Talking myself down off the ledge

After Saturday's effort it's been a battle to retain confidence in my ability to run the half marathon in three weeks. Yes - it's only three weeks away! A few of us have commented that we don't feel as prepared this time around. It's occurred to me that I haven't been doing as much running with this programme. Whereas last time I was running five to six days a week this programme I've still been doing the RPM and sometimes not running on the days I also have a session with Duck. Plus we started working my legs a lot later in the training this time, and we're still working them hard a lot later. I think I've simply been getting to Saturday with nothing left to give.

So - my new plan for this week is to cut out my extra leg session and to keep up the running. Rather than weights before RPM tomorrow night I'm going to do a light half hour run. I'll run with the Squad on Wednesday night, train with Duck on Thursday morning, and go for another light run on Thursday. I'll do Balance on Friday and then hopefully I'll be feeling good on Saturday for our 100 minute run. Tomorrow may have to be my last RPM until after Pelorus, and I'll keep the dial light (huh, yeah right!).

As always, my Monday night run went well enough that I regained a little confidence. We did the same speed session from a couple of weeks ago - warm up from Ferg's to the new Subway in Chaffer's Park, sprint back as far as the bridge closest to the entrance to Te Papa (the one that raises up), jog slowly to Fergs, turn around and sprint back to the bridge, slow to Subway, sprint to the bridge, slow to Fergs, sprint back to the bridge, then a shorter sprint to the St Johns building and back, then 20 walking lunges and 15 tricep dips, then a walk back to the gym.

I kept pace with Sarah for the first sprint. In other words I went waayyyyy too fast! During the warm-up I'd felt pretty good. I was imagining my head being pulled up by a piece of string, pushing off my back foot and engaging my glutes. Of course all form went out the window during the sprints, but the thought was there! I felt sooo slow, but I think it's more that the younger girls have gotten so much faster. Darn unfair advantage of youth...

Kate got me thinking about ways to finish off my run if I leave from home on a Saturday morning. It occurred to me that there's a dairy in Vogeltown/Mt Cook on the corner of Liardet Street that I could stop at. I could then walk up the steps between Balfour and Ingestre Street to make my way home. A bit of a killer way to end the workout though! If only the house below us on Balfour Street didn't have a back yard full of blackberry. I could take a sneaky shortcut through their back yard otherwise! Although I might need a ladder to get from their back yard to ours...

Right, off to bed. Let's see if I can dream some positive running visualisations.