It's All in the Mind

My Dad used to say 'it's all in the mind' when he wanted me to toughen up and just get on with someone. Chatting with Graeme Obree a while back, he attributed his success to an ability to suffer and he was 'physiologically nothing special'.

I hated my Dad's saying. I also took issue with Obree, stating that if his aerobic capacity was normal, then he would still be a physiological freak because his metabolic efficiency would be almost 100% more than had ever been measured in a human.

Sometimes though, it takes extreme willpower to get through a challenge. Rosemary, my finer half, excels and even enjoys dreadful race conditions knowing that she'll cope with things better than most others. I think it's how she manages to put up with me.....

Tonight, I don't know how I even managed to push myself to put my trainers on. I was dog tired this morning and was late for work because I didn't have the mental wherewithal to turn my legs fast enough on the bike. I rode home too, into a strong biting wind. After a quick change, i headed out for my run. I enjoyed it as the valley was looking stunning at dusk. My pace was slow but I was happy.....my goal was not to stop running at any stage and I managed. That may sound easy but there's a few very steep gradients on iffy surfaces out of the valley. By the time I was near home I was close to falling down and it was a struggle to even speak to my neighbour when I'd finished.

My old friend Roddy Riddle was in the back of my mind throughout. He's just about to start one of the toughest endurance events on earth, The Marathon des Sables, a 200 mile foot race across the Sahara desert. Roddy was recently diagnosed with Type I diabetes so maintaining his blood sugar in such an extreme environment is a monumental undertaking. Roddy has always been a talented athlete but he's about to show us how tough humans can really be. Proud of you Rodders!

It would be great if you could follow him on Twitter. @RoddyRiddle