Some running thoughts...

I thoguht I'd pen some thoughts together about running, as it seems to be the thing that most occupies my life at the moment. I entered this whole MDS lark around 2 years ago with one thing in mind - to complete the MDS, but since moving to Australia, I've come across a whole different community and one I feel very at home in. It's funny to think that I never really regarded myself as a runner of sorts. When signing up for the MDS I went into it very blind indeed, not really knowing what I was doing or why - but as you read and research more, the more you realise what is out there.

My training programme was all very much geared towards Canberra, and completing one marathon only as part of the preparation for the MDS, and then get my head down and train like a bastard for the next 12 months. However I did Canberra, and surpassed my expectations with a 3hrs 35mins. However on I went and just got on with my training. But then I became a bit lost. I trained, but not effectively and I knew that I needed to be tested further. I did Canberra quite conservatively to be honest, and knew I had more in me, and more I did have at Hunter Valley. And so on... I met some of the regulars on the circuit and did more marathons. The I found out about ultras and did one of those up at Glasshouse. Boy was that a rude awakening. I did that, but i know that in my heart, although completed, I did it poorly. I prepared badly and the time is a fair reflection of that.

I honestly thought that was it, and now here I write 3 weeks away from doing the GNW 175kms. A year ago I would have told myself I was a nutter for doing this, but all of a sudden, 175kms doesn;t seem that bad. I can only marvel at some of the legends on the ultra and marathon circuit. I've met these guys, run with them, and have the greatest respect for what they can achieve. I feel quite humble when I see them running, yet they are ordinary guys doing extra-ordinary things.

I'm extremelyt proud of where I've come in 12 months. 12 months ago I embarked on serious training. I'd done a few months prior to that, but a stress fracture in my left foot took me out for over a month, so the initial running that I had done was now worthless. I remember when it all started properly, I wa son holiday with Melody in the south of France, and I went for a 10km run - I can still remember how hard it felt now. It was humid and my legs were shot after it. It was also a just over a month before I was due to leave for Australia and I remember thinking, how the hell can I even string a marathon together of I'm struggling to pull together 10km in 22 degrees? I knew I had a tough road ahead, but with some serious application, here I am a year later feeling great, with a marathon PB of under 3hrs 30mins, and a few weeks away from atckling the single biggest challlenge I've ever undertaken.

We did a 75km night run on Friday, and again I was pretty blase about it all. It came and went, only 4 days after having done a PB in Melbourne. Physically it was pretty easy I thought, mentally I lost my way a bit. so much so that I deliberately ran on my own for about 30 mins. I needed to be alone and work out what I was doing here in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere running. I worked it out though, I felt at home, it felt good and I wanetd to do more of it.

If you asked me a year ago if I could be doing this level and kind of training I'd have said no way - but it is the desire to obtain some of the levels that i see some of the guys doing over here that drives me on. In wa way, the MDS is just another race in the grand scheme of things. It's part of the journey and to be honest, this website needs re-naming. It's not about the MDS anymore, it's about this journey, although i dont know where it's going to go or end.

I have some pretty serious goals now for next year. The MDS though is going to screw things up a little I think. I want to try and get my marathon time down into the 3hrs and teens... however i also want to have a crack at a 24 hour track race and see what I can do there too. There's also the Coast to Kozi... a 240km race, which I think is very suited to me. I enjoy the roads to an extent and think I could do a respectable time there... but time will tell... so many things to do over here and plenty of time to do them.

For now, it's all about the GNW 175km. It scares me a little, it's an enormous task and one that i wonder if mentally I have the ability to do. Physically I know it;s within me. At the Glasshouse 100km I was physcially capably of carrying on... mentally I'd shut off come the last checkpoint at 88kms. I need to focus on this and treat it with respect, it's tough as old boots this one, and I dont want a DNF. I never want a DNF :)