Mind Training.

I haven't been able to shake this bloody lurgy that's been with me for a couple of weeks now.

So after Sunday's handicap, I took Mon-Wed off from exercise. So you'd think by Thursday I'd be fit and raring to go again.

Er, no. Still I managed a couple of miles in the morning accompanied by my lungs trying to expode. In the evening I went out with the club, and ran 6 I guess, though slowly.

Friday another rest day.

Saturday after a shocking nights sleep. I dragged myself from my warm bed to run round the Kinder Trial. 12 miles and 2500' of rough Dark Peak loveliness. I felt shit most of the way round, and the temptation to jack and go home was never far away. Still I was pleased to have pushed on through to get to the finish, albeit in a leisurely style.

The guy in the pub afterwards commented that I'd looked like I'd done something exhausting. He must have been right. I slept for 2 hours when I got home, and after supper it was an early night.

Sunday and a 6:45 reveille. This time not for a run, but instead for a 100 mile audax. I can't say how easily I would have rolled over, switched the alarm off and gone back to sleep, if it wasn't for my having arrranged to take Gus and Lisa to the start.

Once at Cheadle we met up with Amy and albeit a few minutes after everyone else headed off down towards Delamere for our first cafe stop. We soon caught everyone else up and made Delamere in a couple of hours at a steady pace. The course was flat so it was just a matter of getting the bike up to speed and rolling along, taking a turn every now and then to keep the groups momentum up.

From there onto the next cafe at Audlem at 55 miles. Once inside in the warmth I felt proper tired. I poked at an apple crumble and ice cream. My stomach wasn't up for food. I drank much tea instead and soon we were off again in the cold.

I suppose 60 miles was about all I was good for on Sunday in comfort. The next 40 were a task, with the last hour being a big ask.

We just made Cheadle as dusk fell. My GPS had got me back to where I'd left the car. I had to rack my brain for a good minute to recall where we had signed on 8 hours earlier. Once that bit of info had been retrieved it was soup and rolls, and then back home.

So, a week where I've felt sub par. Run 20 miles and cycled 100. None of which has been easy. I must have dug deep yesterday, because after dropping the kids at school, I went back to bed for another 6 hours sleep.

Still there will no doubt times when I'm heading round the Bob Graham round, and things are not going well. When those times come it'll be good to have a resource of times to draw on when it also wasn't fun and easy, and importantly knowing that I kept on going.

Go lurgy I've had enough of you now.