Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Mid Week Blues
Can't seem to motivate myself at all this week. I have had two days rest after the Tamworth 10K and can't be bothered to do anything apart from eat vast quantities of food, which is NOT a good ides!
They have finally started to replace the back windows in the flats, unfortunately I think mine is going to be one of the last... still, my neighbour has managed to persuade them to install our cat flaps back in! I have just been and bought a shiny new one! Exciting!!!
I think I will go out on a long, slow run tonight, at least 7 miles. I will try one of those energy drink sachets I got free. I have the 9 mile Norton run a week on Sunday so got to get my distance up!
I have had a look at the route for the Belvoir Challenge, it is identical to the 2004 route- in reverse! There is also a 15 mile route, they used to have the two distances sharing the same route for so long, but there are so many people doing it (more do the 15 mile) it was a nightmare- there were queues at stiles resembling the New Year sales at Harrods and the route just became a swamp!
I didn't finish in 2004, partly because of this reason. I ended up losing about 40 minutes at just one stile, and when the route split I was the only person in sight carrying on along the 26 mile route. I was unfit, and fell further and further behind everybody else. Approaching the last check point at 21 miles, it started to snow and night fell suddenly. A runner came up behind me and I thought 'Yay I'm not last! ' before realising he was the sweeper. I'd had enough, so stumbeled into the checkpoint and retired.
It was so demoralising. I never want to experience that again. The agonies of being transported back to the start in a car, walking through the door to a series of 'congratulations!', having to confess I'd quit and being told 'never mind, have something to eat anyway.' Of course, it is smart to know when you've had enough, and quit to lick your wounds and fight another day, but oh, it doesn't come easy!
I've completed it the two years since, it will be interesting this year doing that same route but in reverse...
They have finally started to replace the back windows in the flats, unfortunately I think mine is going to be one of the last... still, my neighbour has managed to persuade them to install our cat flaps back in! I have just been and bought a shiny new one! Exciting!!!
I think I will go out on a long, slow run tonight, at least 7 miles. I will try one of those energy drink sachets I got free. I have the 9 mile Norton run a week on Sunday so got to get my distance up!
I have had a look at the route for the Belvoir Challenge, it is identical to the 2004 route- in reverse! There is also a 15 mile route, they used to have the two distances sharing the same route for so long, but there are so many people doing it (more do the 15 mile) it was a nightmare- there were queues at stiles resembling the New Year sales at Harrods and the route just became a swamp!
I didn't finish in 2004, partly because of this reason. I ended up losing about 40 minutes at just one stile, and when the route split I was the only person in sight carrying on along the 26 mile route. I was unfit, and fell further and further behind everybody else. Approaching the last check point at 21 miles, it started to snow and night fell suddenly. A runner came up behind me and I thought 'Yay I'm not last! ' before realising he was the sweeper. I'd had enough, so stumbeled into the checkpoint and retired.
It was so demoralising. I never want to experience that again. The agonies of being transported back to the start in a car, walking through the door to a series of 'congratulations!', having to confess I'd quit and being told 'never mind, have something to eat anyway.' Of course, it is smart to know when you've had enough, and quit to lick your wounds and fight another day, but oh, it doesn't come easy!
I've completed it the two years since, it will be interesting this year doing that same route but in reverse...
