OK, with the Half Marathon officially less than two months away, the time has come to step it up.

This week I increased my two weekday runs to closer to 50 minutes, and this Saturday morning I shall attempt my longest run yet: 1.5 hours minimum. Eeek!

Over the years I have realised that, with running long distances, I reach a point where it’s only mental. Physically I’m tired, but I can go on - it’s my head that encourages me to give up more often than not. On Saturday (tomorrow - eek again!) I will need to think of some ways to motivate myself throughout the entire run to make sure I stay focused.

The other thing I’m slightly concerned about is that I’m going to New Zealand for two weeks snowboarding on Monday, which means I won’t be running for 2 weeks. This could be a good thing as it will give my body a bit of a break, but no doubt the running will be affected when I get back - and no doubt I’ll be thrashed about a bit on the slopes and may come back battered and bruised.

The good news is I finally bought new shoes! $170 later, I found myself with a pair of Asics Gels which, apparently, are the ONLY shoe recommended by Sports Medicine Australia. They are really comfortable and I already notice the difference. I can safely say that investing in a decent pair of shoes is a necessity.

So, tonight will be early to bed, minimum if not no alcohol and an early dinner. I will report back with the results - wish me luck!

Filed under: Half Marathon Training Diary