Thoughts leading up to the Brighton Half Marathon

I'm sure anyone who trains for anything would think, perhaps I could have done some more.  I've pretty much blagged my way through every stage of life using the means of charm, optimism, and gentle persuasion.  Therefore, I am happy to be a contender for the above thinking.

Yet with running, it's your own body.  There is only a distance in front of you, you have to reach it in a self-satisfying time, and you have to cross the line with your life intact, reserving the dignity to not look too spent in front of the many cheering you on. Not to mention the watchful Paula Radcliffe on every other billboard saying, "NEARLY ISN'T ENOUGH".  Was that why she gave up in Athens?

I don't feel I have put in the effort of late, to that my training schedule dictates.  Why?  Snow, ice, cold weather, stress at work, general laziness, to name a few.  To be fair the general laziness could be omitted, I have been lazy, but I have done the run when the other factors were not in place to a satisfying time.

What I'm writing here is my personal forecast for what I want out of Sunday's Brighton Half Marathon.  Something that I can set in stone as it were, and give me prose for thought after the event.  

Here it is:  

• My personal best half marathon time is 1:46:26 in the Run to the Beat half marathon in London.  
• I want to get around that time, give or take a minute to be happy.  
• I want to get into the low 1:40's to be really happy. 

All this will give me the encouragement, and feel for the terrain of the Brighton Marathon in April.

The below is nothing exciting, just what the 5 weeks following the half marathon will be like.  I try to cycle 2-3times during the week to make up for runs that should take place then.  After this, it will start winding down for the full marathon on April 15th.  I just look at this, and think how can I mix 16km, and watch my football team play on the same day?  It's not often Grimsby Town are in south at the moment.

Still, no matter how good the result, perhaps I could have done some more...

...and don't even get me started on the diet.  Maybe that can be a topic for tomorrows musings.