Scrambled eggs on toast

Scrambled eggs on toast at twenty pasty seven in the morning. I never eat this early. But I had a long run to do this morning and this was Hannah's recommendation. 

At the end of last Sunday's fourteen mile run, I was properly tired, and I've spent this last week wondering whether I can really get another twelve miles into my legs over the next six weeks or so, in time for the marathon..

Today's run, at 16.2 miles, has seemed very daunting, and Runna's plan, which suggested breaking up the run into different amounts of effort, including a big push for the last two miles, seemed too much of an ask. Basically, I thought, it would be enough simply to finish.

BUT.

Having committed to Runna, I decided to follow the plan, using something called RPEs, where RPE stands for 'rate of perceived exertion. Take 1 as walking and 10 as a flat out sprint, and assign your own levels of effort to the numbers in between.

Thus, the first four miles were a jog, then 2.2 miles of RPE 5, 2.2 miles of REP 6, and then back to RPE 4 for 3.4 miles.

It was during this last stage that my route took me through Hoodridding Farm. This was terra incognita for me, in fact I hadn't even realised I'd be going through a farm, and as soon as I had to cross a field, I had one thought: cows.

It was at this point, that the weather, which had moved from sunny to overcast, to a light drizzle, turned to hard, cold rain. I worked my way up the side of the muddy field, sinking occasionally up to my ankles, blinking the rain out  of my eyes, and trying to keep the large, grassy hillocks between me and the inevitable cows. 

Eventually, though, it became obvious that I had to run through the farm buildings to stick to my route and to get to the gate, I needed to go right past, in fact actually through, the large herd of cows. 

I decided to walk and at first they mostly ignored me, one or two turning to take a look before returning to their grazing. And then, fatefully, one started to follow me, and her neighbours promptly turned to follow her. 

Well, there I was, soaked through in the pouring rain, trying to stay cool as the herd behind me started following and those ahead of me began to show an interest. 

I lasted until I was thirty yards from the gate, and then I cracked, breaking into what I hoped was a casual jog. This served to excite my followers and in the end I made a dash for the gate and scrambled over. Thank God.

I made it through the farmyard without encountering any dogs - another worry - and only really relaxed when I was off the farm and back on the road, with five miles left to go.

There was 2.2 miles at RPE 5 and then, good grief, the last two miles at RPE 6! But do you know what? It was great. I did my last mile, the sixteenth mile, in just over nine minutes! And still had enough in my legs to jog the last half mile back home. 

So, on balance, I'm feeling great and far more optimistic about the marathon. In fact, I think I'll try and incorporate the different paces into that. And the scrambled eggs on toast :-)