes, especially on such a controversial issue. A lot of expectation was on his shoulders with these guidelines, and along the way many forgot that law-making in the UK isn’t and shouldn’t be within the remit of of the head of our prosecution service.

Only parliament can set out what processes or procedures might be appropriate in the context of encouraging or assisting suicide that may lead to an automatic decision not to prosecute.

DPP Keir Starmer QC

See also today’s Telegraph:

The motives of Debbie Purdy, the multiple sclerosis sufferer whose appeal to the courts for clarification of the law resulted in the DPP’s review, are beyond reproach. But those who backed her sought to circumvent our parliamentary process and will probably continue to do so. When the first prosecution under the DPP’s new guidelines is launched, there will doubtless be a renewed attempt by euthanasia campaigners to seek a change in the law. If so, it must be done through Parliament – and never again by way of the judicial back door.

Assisted suicide: Right-to-die laws are a matter for Parliament – The Telegraph

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