My mother

When I was younger, I would look at my mam and think, "Oh God, I wish she'd shut up... she's so embarrassing". She would whinge about queues, whinge about prices, whinge about food not being perfect in a restaurant... in fact she did (and still does) whinge about pretty much everything that isn't to her satisfaction. I would always think myself lucky that I wasn't as intolerant as her.

Today, I went for a run with Graeme, and I really wasn't in the mood. I whinged about the wind, I whinged about pretty much everything that Graeme talked about and when I got home, I continued to whinge about food, money, kids... you name it!

I suddenly realised that when things don't go my way, I can be as irritating and embarrassing as my mother... and I hate that quality! Worst thing is, I don't know how to stop myself. It was like I had PMT in the purest form today, and I KNOW I'm being totally unreasonable but continue on anyway. Thank God I don't get many days like these.

The run today was pure hell, I have to say. The route was undulating with a couple of big hills, and the wind almost blew me off my feet. It made me feel like I had to work so much harder for a slower effort. I also realised today that I have been running a bit too fast in training. Sticking with Graeme made me keep a slower pace and a lower HR (not because I'm faster than him... it was just he was more disciplined with the pace than I am when I'm alone).
I was exhausted when I got home and had my recovery drink followed by a bath then beans on toast.

This afternoon, I have a feeling I don't get often, but one which I love. I get this feeling sometimes that my lungs have somehow expanded and I can take more air in. I call it an "upped fitness day". I'm wondering if the work done during the marathon is starting to take effect now... although I seem to recall reading it takes 3 weeks for new mitochondria to form....maybe it's the same for an improvement with the lungs!!! I don't know...maybe my body is remembering that I used to do a lot of hilly stuff. They call that muscle memory, don't they?

Graeme and I talked today about how the heat affects me during running, and how it puts a dampner on foreign marathons....even the Comrades that is my ultimate dream. Last year, towards the end of the summer, I got a Half Marathon PB in really hot weather. Was it because I'd trained through summer and become accustomed to the heat?
We decided that when things are better financially, we may consider having a 2 week holiday somewhere lovely (Jamaica, for instance), do our taper while we are there and then run the marathon at the end of the holiday. Any excuse to go somewhere nice, eh? ;-)