In the book ‘The non-runner’s marathon trainer’ it suggests you tell everyone you know that you are going to run a marathon. You should also tell yourself and get friends and family to intermittently ask you ‘Are you a marathon runner?’ to which you respond ‘Yes I am’. Yes it sounds very American and isn’t a route I’m likely to take, but I have done something similar.

Yesterday I sent an email to close friends and family telling them of my intention of running the half marathon and asking for their support in coming to cheer me on on the day or in listening to me moan about training and having tired legs. This is because, firstly, I do need people to cheer me on and make allowances for how boring I’m about to become. It’s also intended to make it difficult for me to back out.

Few people knew about the last half I entered and so there was no pressure for me to have to put myself through hell on the day when I really wasn’t up to it. Now, I have people that have an expectation of me – and this includes myself.

I went out for a run last night after work and this was my first evening, outdoor run since last summer. Spring is definitely here and the gym membership is well and truly dead. Coincidentally it was also my first run after my post-10k rest and was also my first run since entering the half. This made it feel as though it was my first bit of training towards the half-marathon. So that’s two miles down, only 500 to go!