Approximately 21 days until my 100th logged run

• 34 days to the Ealing Half Marathon
• 49 days to the Kingston Run Challenge
• 90 days to Wildman

It’s been a couple of weeks since my first post. I guess one could say that my inability to post another blog is allegoric of my recent running experience – after all, writing is very much of the mind and long distance running, I have found, requires both physical and mental harmony.

So, what have I been up to?
Post first blog I was really pumped but felt a little bit under pressure to not only deliver an entertaining blog that reflects my life (with relation to running) but my first half marathon had started to become a real big feature on the horizon and already I was thinking about “the next race”.
Warning: Segway
**While in Waterstones, recently, I was browsing the running books and read a quote on the back of one of them (sorry I cannot remember which one and I didn’t buy it). The quote referred to ‘running whores’ people who run one race while thinking of another. Well I have become somewhat of a serial monogamer: While searching for my next racing fix, I stumbled across humanrace.co.uk – my new favourite racing events website where I found the Kingston Run Challenge, after some research and cross-checking I became… excited doesn’t quite work and aroused sounds weird – I became exoroused – mainly because the KRC offers a 16 mile run, in Kingston (local to me and a few of my colleagues who I would like to run with more) and AND AND AND – this is the important bit – AND it is on one of my scheduled days off – no need to book holiday. Joy.**

The problem is, this run is 14 days after my half. At this point (2 weeks ago) I had only achieved 12 miles; I had 6 weeks until the half and I’d only run 12 miles once. I decided to take action, to up my weekly mileage and the frequency of my ‘long runs’. Unfortunately that shadowy figure known as the British summer and things such as weddings and germ ridden children got in the way resulting in a series of runs which were good but not great. It all left me a little de-moralised.

And then last week happened. After reasoning out that dehydration and germ warfare had been responsible for my reduced performance and with the weather cooling back down to the low 20s I was able to get my running back on track and this last week has been pretty good. Also, some brief analysis shows I will run about 100 miles in August which is a good 25 miles more than most months.

So at the moment I am feeling pretty happy, On Tuesday, 32 days before the half, I will be running my furthest distance yet – 14 miles – at least attempting to anyway –my last attempt at a long ended dissatisfactory (see two paras above for reason). If successful on Tuesday – and I know I will be, it will give me the confidence to know I can not only run a half marathon, but will also allow me to see if the 16 miler in October is a realistic goal.

Also, my 100th logged run (since I bought my Garmin) is coming up any ideas for an epic run to mark this milestone. Answers in the comments field – reader.

Stay tuned for a post 14miler analysis.