I feel good ...

... da-da-da-da-da ... and I knew that I would da-da-da-da-da.

Well, that's what I told myself my blog title would be as I set off for my long run. I was visualising my triumph! I'm sure that's what great sportsmen do. And if nothing else it became *that song* - the song that creeps into my head and stays there the whole time.

But really, I don't feal that good. And I feared that I wouldn't ... da-da-da-da-da, doesn't really scan so well. The facts and figures first - I covered (note the absence of the word "ran") exactly ten miles in a few seconds under two hours.

But the first hour especially, in the sun, was hot. And it does seem that I struggle in the heat. It's a lot cooler than the last few days, probably about the same as London Marathon temperature (and I managed 16 or so miles consecutively there) and there's no reason to think that Milton Keynes in 3 weeks time won't be any different, if not warmer.

As I took on water at 6 miles I found myself slowing to a walk, and basically walked for half a mile there, as well as three quarters of a mile later on. And had I been mentally up for it, I could have made up for my walking aberrations by running the two miles home from 10 miles to 12 miles to make up for it, but didn't.

The problem is still mental - as Sall_y said in my last comment, I have to want to run. Today felt like a trudge, not a run. I've run these routes before now, and I don't have the incentive of a big marathon at the end of this training. And though I enjoy the run up to a point ... when I stop and walk for a bit, I enjoy that just as much if not more! Once that's happened once, my brain pretty much gives up on running the whole thing.

I can't be too despondent - how many others of my friends and contemporaries covered 12 miles before lunch, and ran the majority of them. I'm unrecognisable in shape, size and lifestyle to this time last year. Today was supposed to be the run that fixed the bad week last week, and it wasn't to be.

On a lighter note ... I was resplendent in orange today with black arms and black shorts. As I ran through Bucknell I noticed I had a ladybird on my shoulder. I'm wondering if it was a large case of mistaken identity!