Well the title says it all. All of us who are going to be on the start line on the 21st June at 8am have less than three weeks to go. I hope the rest of you are as positive as I feel at the moment. Having done some good training this week, despite the difficulties faced with hundreds of bikes racing around the island, I am feeling DRIVEN!
Next weekend will be the last long training walk I will do before the day. I will do a few shorter distances and give my body a rest making sure I don't get any last minute injuries. Good advice that anybody who has done any endurance event will give you.
Tonight I will be sitting down with a pen and paper to write a list of things I need to pack in my support car to make sure that I have everything that I could possibly want during the 85 miles. Once I have the list written I will share on my blog so that you can check it against your list. This is not to say that your list should be the same as mine but I may have something that you had forgotten or not thought of.
I'd like to wish all my friends who are off to Rotterdam to do the European Centurion Walk the very best of luck and I hope all the training pays off.
100 miles is "only" 15 miles further than the Parish Walk but, having done the race in August last year at the NSC it is a very, very long 15 miles further than the Parish! The boredom that sets in after the first 30 laps of a ½ mile track is mind-numbing. Going around the same track 200 times was a test of mental capability as well a physical capability. I joked about count the leaves on the trees but it was hardly a joke, there isn't much else to do. I looked forward to the dark setting in just for a change in scenery. I take my hat off to all the supporters, especially those who stayed for the full 24 hours. That was incredible staying power.
The Parish Walk is also very different from the 100 miles in that if you are going the full 85 miles you may find yourself walking alone for long distances, but walking around the NSC track you are never alone. This is probably a good thing, although I felt abandoned when the various people I walked with dropped out - you know who you are! When someone you've walked with for 30 miles suddenly decided that this isn't for him/her, it is so difficult to keep motivated.
I've just been reading Jock's latest blog and would like to say that I completely agree with him regarding deciding how far you're planning to go. If you say you're going to walk as far as you can then you will probably stop when you get tired. Believe me every single person who goes the full distance has reached the stage of being tired long before they reach the end. The body and mind are amazing because you can actually move through the tiredness and get a 2nd (and 3rd, 4th.... ) breath. You can hit the proverbial brick wall (most do) and get through it. Set a realistic goal for your personal fitness level and try to stick to it, push through the tiredness, the aches and pains (obviously stop if you are injured) and the brick wall. You will have an amazing sense of achievement when you reach your destination that you will not regret any of it. DIG DEEPER!
No comments:
Post a Comment