Tomorrow evening. 2.3 miles round some bridges in London.

Can’t remember the last time I did any running that wasn’t related to the departure time of some public transport.

I don’t want to over-train, or peak too soon. I guess I want to be tapering by lunchtime tomorrow? So far I the schedule I have:

1) Look for my running shoes. This should involve some cross training and stretching as I think they’re at the bottom of the wardrobe.

Any other suggestions? I heard Pina Colada is good.

Carb loading?

Yes! already on that plan! Couple of pints with a sandwich and chips at lunch and a few chocolate hob nobs this afternoon.

Great to know I’m on the right track. I think there’s some icecream in the freezer at home. Who am I kidding. I know there’s some icecream in the freezer at home.

Ironing your lucky pants? Practising your race face? Doing something meaningful with a foam roller? Updating your FB status to ‘tapering’? You don’t have time to be posting here, you have some serious race prep to do!

Drink loads of water just before so you’re bursting for a wee…you’ll sprint round quickly just so you can get to a toilet.

Remember to shave your legs 😉

Legs is it? Damn. After all these years of shaving my back before a run…

Are you ok for gels?

Don’t know. I’ve got 5 of the caffeine ones, one per half mile. And a camelbak. Not sure whether to go for plain water or put some powder in. Any thoughts?

I’ve never run a 2.3 before (or a 3.7k! sounds better in kilometres, doesn’t it? 🙂 ) and I don’t want to bonk in the last 0.3

You might think about just using a race belt to save weight and taping the gels to that. Take a flyer on the water? I know a lot of people like their own mix, but I’m usually ok with whatever’s at the drink station.

Don’t forget to liberally coat your nipples with Vaseline.

Got nipple covers. Ta.

How many feed stations do you think there’ll be? What’s normal for a 3.7?

You sure those trainers you are looking for have the right heel drop for an ascent of Col de blackfriars

Get some new trainers, size 27.5. Makes the pavements come alive it does.

So I was busy doing my tapering just now when someone showed me the route.

OMG. They never told me it was a blimmin’ assault course! 👿

that’s not a run – that parkour.

You’ll need baggy trousers, sticky trainers, some swagger and an eye for the camera. And redbull. Lots of it, start now… 🙂

Well, that wasn’t very pleasant. Times aren’t in, but however slow I was, I will have set a PB. Go me.

Apart from the general unpleasantness of running as fast as you can for 2.3 miles: Cramp in my left calf, also cramp in a couple of little muscles either end of one of my left ribs, near the spine and near my sternum, which got more and more painful on th last few hundred yards, and meant I could only take half or a third of a breath. Had to pull up for a bit then jog, gasping over the line. :-/

Are the Strava results in yet?

Results are in. 15:35. Which I’m giving myself a solid “Quite good, considering…” for. Behind all of the serious runners, but ahead of most of the rest of the occasional runners. Well done me. My left calf still hurts.

More excuses that I’ve thought of in addition to those above include:

Having the first leg in the relay, and starting at the back, so I had to dawdle for a bit at the beginning.
Shorts: non-running specific and too long – frictional energy losses on legs plus aero drag.
Trainers: old, dirty and out of fashion. minimal only in their newness.

That’s all I can come up with. Anything I might have forgotten?

That’s all I can come up with. Anything I might have forgotten?

The weather, surely? Backmarkers you had to get past? Perhaps you’re a slow-twitch-sprinter type and the course wasn’t ideal?

You were tapering for your A race

In all fairness, it does rather sound like you over-trained. Being keen is a wonderful thing and all, but you must allow adequate recovery time.