After the long training run

Because I live in Cape Town, the Two Oceans Marathon is my long training run for Comrades.

Razzmatazz and a medal for a training run is great.

Because the 56 km Two Oceans is on Easter Saturday the date moves around and the gap between Two Oceans and Comrades changes.

This year it is 9 weeks between the runs.

So how best to use these 9 weeks before Comrades?

First: an easy week to recover from that run what I need to and to build is tempering into my muscles. It’s going well.

Last: a three week taper to race day. It will go well.

In between: a steady build up to the week with what should be the biggest mileage between January to the end of May.

I don’t know if I’ll make an 89 km week – you know, based on the old adage if you can run it in a week, you can run it in a day. I’m not going to break anything trying, but it would be nice. A confidence booster.

Already twice since January I’ve done 77 km in a seven day period and coped well as I am doing now. So we’ll see if I can add the extra 12. Maybe an extra run. Maybe keep it to 5 days a week and make some of the runs longer.

I’ll let my body decide.

If I only get to 77 km again then its fine too. My aim was to average at least 40 km a week, but really 45, and I’m already averaging 50 km a week and doing well, so I’m ahead of what I thought possible for me back in January.

The golden rule

The  governor of the running, the reins to hold me back? The spur in the ribs to get me out?

Always to be feeling strong, happy and eager to run. And robust enough to ward off the winter bugs. And to more and more inspired for the big day on 2 June 2013.

And it’s up to only me. I am the governor of this body. I’ll do what i can to keep it happy so that it runs for me when I ask again.