Let’s quote Matt Fitzgerald again: “If it does nothing else, a runner’s training must make him feel prepared, because if he feels prepared, he is prepared, and if he doesn’t, he isn’t.” Sound advice.
This weekend and next weekend are the last big push of marathon training before the easing back into the leather armchair that is the taper. So with two 20 mile runs promising to punish me for the next two Sundays, it’s important that I take these things seriously, respect the distance and prepare for them. This week my preparation has consisted of:
  • A few drinks on Wednesday that turned into 5 pints and a pub quiz. Unfortunately no questions on the relevance of Joey Tribianni to marathon training so I was useless.
  • Last night’s 5 mile run that was followed by watching The Social Network (review: too much typing, not enough of the rowers) then heading out for last orders and drinking two pints in half an hour.
  • Drinks tonight with two old friends for some ‘catching up’ (read: serious drinking).
Next week I’m planning a similar regime that will involve ‘catching up’ with the London-based home town crew and a Friday night of wall-to-wall power ballads which promises to be the ‘greatest night of my life’. All of this is vital preparation for running 20 miles*.
Let’s move on from my virtual mentor, Matt Fitzgerald, to another man who has taught me a thing or two. I call him Party Pete but small children like to point at him in the street and refer to him as ‘that tall man’. (This is what you get for moaning about being referenced only as ‘my colleague’.) 

Party Pete (you might want to imagine Yoda for this, but about a mile taller) said to me today: “Live fast, run fast.” I think we can all agree that this in not only profoundly deep, but also sound advice.
Show some love and nominate me in the Cosmo blog awards.