The final countdown

What is it about the concept of time? It seems to have a strange, stretchy quality, which means it feels like only yesterday I had a nice, comfortable two months to prepare for the Bupa Great North Run. But the reality? Time has pinged me into the present day. No longer are there months of preparation ahead. There are just six short days separating me from the start line. Many words come to mind that explain how I feel at this stark realisation, but there are only two that are publishable: oh dear.

Mind games

It’s not that I haven’t been training. I’ve been managing to complete at least an interval training session and my weekend long run every week for the past three months, covering 12 miles on my longest planned run a week ago (I say ‘run’; I mean ‘slog’). Sure, I could have done more, but I also go to yoga and swim every week, and I didn’t want to give those up to be able to fit in an extra weekly run. So yes, I’m under no illusion that I could have clocked up more training miles, but surely I’m fit enough? Why, then, do I feel sheer terror at the thought of having to line up on 19 September and run (OK, jog) 13.1 miles?

Old habits die hard

I started to think back to previous races I’ve participated in and noticed a pattern. It seems that, no matter whether it was a 10K I’d entered on the back of just a few weeks’ training, or the London Marathon, when I trained consistently four times a week for 16 weeks, I’ve never felt ready before a race. Even though logically I know I can cover the distance (albeit slowly), when I reach the final-week countdown to race day, my legs turn to jelly and my brain chants the rather demotivating mantra, ‘I can’t do it’. Not helpful.

Getting perspective

So, in order to stop my demotivating demons in their tracks, I’ve decided to get some perspective. Rather than simply telling myself, ‘I can’t’, I’ve been telling myself the facts: that I’ve been improving my fitness once a week with short but effective interval sessions, and I’ve been getting my body used to running for two hours. What’s more, I’ve realised those yoga sessions and my lengths in the pool haven’t been a waste of time. On the contrary, the yoga has been helping to stretch and unclench my post-run muscles, improving my balance and strength in the process, and the swimming has been good cross-training, helping to maintain my fitness level even though it hasn’t involved donning my trainers. Now I just need to keep this in mind, take a few deep breaths, and follow these great pre-race tips from Simon Fairthorne, physiotherapist at Bupa’s Centre of Sports Medicine Excellence at the Barbican, London, to help me get to the start line feeling fully energised and confident:

1 One week to go:

Start to taper your training over the final week, with your last long run seven days before the race.

2 During the week:

Attempt no more than two light running or cross-training sessions, working at 60 to 70 per cent effort.

3 The day before:

If you’ve never tried carbohydrate loading before, don't do it on your first race. Instead, have a normal-sized home-cooked meal in the evening.

4 Before bed:

Think about running well and visualise yourself crossing the finish line.

5 Race day:

Don't eat anything an hour before the race or during the first 30 minutes of the run, as this can upset your blood sugar level.If you’re taking part in the Bupa Great North Run as well, good luck! And see you there…