26 days to 26 miles

The countdown is progressing and I'm starting to feel like I actually will be able to complete the dreaded 26.2 in less than four weeks time. I surprised myself with a better than expected 1 hour and 52 minutes at Sunday's Glasgow Half Marathon. How I managed to knock 9 minutes off last month's effort I'll never know. I didn't even train last week at all. Could that be the secret? Hmm, or maybe it was because it was pouring with rain and the scenery was grey and grim - I just got my head down, my I-pod on and got it over with as quickly as I could!

In complete contrast to the last time I ran a marathon, I'm now doing okay with the weekend long runs but not so well with the mid-week tempo and interval sessions. Work has been a wee bit stressful and the weather has been terrible so, instead of getting out in the evenings, I've been working later than usual and then collapsing in front of the TV. Lunchtime gym sessions have been replaced by eating in front of my computer. This is not good because I know that running de-stresses me better than anything else. When things are getting on top of you it's even more important to make that commitment to yourself. So, this week got off to a good start with a hill reps/circuits session with the girls in the park. Even though my legs are still a bit stiff from Sunday, I feel so much better.