Mind games of the mouse while the cat's away.

Ok...ok...so these are possibly hamsters! Drunk hamsters! Tee hee!

My personal trainer, Kara has swanned off to China for....ten days?

Lucky Kara! :)

Now, you would think that while the cat is away this little mouse is going to play. I mean, despite the fact that we have a month's program written up, who is here to actually check that I'll follow it? Oh folks, this thought has flitted through my mind on more than one occasion! Yes it has! Who would know if I followed the program or not? I could just say that I got up and ran a 10km or worked on my abs, or my core, or went to the pool!

No one would know!

Except me.

And that's the thing. I hold myself accountable. No one gets the guilts more than me if I don't actually do something I'm committed to. If there's a 10k on the scedule, regardless of the fact that my mind might protest and say, "Shhh! Only do 8k. No one will know. Eight kilometres is still a decent run!" I push on and do it anyway and at the end of the 10km I feel as though I have achieved something.

So I'm working on my arms and my abs and my legs. Oh my goodness! Death Jumps! I hate Death Jumps, but please give me more! Last week I ran a total of 23km and swam 2km - all in the program.

On Saturday, Kara has slotted in a 17km run.

S-e-v-e-n-t-e-e-n k-i-l-o-m-e-t-r-e-s.

I can't even pretend I'm not intimidated. I keep looking at that distance and feeling chills. Truth be told, I'm scared. I haven't done anything further than 15km since April. Actually, the fartherest distance I've done since then is 12km. Kara thinks I'm ready.

I realised this morning that I am letting my own mind defeat me. I've already decided that it's too far and too hard and if I keep on with this attitude then the distance will be too hard and I will fail.

Seventeen kilometres is only two kilometres further than fifteen - and I've done fifteen. I can do fifteen...so I can push on and do seventeen. I can think of the elation I will feel when it is done. That will spur me on. I plan to run the entire way, but there's also the option of doing it in intervals after 15km - say, 5min walking/10 min running. It's achievable.

These are the mind games of the mouse while the cat's away.