Category: Taper

"Only 9 days to go!"

So  my Sponsorship page tells me its ‘only 9 days to go!’ (Note the exclamation mark – they added that, not me. If there was a piece of punctuation that gave the impression of a strangled cry of anguish, then that’s what I would have added.)

Actually, I am feeling slightly calmer now. The head-in-the-sand denial has passed, but its so close now I don’t have time to panic, just to write lots of lists. What I need to take to the Expo. What I need on the day. What I need to put into the bag that goes onto the baggage truck at the start, and meets me at the finish. (I did wonder if I could squeeze into the bag, but don’t think it will be big enough. Curses!)

Dragged the children out on their bikes earlier in the week so they could accompany me whilst I ran. We managed 4.24M which is good going for them. Actually getting everyone out of the house whilst ignoring the moaning was harder than the run was! Lovely friend of mine took both children away this morning to spend time with her children, so I set off on my last long run before The Big Day. Actually, it was only 1 hour, but all things are relative.

Thought I’d better practice all the lovely positive visualisations I’d been reading about. Oh, and the positive mantras, and the general P.M.A.*! Tried my best, presume it must have worked because I had a lovely run. Ignored the slight niggle in my shin, didn’t worry about taking it good and slow, tried my hardest to ignore the decomposing badger (ugh!!). Ran for almost exactly 1 hour, and when I came back inside, realised I’d enjoyed my run. Really enjoyed being out in the beautiful countryside I’m so lucky to live in. Enjoyed feeling my body working to power me along. Enjoyed hearing the birds and feeling the sun on my body. Just enjoyed my run, like I used to.

Feeling sickeningly positive now, so have send another e-mail to various friends and villagers asking if they’d like to sponsor me (sorry if you got that one!). Would LOVE to reach £1,000 – an amount I never dreamed I’d be able to raise.

Right – am going to go and do something slightly less uplifting now (hoovering) to try and bring me back down to earth. Happy Friday everyone!

* PMA = Positive Mental Attitude, dude!

Tapering Approaching … pass the Easter Eggs

So this is supposed to be week 1 of my taper. However, as I’ve done so little running I thought I’d be better off doing some more miles this week, then having a 2 week taper. Just the little inconvenience of the children being off school for the Easter holidays!

I said Taper, NOT Tapir!

Had a brainwave – its free swimming over the holidays, and the pool had a 3 hour ‘flumes’ session. Perfect – I could drop them at the pool, have a good long run and then collect them afterwards. Nothing could go wrong with that plan, could it?? Even got free parking, as all 3 machines were broken in the car park – a good omen!

All started well, ran for 50 minutes out along the (flat!) cycle route, tried my new gels, took it good & steady and practised my walk breaks. Then turned back (as I felt a bit far away from the pool!) planning on heading back to town and then running laps until the children had finished. Just 10 minutes later, I had a call from my daughter “We were cold and bored, so we got out and are waiting in the foyer”. Aargh!! I told her I’d be at least 40 minutes, and they could spend their locker money to buy a drink and a snack and to wait there for me!

High points on the way home were hearing a very noisy crashing sound, only to discover it was a heron landing in the next field by the river, and then seeing 2 deer just next to the path. they stopped and stared at me, and I stopped and stared at them!

Met up with children, got everyone home and settled, and headed out again for a few more miles. The cold rain started (it felt like sleet, but don’t think it was really), I was very tired, and then the battery died on my Garmin. Time to head for home! Think it was 13 miles in total, but felt more.

I had a lovely 8 mile run down in Cornwall on Easter Saturday. Down country lanes, through the woods and along another cycle path (flat again).

So now I really must taper – got to rest these legs and sort my Positive Mental Attitude out (yes, I have been reading US websites!) I’m sure Easter eggs count as carb loading, don’t they?