Totally & utterly irrational!

Following my final long run a week ago I have started to taper ready for the big day. I expected the taper to be a few easy peasy runs a week, after all I’ve been running double digits quite easily for some time now! However these short runs have actually proven to be just as difficult, if not harder!! I did 3 miles tonight & it felt like I had lead weights attached to my legs! They just didn’t want to move.

I also appear to have developed a massive dose of hypercondria! My ears & throat haven’t felt ‘right’ for about a week now. When I’m being sensible I know it’s nothing and I’m probably imagining it …. but most of the time I’m worried I’m coming down with something terrible which I won’t have recovered from in time!! I’m also worried about the niggling pain in my ankle. The same ankle that was niggling at the end of November, but hasn’t been an issue since December. It’s managed all those miles and now is starting to feel funny on a 3 mile run! Again I suspect I’m imagining this, but thankfully I have a wonderful sports masseuse (Rosemary you get your mention at last!!) who will sort it out when I see her next week. By sort it out I mean inflict lots of pain on me whilst probably telling me I’m imagining it, to pull myself together, but to stretch more!! I will walk out bruised and battered, but feel oh so much better for it afterwards.

I’m also worrying about giving myself an injury….what if I fall over & hurt my ankle or foot. Clearly this is such a regular occurrence I should be worried!? I rubbed a blister in my flip flops at the weekend and am worried it might not be better in time, although clearly I know 2 weeks is plenty of time for it to heal.

Last night I also slept badly, waking on a regular basis worrying about getting to London on time, what I should eat in the week before the race etc etc. Tonight I’ll probably wake worrying about the lack of sleep, as everything says you should try to increase your sleep leading up to the day!

From everything I’ve read this completely irrational behaviour appears to be completely normal in the lead up to a marathon ….. Heaven help Tim & the kids as it gets closer, as there are still 13 days to go!!