Last long training run ... DONE!

... the weeks continue to pass filled with now familiar of emotions of anticipation, fear, and excitement.  But a new sense is also coming to the fore ... one of accomplishment and pride at actually getting this far in my training, as well as a sense of dogged determination to give this event absolutely everything I've got .. physically and emotionally.  It is a great feeling to feel strong and ready to tackle the biggest challenge I have ever attempted in my life.

With only 27 days to go, the hard yards are all done ... that in itself is quite an emotional revelation to me. The thought of the reality of actually making it to the start line evokes strong emotions ... it is as though the training to this point has been like climbing the highest mountain, and we have now reached a calm and surreal plateau that will shortly take us to the summit .. from which we will leap!! While there is the fear of not having done enough, there is also the knowledge that I have done everything I could possibly have done, given an early battle with chronic piriformis syndrome (something that was miraculously cured after doing the Munda Biddi Trail 46km in December 2010!!), and various other hurdles such as sprained ankles and lower back problems.  It is now a matter of 'polishing' and maintaining fitness, being mindful of ensuring enough recovery is achieved, and the best nutrition we can give our bodies ... a bit of a balancing act really!

So .. after last week's 'easy' 20km run and a ride on Sunday, I followed up with a 1km swim Monday, an easy 5km run/walk/poo-stops/& attempted-sniffing-diversions with Rosie Red Dog on Tues, about 10km with training buddy Bec (TNF entrant too) on Wed, another 5km with RRD on Thurs, and nothing on Friday.  Yesterday (Saturday) I ran with a couple of friends (Des and Ange) who are also doing TNF ... the last long one, 30km trails with hills in just under 4 hours ... much faster pace than we will do the event!

Feeling a little stiff today, we did a mountain bike ride around the trails for around 23km at medium pace .. . it's amazing how much more you can do when using your muscles in a different way, hence the great value in cross-training.  So, we'll push on and I'll keep blogging about training, emotions, and experiences as we lead up to the big day :)

Jac