Posted: 26 January 2012
by James Fricker
Aladdin made the desert look cool. Unfortunately I don’t have a magic carpet to whisk me over the MdS’s 151 miles or a genie to grant me three wishes, of which I’m sure one would be respite from the heat. Saying that, I can’t wait to see the rolling dunes, camels, epic views and the occasional mirage.
My long mileage run this weekend hit a respectable 19.66 (I feel it’s important to include the extra 0.66). It was the last time I’ll get to run with a training partner as we set off on our own quests: his the LA Marathon, mine the MdS.
I’ll be on my own this week as I tackle 21 miles. This is where my mental determination gets tested and as the miles ramp up I find myself wanting to get them over and done with as quickly as possible. This might explain why I lost a toenail this week and am suffering badly from blisters.
So my lesson is to be patient, run slowly and stay strong, both mentally and physically. The plan is to get to the MdS in the best shape possible. Running my midweek miles quicker won’t speed up my finishing time but it might help niggles become injuries.
My top tip this week is to recruit friends to run with – it’s a huge motivational boost and the miles seem to go by quicker. Failing that, find yourself a magic lamp.
James is raising money for the Cardiomyopathy Association, and you can sponsor him at virginmoneygiving.com/JamesFricker
