Polishing it

Warsaw provides the backdrop for this overdue post, as I arrive in Poland for a three week academic stay. With much going on in all aspects of my life, finding the time to keep this blog up to date is proving a chore. But the show must go on.

The highlight since my last post was undoubtedly Sunday's kilomathon. A 26.2km/16.3 mile run from Nottingham to Derby (my place of birth) proved testing, but not impossible. My goal was set at a tentative 2h 15. I consciously chose not to push the lead all the way like I did in Birmingham last October, as I needed enough left in the tank at the finish to convince myself Paris is still realistic. However, my lack of training due to injury in recent weeks showed and by mile 10 I was visibly slowing, with swarms of runners overtaking me. By mile 15 I'd hit the wall and my only focus was on finishing without stopping. This I managed, just. And the decent early pace ensured I met my target. Happy days.

Still, it makes me shudder at the prospect of adding 10 miles to this in four weeks. I was completely gone by the end, with my hamstrings seizing up to the point where even just standing was painful. I still intend to run Paris, though my target is revised to under 4 hours. I'll also need to get some serious training in whilst in Poland. It's not the ideal setting, particularly with the streets covered in snow, but I'll take what I can get.

The coming weeks will no doubt provide some defining moments in my life. Here in Poland, I am due to present some work in front of a star-studded audience (stars in the world of Functional Analysis, anyway). This is both exciting and daunting, but perfectly feasible in comparison to the prospect of Paris. The marathon is giving me added confidence in other walks of life. A talk at a conference suddenly seems natural, as it is just another mechanism by which to perform. And in maraton training, one develops the ability and confidence to perform at a supreme level. The decisive moment will come on April 11 though, if/when I do enter the race and inevitably hit the wall. My hope is that training will get me through to 18-20 miles (which I will attempt in Poland). After that, all bets are off.