But it Doesn't Matter . . .

Well I have to say I am very pleased with me!.  I ran 9.1 miles today, this wasn't a failed attempt at 10, I was after 8 and not having a lot of time to sort out a route the closest I found finished 1.1 miles from home!.  I had 3 choices, I could walk - too cold, I could climb on the handlebars of the bike - too dangerous, or I could run - I ran.

I went out armed with a couple of phrases for my head, they came from the new book, the first 'but it doesn't matter' should be tagged onto the end of any negative comment you make and is quite true in the majority of situations.  For example, 'I'm very tired' - 'but it doesn't matter', 'The weather is awful' - 'but it doesn't matter', 'I couldn't train most of last week' - 'but it doesn't matter' . . . you get the gist.  The other one is useful at the point the constant pounding on the road starts sending shooting pains into your knees, it goes 'Aahh, pain, there you are, I was wondering when you would show up.  Come join me on this run' ???????? you can also substitute pain for wind, rain, hills infact anything unpleasant that happens during the course of a run.  I was a little sceptical.  Now on the course in the book no-one is allowed to wear headphones to listen to music.  As fate would have it, half a mile in I ran out of battery - 'but it didn't matter' and do you know, it didn't.  The other thing I did was to start drinking long before I needed to and when I had to stop and walk while I drank (for fear of loosing my teeth) 'it didn't matter' I just started running again.  For the first time on a long run I spoke to Andrew, we picked out houses we liked along the way and admired the views.  It was hard but ok.  It just goes to prove how important your head is when you do this.  I must keep training my head because it's just as important as everything else.

Hopefully this week will be better although I don't think it's going to start well tomorrow - 'but it doesn't matter'