Penultimate

HEY GUYS!!!

You probably get sick of hearing about my injuries (ditto) so I’ll keep it short.  The day before the marathon I am feeling OK – the knee and the other knee feel OK and I think I will be able to run on my ankle.  My tactic is to take a couple of painkillers straight after breakfast (around 6:30) and a couple around the 15/16 mile mark.

So to prepare for the London marathon I am going to do as any experienced runner will do – get on it!  I will be chugging snake bite whilst strawpedoing some tropical reefs.  Staggering to some sticky floored club and subsequently dancing by myself to “I’ve Had the Time of my Life”.  Falling out of said sticky floored club and rounding the night off with a doner from an ice cream van. 

Welllll that’s kind of not true, in fact it is a lie.  My running buddy Adam (http://tashtag.wordpress.com/) is coming over, we will eat a largish meal (carbs + veg), have a cosy night in watching running films (Marathon Man & Chariots of Fire) and snuggling (he does not know about this last part – wish me luck!).

How do I feel about tomorrow?  Throughout this training process I have been concerned about making the run and “to be honest” (uni joke) half thought I wouldn't. 

Over the last couple of weeks I have had a recurring dream where I have been swimming laps in the ocean out to buoys.  I am in a 5 person group and we are all wearing large rucksacks on our backs.  On the penultimate lap, someone (irrelevant, I’m the star!) asks me how I am doing (as they are aware of my injuries) and I reply stoically “fine”.  I then in the dream pretend to drown (for jokes) however when I am sinking I realise that I unable to swim back-up and am drowning.  I wake up feeling this sense of impending doom. 

I have joked a lot about my injuries but the reality is that I probably shouldn't be running a marathon – if I hadn't of dropped out of the last one I would have for this one.  Maybe I am not built for running which makes me sad.  My goal for the marathon is firstly to enjoy it – so many lovely people have come down to cheer myself & everyone else on and I want to suck up this positivity whilst I gracefully prance past (like an antelope in the Savannah).  Secondly, I realize I will come out of it probably feeling like shit but hopefully I won’t have done any long term damage.

I am excited about tomorrow – excited, excited, excited… did I mention I’m excited.  Excited!  I am very lucky to be taking part and I am sure I will remember and take this day to my grave (so to speak, I want to be cremated).

This post is a little shorter (& perhaps not exciting) than the recent ones but it is a penultimate post so should be expected (see any HBO episode prior to the finale).  The next and final post will be EPIC and hopefully it will bring my blogging career to a graceful end. 

For those who make it out there my running number is 45881.  There are various apps you can use to follow me but would recommend checking this site out + official app - http://results-2013.virginlondonmarathon.com/2013/?pid=tracking .  Plus email/txt me if you will be watching + where and I will look out for you on route.

As ever I am very grateful for all the support that I have been given (£2,100+ and growing!) and if you haven’t sponsored me, it would be great if you could - http://www.justgiving.com/Pete-Tizard-London2012

The only thing left to do now is run it.  Best wishes are welcomed but perhaps no “break a leg” (or knee).