OK today with just over two weeks to race day I finally cracked this long run that's been bugging me for the last week or two. I've been plagued for the last few days with pains in my right hamstring, left shin and various bits and pieces but they didn't seem to get any better, quite the opposite in fact.
This led me to the awful conclusion that it was all in my mind, so I bit the bullet this morning and just ploughed ahead with my four-hour run despite protestation and a somewhat fierce presentation from the Amalgamated Union of Ligaments and Joints, Inc. After half an hour however, the pain subsided and for a time it actually became enjoyable.
Well, when I say "enjoyable" I speak in relative terms. In fact four hours on a treadmill is nothing but a long, sustained and infuriatingly tedious conversation with yourself. But in these undulating parts of Sydney it's the only way of simulating race day conditions - to a certain extent anyhow. So, treadmill it was.
Finally, after nine years or so of off-again on-again running (some of the off times being my fault, but also large slabs of circumstance that certainly didn't help matters), I'm at the doorstep of my maiden marathon and I suspect nine years of doubt and uncertainty had manifested itself in psychosomatic symptoms, hence the lack of response to rest and treatment. Then again, the run was harder than it ought to have been, and I suspect at least in part this was due to a reduced immune system, thanks to workmates being sick and myself having to work long hours of overtime to cover their absence.
Still, I was determined to tough it out, mainly because there was no choice - no long run today would have made race day interminably uncertain, if only mentally, and we know how important the mental side of long distance running is.
In truth, it went well until 29 kilometres in and then started to get tough. The "moments" of wanting to stop started to string together, and the last five kilometres, it must be said, were fairly punishing.
But it's done.
Thank Christ.
Now a two-week taper to race day. That won't be hard - most of that will be taken up with a hectic work schedule. Hmmmph. Life. It's just one damned thing after another.
But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Today's run also notched up 1,000km for the year, a kilometre-stone I have never reached this early in the calendar - not by a long way.
Track du jour: Huge in their homeland of Canada, and worthy of attention elsewhere, I've only just become aware of this band, and their catalogue is great - many, many great running songs, but this is one of the best and not just because the video features a lot of running by the band around New York City (the lead singer even fore-foot strikes!):
35.89km, 4hours
YTD: 1,028.5km
Robust August
