Update before the Macleay River Marathon

After Williamstown Marathon I had a mental and physical meltdown. I just could not run and could not be bothered to run and nothing I did could get me out the front door in the morning for what is my usual dose of early morning private time.

I was up at the usual time and just did not get changed into my running gear and just did nothing for an hour or so then decided it was too late to run but a good time to get into work early and so I did. The regretted not running for the rest of the day and made a promise when going to bed that night not to do it the next morning and promptly did it again all over. This went on until Monday this week when with a marathon on Sunday it was time for me and running to become acquainted again and become friends not a chore or task that just needs to be done.

Maybe it was a good thing not to force myself to run when I didn't want to.

I have managed to run each morning this week but the cool winter mornings don't make it easier. Also the Achilles (yes I haven't mentioned that for a while) has come back to be a major issue and is making training and running very painful. There just is no pleasure in running when it starts off as very painful and merely reduces to a moderate pain and discomfort and enough to affect the stride pattern, rhythm and any thing else you can think off.

Well anyway the thought of this marathon being a focus one is now non existent. It will be all about survival. Six weeks ago I was running under 30 minutes for the Bay but this morning it was 32.45 - it was not a struggle but I could not have gone much faster.

So the fitness I had for the Canberra Marathon has ebbed away and there is no way I will get close to that. I suspect something between 3.40 - 3.40 BUT my good mate and regular Wednesday training buddy is running and wants under 3.25. Common sense says wish him well at the start and let him go his way but I can't do that. He does not need me running beside him he can do it alone but I would like to share some of the run with him so I will start off at for me at the moment will be a suicidal pace of 100 minutes for the half. I may not stay with him until halfway but that will be the pace.

I intend to stay with him for as long as I can and hope the crash is not too slow and ugly. Not the best race plan for my fitness level at the moment but absolutely perfect for sharing part of the event with my buddy.