So that’s it, the longest run or the programme done. Well, almost. This week saw the culmination of the build-up in distance with a 20 mile run at the Richmond Riverside 20 which proved to be much more of a mental challenge than I was expecting. I went into it feeling good, on Saturday I was looking forward to it but I hadn’t quite appreciated the weather or the surface then. By the time I got to kilometre 28 I was done with the hard uneven ground and the deep wide puddles along the side of Kew and slowed to a walk in places to pick my way around the obstacles rather than run through them. Add to that the post code for the start that was in the wrong place and thanks to Trevor, another lost runner who drove me around leading a little convoy of lost runners in cars to find the right place. Then at the end, no medal?!? I do love a medal. At the end I really felt like I should have left this and run solo on my own route. I think next time I will.
The earlier part of the week had been all about managing the knee and preventing a flare up. So after a club run on Monday I followed it up with an intervals session on the treadmill to lessen the impact and then jacked in Friday’s planned run entirely. So by the time I got to Sunday there was no pain or sign of my OA at all and that part of the run was very comfortable.
Ever since completing those 20 miles training has, emotionally, felt different. Looking back now the language I had used to describe the Kingston Spring Raceday and the Richmond Riverside 20 to myself internally, and to others when asked how training was going, I had built these up as the final hurdle, a chore, the top of the mountain I have been climbing since January. The club run on Monday felt great. Legs felt weirdly fresh, there were no aches or muscle soreness at all.
So now I find myself at the start of the taper, everything ahead of me is a little less than before. Not a lot less to be fair, but enough to allow me to wholeheartedly look forward to the sessions again. I’ll be honest, there have been some days these last 2-3 weeks where I really CBF but somehow managed to get out and get it done. Any exercise I have dropped or changed has been for a real reason, usually centred around the management of the OA. I do not feel disappointed in any of those choices in the same way I have done in the past when I feel like I gave myself excuses.
As I write this there are just 25 days left to go with 18 days of running and I know I am ready for this. Now I just need to wrap it all up neatly and enjoy the taper.