PMA

Tomorrow the training programme begins and I have conflicting feelings about the whole thing. On the one hand, I feel sick every time I think about running twenty-six miles. There's a countdown on the first screen of my Runkeeper app. It currently says 112 days, 11hours and 19 minutes. It goes in to seconds as well. Every time I see it, my stomach lurches. On the other hand, as I stand in the shower after a run, I often consider the last wee bit of the run, in Ormeau Park, and I imagine crossing the finish line and just bursting into tears. Good, really tired tears. That's a nice image.

I know a positive mental attitude is vital to completing this project, so as I rack up the miles and read this book, I'm going to be working on that. The run tomorrow is three miles. This week it's three, four, three and five. Nothing too mental, though it's a while since I ran as much as five miles in one go. Still, the  first two weeks are a gentle beginning.

The training schedule is from the book that I'm reading, "The Non Runner's Marathon Guide,"by Whittset, Dolgener and Kale. I can genuinely see myself being able to complete the first couple of weeks. Even thinking that far ahead is sort of counter to what the book advises. I'm supposed to think just one run at a time. So I will concentrate on tomorrow's three miles. I need to do it before work as I'm going out for a meal after work with my colleagues to an Indian restaurant. I definitely won't be able to run after that.