It's 3 weeks till half marathon day, I'll definitely be finished by now, on my own two legs or by sweepy bus. Hopefully the own two legs option. I've had a bit of a running lull this past couple of weeks, whether due to big runs or nights out I'm not sure, but it's been a bit of a chore.
I didn't do my proper runs this week, I went out, but not far or fast or with much effort, so come Friday I went for the "cross train" option on the plan and went for a swim. Swimming was good, I've not been in ages, was a bit busy for my liking , but no sign of the old swim-stalker (I have been seeing him a lot in Tesco recently, maybe he thinks I'm the stalker...). I did some over taking, frantic, and realised I don't know how to pull back in after an overtake, lest I kick someone in the face, so it was just a frantic dash to the end and turn and go.
So come Saturday I was ready to go, I was actually excited to run, and a little bit nervous. It was "just" 5 miles, not far enough to test out my "fuelling" plan thankfully, as someone ate all my jelly babies...I went around Spiggie, and actually ran, not fast by global standards, in the week that saw the anniversary of the 4 minute mile being broken, but fast by Lucy standards. And it felt so much better than usual. I was properly knackered at the end, my leggies were tired and it was hard but I felt like I ran instead of plodding. Hurray! Victory is mine! Not sure I could do another one and a half the same, but I think I've broken the feeling that I need to save myself (we'll see what I'm thinking to that next week as mile 10 comes and goes).
I'd be a bit annoyed if I got to the end of the half marathon and felt like I could've tried a bit harder...I'm all for just finish,make sure you finish. But I think I'm drifting away from thinking slow and steady is the way. Yesterday my pace varied massively - fast downhill, slow up, buying myself time on the way down. Seemed to work for yesterday - we'll see how the rest of the week goes.
Apart from the Run/Plod changeover the run highlights were beautiful Spiggie (as usual) and an otter! A chunky looking otter waddled down a burn as I ran past about 4 miles in. May be the best place to run ever...can't see a treadmill gym view beating that.
I've also gotten quite used to running without music. I always used to have music, to block out the noise of my struggling, and distract me. Which now seems silly, if it was so awful I needed musical distraction why was I doing it? Then I washed my iPod. Accidentally. I've never replaced it, but can't imagine running with music now, I like running for the thinking time, when I'm going far enough that there's a gap in the middle where I'm warmed up and managing, and not quite thinking about wanting to finish, then that's a little bit of time where I don't think I should be doing anything else, a little pocket of emptiness that I can fill with any thinks I want.
I think this is the main thing keeping me from running with other people. In some ways I like the idea - it might make me run a bit faster, it might make me run a bit further, but it does mean I wouldn't be on my own, I don't think I'd be a chatty runner, I don't particularly want to be gee'd along if I'm going slow. I'm quite looking forward to just running wherever I want when I'm done with this training, though I might need to have some kind of plan to make sure I do go...guess I'll find out in a few weeks if my motivation has come all the way back from Edinburgh with me.
An easyish week this week, then 12 miles on Sunday...I'm going to wallow in positive thoughts till then. Once I've written about the joys of chubrub and boob-blisters.
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