March, Week 4: BST

[Sweder]

An excellent piece, Niguel, and, as usual, right on the spot as regards the feelings of madness that accompany taking your foot off the gas. Except, for me, it's been happening throughout March.

First there was the hamstring. That cost me at least one 16 miler.
Then, Hong Kong: Two sixes don't make a twelve, at least not in running terms and certainly not on consecutive days with vast amounts of beer swallowing in between. So that's another long run blown.

It's only been the last two weekends of this month that I can claim to have adhered to part of any sort of planned schedule. In effect, March has been one long, loopy taper. This may explain my apparent prowess this past weekend when, and I'm trying to maintain at least a modicum of modesty here, I nailed the hideous Jog Shop Jog. I don't think Hal (either Higdon or his homicidal namesake in 2001) could have foreseen such an unruly approach to a race. If I was an airliner on final approach the tower would be screaming 'abort!' at this point.

Yet I remain strangely calm. My midweek training has been equally sporadic, with no more than three (and often less) runs of 5 miles in any one week this month. It's dangrous to surmise that we have the capacity to defy all learned wisdom and pull a lifetime best out of chaos, but I must say the whispers in the trees hold not warning but encouragement.

Only time will tell. I'm fairly sure I'll take the short(er) road this Sunday.
But frankly, I won't know for sure 'till I get there.
This is fun.