Race Day Approaches....

As race day approaches (it's only a few short, cold weeks away) i'm starting to have weird dreams about forgetting to show up on race day, and forgetting to line-up to start the race, and all sorts of disturbing dream ideas making me feel like i'm somehow not prepared.

It could be some lingering "let down" feelings since i can't run the race this year due to injury, but as everyone keeps saying to me......it's the participating that counts. Well, yeah in general it is the participating that counts, however it really sucks that i finally decided to attempt a big goal and due to weakness of body i can't do as well as i had hoped i could, and it had seemed like i would be able to do it had i been able to continue on my training path..... so that's me feeling sorry for myself, BUT on the flipside...... through the experience of having an injury i've realized that i was training wrong and that i needed to add in more cross-training, which i did. Through this need for other exercise i found that i really enjoy yoga, so that is definitely a positive thing to come from this negative stuff. So i'm very happy to have found another sport/exercise that i enjoy which is half the battle because if you don't enjoy exercise you just won't do it!

So, the next few weeks will be full of gym sessions which include mainly stationery cycling, some swimming, some yoga, I might attempt the new pilates class that is starting in 2 weeks to see what it's like, and some fierce power walking! Ok, not the super-wiggly kind that someone told me exists in the olympics(would have liked to see that!), but fierce by my standards.

I have been told by the physio that i can slowly(very very beginners stage) start jogging again, but that if my hip starts aching it may mean that i am not meant to be a runner. Grrrr! That's a let down. So i'm worried that if i try to start jogging again now(which would mean i'd only be up to running about 10 mins by race day) it will be too tempting to overdue things on race day, so i'm focussing on the walking aspect and will go with the walkers flow on race day. I will re-start my running in October, but having this huge race looming in front of me is rather scary when you are worried that even walking too briskly can make your injury flare up! Stupid hip!

So this years GNR will be the year that I participate, but not the year that I run it.

A bit deflated & let down about it, but my plan was always to be a long-term runner, not ONLY for race day.