The weekend after next I'm going to attempt my first half marathon, 21.3 kilometres. I'm a bit nervous for a couple of reasons, one it's a long way and secondly the first half is uphill. Usually before competing in an event I'd like to attempt the distance in training, but with the interruption to training caused by my calf injury I reckon the longest run I'll manage is between 12 & 15kms. I have read that with distance running, it's not necessary to have done the distance, I hope that's right.
One thing I'll be relying is what my mate Mickey calls the mongerel, I was complaining one day to him that I'd agreed to ride with a group to Mandurah but I hadn't been on the bike much and was a bit worried that I'd struggle to keep up or make the distance(it's about 80kms. He just said to me you'll make it, you've got the Mongerel in you. It was one of the nicest things anybody has ever said to me and it's something I think about every time I go for a run or conTemplate doing something hard.
It's often said that a lot of physical achievement is largely mental, and I guess this is what the Mongerel is about, another word for mental toughness. I don't for a minute think that I'm any tougher than anyone else who gets out there, but I'm pleased to say that when the going gets tough next Sunday, I'll be drawing on every bit of the Mongerel to get me home.
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