Stale

I should have been full of life and full of motivation today on my long run... after all, yesterday I managed to get the payment through and all is now secure for the Bangalore Ultra. I got up this morning and didn't want to go. If I'm honest, I haven't wanted to do my long run for the last 4 weeks.
I ignored my lack of motivation and got ready and got myself out of the door. The first mile was uphill... and so was the second. I was totally bored thinking about what I was about to run, and the more I thought about it the less I wanted to do it.
At 2.66 miles I stopped at a bus stop and phoned Graeme but didn't get an answer. I carried on for about 100 metres and just gave in to how I was feeling and turned back. I walked less than a mile and tried to phone Graeme again.. still no answer. In the end I rang the house phone and by now I was only a mile away from home. It was glorious sunshine and a lovely day to even be out walking, but I couldn't be bothered. Graeme picked me up.

I had a bit of a whinge on Facebook about my lack of motivation and William must have seen it and sent me an email with a few suggestions. So, next week we have decided to drive to Hamsterley Forest. Graeme is going to drop me off about 10 miles or so away and I'm going to run in, then we are going to have a BBQ and walk the dog in the forest. I'm sure that will sort me out, as I believe it not to be a general lack of motivation for all training (as everything else goes OK), just my long run. I'm more or less certain it is boredom running in the same places. Looking back in my training logs I see this has happened to me before and a change of scenery normally does me good.

So, all was not totally lost, and we walked the dog along the beach banks today (around 3 miles or so). We're going out tonight with Kerry and Terry in Newcastle, which I'm really looking forward to, and tomorrow my mam gets to do her first ever race and get her first medal. I think she's quite looking forward to it.