Sunday I have Hardmoors Rosedale half marathon to drag myself round.  I am quite pleased with how my gentle build up in training has been going, with focus been on base level fitness and short runs just to keep away from any re-occurring injuries or niggles.  I managed to keep up some momentum last week getting out form my normal 3.5 miler as my consistent go to run, this means basically if I have a bit of space in my day and I know I need to get out for a run then this is the one I do.  This with a couple of visits to the gym gave me some good preparation for nice 2.5-3 miler with Sarah on Thursday up in the Howardian hills.  She says 'nice little 2.5-3 miles' and something along the lines of 'there's only one really slope' ha ha oh yeah really!  So off we went nice steady pace, although I was told I was going a bit quick, but the first half mile was up hill and I was starting to feel it already so was now starting worry if I was going to last this run out.  Up some more hills and through some woods it was great, and great to do a different route too.  I was loving this run apart from nearly dying, it was great!  Then we approached a corner followed by a road that looked almost vertical, I was just thinking oh my lord I am actually going to die up this.  Sarah on the other hand hadn't changed pace, hadn't moaned, not even a mention of this brute of an incline in front of us, all I could do was get on with it!  So just passed half way up my lungs pumping away like a pair of bellows, my heart beating so hard I was choking on it and sweat leaking out of me like a wet sponge being squeezed lol!  I was nearly at the top before I needed to increase my pace otherwise I wasn't going to get there, Sarah was going at same pace with zero expression on her face except pure determination.  I reached the top, almost convulsing and hands on my knee's sucking up as much air as the planet would allow.  Then Sarah, after what felt like a two second break, said come on lets go.  Are you having a laugh lol!  Nice run back with a sprint finish to kill me off.  So what she thought was 2.5 miles actually turned out to be 4 miles ha ha!  Great fun, and a well earned beer I can tell you.

So all this work at the moment is to prepare me for the Hardmoors 60 in September and eventually the Hardmoors 160 next may which is going to be a massive challenge so I need to stay fit and strong and gradually build up the momentum.  With all this in mind and Rosedale this Sunday, I headed back out on the Wolds with Pete yesterday for a very steady 10.5 miles.  It took 2hrs 15mins which actually I was quite pleased with, I felt good especially with all the inclines and sections that sometimes I really struggle on that wasn't the case yesterday.  My legs feel it a bit today but that's good as I know I have done relevant training now over the last few weeks and that stamina is building nicely.  More strength and flexibility work needed now though, it never ends!

So what have I learnt over the last couple of weeks, push your limits every training session or every run because this will help you achieve your goal.  It will be hard as it won't be comfortable as your stretching your comfort zone to achieve these great things. 

Small targets, big goals!!!

So after my horrendous run last Tuesday that felt ridiculously tough I managed to head out again the day after!  I was determined that I could do better and it wasn't going to be as horrible an experience as the previous day.  This then turned into another run the day after putting me in a very positive mindset for the upcoming trail half-marathon at Rosedale on the Yorkshire Moors.  I have definitely turned a corner now my drive is back, my life in general is on the up due to a certain person so all is good.  So the next question is, how to maintain desire and motivation?

A great little slogan I like to use, not just in my training, but on the tennis court too and generally in life it can be applied is' small targets, big goals!'   This allows you to set lots of mini targets, bench marks that all lead towards you achieving your main goal.  So for me in this journey I have started, my goal is to find out what the greatest distance I can cover in one go is so all my mini targets are small events like half marathons building up the distance therefore developing the training in a progressive manner and staged so as to not be overwhelmed by the huge distance of the end goal. So my current end goal is the Hardmoors 160 so my progressions are Rosedale Half, Hardmoors 60, White Rose 100, possibly New Years Day 30, possibly Northumberland 35, Hardmoors 55 then I'm there.  What this allows me to do is set smaller training periods to build different things such as to start with its regain and build base level fitness, then it will be to do some speed work, then more core training and flexibility, strength work all of these at the same time as increasing mileage in training.  So bite size manageable chunks!  Small targets-Big goals!!!

I like this it says a lot to me, as it should you.  You have to keep believing in yourself, it is the key!  Remember 'Believe to achieve'!!  No great words said or motivating phrase, you just have to believe in yourself, don't question it, don't doubt it, just put everything you have into it and only believe in the desired outcome.  Deep thoughts there but how true!   Happy Thursday friends :)