How mental are you?

I'm not being derogatory to anyone reading this, just alluding to the importance of being mentally ready for the mammoth task ahead and the training runs leading up to the big day itself. It goes back to my previous blog about 'Whatever it takes' (feel free to read it, I think it's quite good) to get you around be it the superstition element of your routine or actual true benefit of carrying out those 'rituals', for want of a better phrase. The mental state of mind has just as much to do with it as putting in the miles themselves. How often have you not been in the right frame of mind to do any task and failed because you're not quite feeling it, or you just can't get into the rhythm? How much of it is due to mental attitude of how you are approaching the task ahead? A hell of a lot. Now, obviously I'm not qualified as a psychoanalyst or in psychology so this is purely based on me but I definitely notice the different when I'm 'in the zone' and can have a much better run when I'm mentally ready for it. How do you get ready for it? At this stage in the training, you know what you have to do so need to strike the balance between knowing that you have to get the miles in versus any personal goals you might have set in terms of timings versus feeling good at the end of the run whilst ensuring that you remain uninjured. The phrase 'spinning plates' springs to mind. But the tolls of daily life sometimes allow little time for the transition from being in work mode to strapping on the shoes, plugging in the iPod and getting the miles under the belt, so it can be a struggle to switch your frame of mind. I know that I struggle with this and if anyone has any tips on how to mentally get prepared for the long training runs, the Silverstone Half and the Virgin London Marathon then please let me know, it could really help!

That said, this morning's training run of 11 miles (the first 10.5 miles without stopping, get me!!) was good; hard going but good. So how I can mentally get in the right place for this, after a week of rest, and get round so far without stopping is beyond me but I would like to replicate it at every run here on in, so I'll be thinking about how I prepared for this morning and repeating at every available chance......but maybe eating Quorn sausages, beans  & eggs and being tucked up in bed at 9.30am on a Saturday night is not the best for one's diet & social life!! It's all a 360 - what worked last time, what did I eat/drink the night before/morning of the run, what tunes were on the Pod, which route was it.....once again back to 'Whatever it takes' and mental prep. And focus. It's easy to see how training for such a big event can take over a huge part of your life, there's a lot more to it that putting one foot in front of the other with a bit of velocity. It's all a bit mental, to be honest.

Speaking of taking over a huge part of your life....there's the fundraising side of it too! We're doing really well so far with our online donations - if you'd like to support us, visit our Team Jones Just Giving web page - and we have sold out of our Maggie's Fundraising Evening tickets which we hope will give a welcome boost to our total and get us well on the way to exceeding our £4,000 target. Brilliant. Just Brilliant

The weeks are flying by and this time in 6 weeks it will all be over and I will no doubt be doing a 'Saturday night' i.e. tucked up in bed by 9.30pm - but it will have all been worth it. I hope. No, I know it will because as I said, it's all a bit mental :o)