In the cold light of day...

It's really hard reading all of the race reports and seeing how happy everyone is after the GNW at the weekend. What hurts is not being part of that club and not finishing. But it's OK, I'm OK with the decision I made as I have to keep the long term goals in mind. I don't know what kind of a state I would have been in had I done the lot, but that's done with now and I can only focus on what's ahead, and that is to try for a top 150 place at the MDS. This is my goal and I need to focus on it - rather than trying to do too much all at once. Once that is done (hopefully!), I have some serious goals set aside for 2009, namely three very big ones. I'm a bit superstitious, so I don't like to broadcast what they are, but they involve three of the biggest ultras in Australia, and I want to do them. There is a lifetime of opportunity ahead for me and running, and I'm so glad that I found this wonderful sport early. I look at some of the veteran generation and the guys doing this and you look at them in awe and what they do. So much respect for them. At the weekend, I learnt about respect for this and certainly the GNW race, and I thank my lucky stars that hopefully, I'll have many many more years to run this wonderful race.

Anyway's enough of GNW - that book is now closed for this year, and I now have three and a half more months of some serious high mileage training to do. So, back on the wagon I got last night with a gentle 4 miler. At some stages I was running pretty quickly, given that I'd run about 113kms on Saturday - I think it was retribution for my mind and letting myself slip. I'll be out again tonight, and my focus is now unrelenting for the MDS - I'm going to smash it and smash my body for this one, really putting it on the line.

It's also exciting to see what races I'll do in 2009 after the MDS. The Canberra marathon is a must, not only because it will be my first year anniversary of running, but because one of the guys who I see week in week out and is quite frankly an amazing person to look up to, will be running his 100th marathon - simply awesome and inspiring in my book. Although he thinks what he does is everyday, I know a lot of people look up to him as a role model and as an inspiration. Certainly, I've been following his blog and he's inspired me to push myself even further beyond my limits than I probably would have done, I need that kick up the arse sometimes. He's also given up his free time to talk to me and run me through his thoughts, and in some respects I let him and myself down at GNW, but that's done (as I said!)...

So, full steam ahead now for the MDS and some serious training. Next up I'm going to be pacer/crew for some people up at the C2K, as that will be a good chance to get some big distances under my belt also!