I had a few things I wanted to mention and maybe a theme would emerge for the overall blog which would kind of neatly encapsulate the Great North Run and the training that we’ve all done (some more than others!) ready for the big day.
However, my train of thought was completely derailed as the news started to filter through on Twitter and then the mainstream media of the shocking and disgraceful cover-up by the authorities surround the Hillsborough disaster.
I remember watching Grandstand with my mum on that fateful day. They were cutting to John Motson ( I think) for game updates then it started to go horribly wrong. At first it was thought that a pitch invasion was underway or some other crowd trouble but as afternoon wore on you knew that something horrific was unfolding.
The sheer scale of the dishonesty that followed is staggering and my admiration for the families in their quest for justice is boundless.
I really felt I couldn’t blog this week without mentioning it.
On the training front things are going to plan........ish. I was up sharp at the weekend to get my last long run out of the way. Sunday was a gorgeous day that turned out to be very warm for running even relatively early in the morning.
What was supposed to be an easy 2hr run (with the last 30mins at race pace) turned into a bit of a sweaty sufferfest. Still got it done and the Garmin had me at 13.25 miles so slightly over race distance but slower than I hope for on the actual day. Still, it’s always a nice psychological boost to know you’ve got the distance in your legs ahead of race day.
Other than that it’s been a reduction in run volume and an increase in conditioning work and tapering. I’m utterly useless at tapering and either go too hard still or back off too much. Much like my alcohol and food intake I find getting the balance right very difficult.
For those of you that haven’t had to the misfortune to bump into a kettle bell before there is a nice picture below.
Good luck to all my fellow bloggers and all the kids and adults running across all the Great North Run events this weekend. I hope you all achieve your personal targets be they just to complete the 13.1 miles in good shape or in the case of Steven Medd some insane time of sub 1:20. Lunatic.
Get your nutrition right, stay hydrated but don’t over hydrate and above all enjoy it. You’ll be in good company and the crowds are great.
When I’m hurting on Sunday I’m going to bring to mind the picture below for inspiration. It’s been a spectacular year for sport which I hope has inspired us all. I do also sing “Eye of the Tiger” to myself but you may not want to copy that.