The First and the Last

I had a thought today as I drove to work ... and it is unusual for me to think on this journey as I am on automatic pilot ...

"Race every race as if it were your last".

If this were the case, how would I approach my "last" race? Would it be any different than normal? Would I care about tactics? Would I care about pain? Would I even feel pain?

One answer I would need to know in my "last" race was how fast I could truly go, to the extent that I had pushed myself to my physical limits. I would need to have crossed the finish line knowing there was nothing else I could have given to achieve a better time or result.

With that in mind, there will be no quarter given in races from now on.

On a more "lighter" note, I received confirmation that my latest pair of Brooks T6 racers were pinging their way to me. Not that I need another pair of running shoes, but it's better to keep a healthy stock, and in any case, I'm mainly just buying them from vouchers won, so they are free!!! I have £25 in vouchers left - so will put the difference to buying another pair of Adidas Adizero Adios shoes - beginning to rival the T6 as the Halliday shoe of choice.

As planned (for once!), I stuck to the training schedule of a 10 mile run last night. I felt really good (for once!) as I embarked on a training session, and decided to try and trim the 59m 13s current PB. Going through the halfway stage at 29m 20s I knew I was there and (with a magic sprint finish for the cameras) turned in a 57m 56s. Job done and with 2 months to the Ripon 10 miler, who knows where I'll wind up.