Week 9 - it's all in the mind...

Weather conditions: Sunshine, rain, strong gusty winds and huge hail stones (that hurt!).
Number of sessions: 3. It wasn't a great week in some ways as I split my mid week 8 miler into to 4 mile sessions and ditched my effort session altogether. I wasn't feeling very motivated or energetic. So much so that I posted a message on the Runners World Forum. There's a thread for marathon newbies like me where you can ask an expert for advice. I just wanted to know if I was on track, suppose I wanted some reassurance that I'm doing OK. Needless to say no reply...

The hardest session by far of the week was the long run. The boyf watched a programme the other day which said that 25% of exercise is mental. In my marathon newsletter this week it said "everyone else has trained the same distance as you. The only way to beat them is to be mentally stronger." I know a marathon is just as much about mental as physical endurance. It's more often than not my mind and not any physical inability that stops me from going training. Anyways...yesterday beautiful morning. Needless to say once I'm ready to head out the sky turns black, the heavens open and it whips up a storm. The boyf is telling me to stay home but I tell him I has to do it (oops slipped into Nessa!) - it's a mental thing! By the time I'm out the door the sun has come out. I decide to head for Hatfield Peverel (for those with local knowledge!). On the return leg the heavens open again and I'm in the middle of a severe hail storm getting blown all over the shop. It hurt...lots...but overall I was SUPER chuffed as I made it home feeling good, still able to sing along to Phil Bailey and Phil Collins 'Easy Lover' on my ipod having covered my longest distance ever (woo hoo!) without any walk breaks. Tidy!
Weekly mileage: 24 miles
Total to date: 161.32 miles