Questions

 

It's been a while since I last sat down with this browser open. I am alone with the kids for almost a fortnight, and almost half-way through it, it's going good. 

The only thing that's upside down is the t r a i n i n g   s c h e d u l e , as I have to do my long runs and the bulk of my training during the school hours - as well as other things that I need headspace for. I love being alone in this space at home, and that's why probably my runs have been slightly shorter and ever-so-slightly faster. The feeling of unlocking the door after the school drop and run, and getting in, is like getting in a nice warm bath with the knowledge that nobody will talk to me in the next couple of hours if I time it right. 

To my absolute delight, my heart rate during any run recently is low, aerobic, even when I pick up the pace, and even on long distances towards the end. This is the holy grail. My legs have springy days, and heavy-led days, but the heart rate is consistently aerobic. I am doing something right! The difference in  comfort  and   heartrate on the same stretch of road, same pace, between back-in-the-day 170BPM and today's 130BPM is reassuring and exhilarating - thank you, I'll take that!

 The motivation is up and down (I hadn't foreseen that bulk of training would happen in summer when "the livin' is easy"..

The grasping of the 42km distance is more acurate, sort of sensing it through my training abilities now. I am very curious on how my body and mind will behave over the 25km mark, as I had never ran longer than that in one go. Science says do the proper training (and rest) and the body will adjust. The mind is more like a monkey driving a 3 wheeled cart on a bumpy slight downhill road (there were 4, but one fell off, and ride still manageable), really, but whose isn't? Will I die? Will I enter my machine-mode trance and go until they stop me? Will I cry? Will I be giddy with too much enthusiasm? Will I think 30km-ish is OK, stop now because *insert reasons that would make sense at that millisenond in time? Will I give Tara the evil eye for getting us in such a project? Will she evil eye me? Will we be happy? Will we be able to push eachother and ride on the same wave? 

Will I need a poo? 

Also, marathon is 42km 195metres. Will my careless mental  programming  allow me to last until 42km, leaving the last 195m out? Something to note- it seems every detail will matter.

But at the moment, everything is going well. Heartrate is good, everyone around me is supportive, all is well.

Also, hoping I won't get covid then, or now, or close tot he race. That beast is going around again, it's already in the neighbourhood.. Time for doubling up on masks, and sanitiser, and apply guilt and paranoia in my kids so they don't lick everything too mich, anymore. 

So, one step in front of the other, wash hands, wear mask, rest, be a decent parent/partner/friend/human enjoy the summer,  don't panic, keep at it. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. 

*research diet on race week to avoid upset stomach.

over and out.