Guinea Pig Take 2

Running
I had grand ambitions of a 10Km run this morning. Then I woke up feeling like crap (day 1 of cycle, hence a return to Melb Uni for more testing this afternoon) and decided that 2 weeks prior to the half marathon a missed training session wouldn't kill me. So the only running was 1 lazy 6 minute Km on the treadmill in the lab.

Life
So I was back at Melbourne Uni (Dept of Physiotherapy) for my second round of testing, the first was around ovulation time and today was for day 1 of my cycle. When I finished running on the treadmill one of the physio's said that I had a "nice efficient running style". I NEVER thought I would hear my clumping unco style described as nice or efficient, but I really have been trying to improve so it was cool to get that sort of feedback. We got through the testing nice and quick today because I remembered everything from last time, just one more session to go, apparently we missed my ovulation by a couple of days last time so I need to go back. I got some cool ASICS stuff too, a sports bag, a tech T-shirt, socks and a drink bottle.

My latest copy of Run For Your Life turned up yesterday so I had a good read of that today. One of my favorite sections is Stories From the Vault, rather than a tale of victory this time around it was Lee Troop writing about his Marathon at the Sydney Olympics. I wasn't that aware of Lee back then, I remember watching it on TV as I knew it would be Mona's last major competition. Anyway, Troopy didn't have a good one and it was a great article because I find that the tales of woe can be just as inspiring (is that weird or do other people feel that way too?), I mean to hang on when you just want to sit down and give up really takes guts. I can't believe he had a torn rectus abdominous, I just wouldn't pick that as an injury a runner would get, but what would I know. It's experiences like that which I hold in the back of my mind to try and inspire me when I am racing and it's starting to hurt. Obviously at my level if I had an injury I would be likely to pull the pin, there is no point in me pulling out any heroics. The type of hurting I am talking about is just the lactic, chest burning effort of that final push, when you have to tell yourself, 1 more Km and it's over, just another 800 metres, come on the sooner you finish the sooner you rest, DON'T GIVE UP!!!

This turns my thoughts to the mental side of this next half marathon, 2 weeks out, the majority of the training has been done, now it's time to consolidate and I start spending more time thinking about the run. Last time I was just plain scared! This time, how do I feel?? More on that tomorrow.......