Lisbon here I come

My preparation for this Half Marathon has been at best, occasional and at worst lazy but I honestly can't wait. I've only heard positive comments about Lisbon so 3 days hanging around with eatingtrees and LG in a new city will be wonderful and ruined only be the 13.1 miles in the middle. Oh crap, haven't packed the Ibuprofen, back in a tick......

Right, that's in the case. I need it because of the pain I was getting in the top of my foot last week and the thing I remember more than anything about that pain last time I got it is that it generally comes back for more quite often.I don't think my 'if you can't solve the pain, mask it' theory should be followed too much but if it gets me through the 13.1 wonderful (he says at the moment) miles through Lisbon then it would have done what it needed to.

My pre trip thoughts are as follows:
1. I haven't done enough training to get a PB.
2. The course is meant to be quick so I might get a PB.
3. It's going to be somewhere in the region of 16-20 degrees so I won't get a PB

Basically, I have no idea. I reckon I'll finish somewhere between the 1:54 and 1:59 area. That's a big difference but I just can't work it out. It'll be strange running in hotter weather again through. The cap's even had to be packed to stop my head burning and turning me into a tomato (not for the first time). Annoyingly, current forecasts predict rain throughout the entire weekend except when we're running when it's going to be warm and sunny!! Bah!!!

OK, haven't actually finished packing yet so I really need to get it sorted as it's less than 4 hrs til I'm off to the airport! See ya!

This is getting annoying now!!

I seem to have done something to my foot during Fleet. Across the top of my left foot (approx in line with my middle toe) my foot is really painful when pushed and also now when I walk. It was sore for a day or so after Fleet and then seemed fine and then when I went for a run on Saturday morning, the pain came back immediately and now it just won't go away. It won't stop me running Prague (5 days YAY!!!) but just means that ibuprofen will be eaten as if they were jelly babies!

I've done plenty of research over the weekend and i've discounted the following: 1)Shoes too tight: My trainers are always relatively loose through the middle part of my foot as just one of the weird things about my feet is that I have extremely high arches. 2)Broken Metatarsal: I can walk and run without falling and rolling around on my back. Therefore, not enough pain to be broken. 3)Me being lazy: I was really looking forward to running tomorrow with eatingtrees but I don't think it's a good idea until Prague now so that idea's buggered too!

Assumptions: It's something to do with muscles/tendons in the top of my foot and I intend to rest it and ice it until Prague.

As I said though, I won't let it change the run. I'll still be aiming for a PB and my reward?? Well that will a few days of Staropramen, Shisha and feeding my geeky love of bridges!!

As a side note, my run on Saturday (8.74 miles, 1:17:56, 8.55 m/m) was interesting to say the least. My entire route was blocked with rowers and their 8 man boats (I'm sure there's a more technical name other than '8 man boat' but you ain't gonna get it from me). Therefore I spent the entire route trying to not be hit in the head with oars and boats as they moved them around and then by the time I got to the home stretch towards Putney Bridge, I had to deal with the General Public, their dogs, their grandkids and the numerous snack stalls set up all along the river too. Twas Madness I tell you!!! I found an article in the paper on Sunday saying there were over 400 boats. 400!!! Thats over an extra 3200 people to dodge not including the public! ARGH!!! Leave my river route alone. Well at least until around 9/9.30am once I've got home to my coffee and my sausage muffin!!

NOTE: I'm aware that 'sausage muffin' and my previous post about weight loss don't quite go together but I assure you... it's an extremely good painkiller. So there!