Reflecting On Dawn Running

Sunday: Today was intended to be a running day, to make up for yesterday's below normal performance. But I must be either getting lazy or warming to rest days more! My alarm awoke me and I switched it off, going back to sleep. I felt I needed a rest, Saturday had been a busy day and I had a slightly blocked nose. It was just as well I rested, outside temperatures were below freezing and I would have risked a full blown cold. Throat's also a bit sensitive so I've been drinking lots of water, which should help with slight aches in the head I have been having, nothing serious but probably due to a lack of water. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed running so early in the morning this week. It is so pleasing I was able to work out that time to run, losing a whole week out of my programme would have been very demoralising. I have been able to carry on with doing two 15min runs and doing it successfully. Being told about the fetcheveryone.com website has made a big difference to my running plans, I can now monitor my mileage more accurately and plan routes in advance in accordance to the mileage and paths I want to cover. This is the kind of technical detail I now want to pay attention to, and it's something I have been building up towards. The two Great Runs feel very far away at the moment but I feel the need to be as well prepared for them as possible. My fear is not being able to complete the Runs out of insufficient training. The Great Edinburgh Run on May 4th will be a big test for me, I think I will just be relieved to finish the 10km. The Great Manchester Run on May 18th, on the other hand, I think will be a case of me trying to beat the time I achieved in Edinburgh. I have moments when I wonder if I am doing the right thing doing two Great Runs in a short space of time, but then I read about other runners covering those distances within days of each other, and I tell myself I'll get there, slowly but surely :o)