Rotterdam - 5 weeks to go and...

... I have a bad week to process, get over etc

The Nike Milton Keynes half-marathon was meant to confirm how well my training is going, how strong I am in mind and body, maybe produce a PB and indicate the stunning marathon-time I might shortly achieve and in general bolster my confidence (as the same race did 4 years ago).  None of this came to pass.  After 48 hours of sulky self-doubt and loss of motivation, I think I am emerging from the gloom. 

I don't think there is cause for concern re the main event in Rotterdam.  Just recently I've felt on fire and was flying.  The problem is I ran a very hard week up to 7 days before Milton Keynes, including a 3rd consecutive Sunday run of 20+ miles.  This is only a problem if you expect to run a good 13.1 mile race a week later and also did not ease off sufficiently in the week immediately preceding.  In 2010, rather than completing 66 miles 7 days before the race, I'd been ill and had completed 16 miles.  This was an an unintentional mini-taper which should have penned-in this time!

This what I put on the NHRR forum when I got home last Sunday...

I registered only my 2nd-ever DNF in 8 years of running! When your legs feel a bit tired after 3 miles (most of which was downhill or flat) and you've had enough by 6 miles, something is telling you it's not your day. I contemplated stopping at about 8 miles, but made it to 10 where I knew of a shortcut back to the car-park. By this time my calves were begging (rather than their earlier polite requests) to go home too.

This has put a rather large dent in my confidence re the marathon, but hopefully it's just due to overdoing it a bit and under-doing the 'mini-taper' for this race. I might have to ease off this week before putting in one final heave next week before the 3 week taper into Rotterdam.