We exchange worried glances with each other; I don't know whether the old man I am running past is concerned or just bemused at the face I am pulling at mile 16 of my final long run. Or is it mile 17? At this point I don't really care, my legs and I seem to be having a constant argument about why we can't just go home and lie down on the sofa instead of doing this long run. So far I have managed to keep them under control, but I start to wonder for how much longer.
March has been a busy month for me. Not only I have managed to train consistently and progress, but also I have been able to race well over two consecutive weekends. Namely the Reading Half Marathon and the Oakley 20.
Reading Half Marathon
Reading was starting to become a sort of nemesis for me, as I came away from the last two times I had attempted to race it feeling frustrated and disoriented. My training had indicated so much more for me those previous times. It seemed like Reading was some sort of implacable and silent foe, every year thwarting my efforts to peak at races during my marathon training. Rather like Ryan Gosling felt in Only God Forgives below (of course he knew how I felt...):
