Let it Begin

Friday May 13, 2011 (1 day to TNF)

This is the post I wrote a day before the TNF race but was unable to upload before leaving for the race as the site was undergoing maintenance. So here it is is just for my own benefit to be able to look back and maybe learn something from the experience. Race report to follow.

Winter has arrived in Sydney. This week has been so cold that it is hard to get out in the morning. But the 3 week taper is over having run 60k in week 1, then 30k last week and this week 10k. I have completed around 600km in training in the 9 weeks since the Six Foot Track Marathon and the race is on tomorrow.  This week has been a bit nerve wrecking - I think I should be feeling better then I do considering the reduction in intensity and duration of running. This week running at a modest 6min/km felt very laboured and everything still hurts, achilles and my old friend the high hamstring insertion on the left (which I think I may have reinjured). I am feeling mighty nervous about my body actually holding together on Saturday. Two weeks ago I fell during a night training run and hurt my left knee and top of the femur ended up badly bruised. I did not think much of it at the time but since then I feel like I have started to unravel. But I have done too much work to date to pull out so will see how I fare on the day. It promises to be a cold, cold day in the mountains. So I better not dilly dally too much or I may freeze. If all else fails, with the some of the safety gear I will have to carry, I will be able to start a fire and wait to be rescued. Time will tell.

While waiting to see an osteopath on Monday this week, I wandered past the historic Manly cemetery. So many guardian angels looking over the dead. Even in the brilliant afternoon sunshine the place looked very forlorn and melancholy; abandoned and vandalized memorials of what must have been someone’s loved ones. It made me sad and I did wonder about how my brief presence on this planet will be remembered or marked.  I will be in need of a special guardian angel looking over me tomorrow as I fear the training alone will not be enough.

My first goal is to finish and if possible in time for Hammer to make it to the start the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon on Sunday at 6.45am.