6:15, and it was going to be painful. I confess, I did hesitate.
Hold on, isn’t Monday usually a rest day?
Mmm. Funny how often I try this one out on myself. No matter that I’d not run in two weeks, had nothing but rest for a fortnight, been drunk most nights for a week. It’s always the first thought when I wake on the appointed back-to-work Monday. Hang on. Hang on, I implore. Monday’s always a rest day. And for a moment or two I’m almost taken in.
The more it happens, the easier it becomes to dismiss the appeal. Annoying really. There have been times when I’ve taken a while to work through the arguments, knowing that this would reduce the chances of getting out there. Can’t do that now.
So I just got up and did it. Bastards.
And it wasn’t too bad.
Just 3 miles. It wasn’t fast and it didn’t feel very nice, but I managed this modest distance without stopping at least, which is some shred of comfort.
And that’s it. I’m now back in training mode. The plan is to have a pretty gentle week – a few round-the-block plods to start feeling fitter again, and then next week to embark on New Coach Bob’s stipulated four weeks of 20 miles each. The last week of these will contain my two post-Christmas races at Cliveden and Hyde Park, and then – bang – it’s into the new year with the 16 week marathon training.
Race number for Cliveden received on Saturday, so that’s that. At the bottom of the instructions it says: WARNING: This really is a tough race.
The message is worrying, but it’s that bloody bold type that’s so chilling.
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I just ran this file through a spell-checker as I sometimes smugly do. Homesite, my HTML weapon of choice, doesn’t have a match for Montepulciano, but suggests “contemplation” instead. I like the idea that these two words might be interchangeable. I like that idea very much.
