18km ... done.

Got to say, it was hard work! I can't imagine running 26-27km in a few weeks, heck I can't imagine running 42km ... but I'll keep tackling it all one km at a time :) I knew it was going to be hard, I knew it was going to be hard even before I'd gone to bed last night (got to wonder about the mental game, right?). I could feel my legs from the 10k I ran in the morning, I'd managed to get my face lovely and sunburnt while sitting in the freezing cold southerly and overcast weather (I should know by now that that doesn't mean those darn sun rays aren't working!), I felt over cooked.

But! It is done :) 17.8km 1:47:30 - 6:01/km. I tried to keep a SLOW steady pace, but still ended up slower at the end than at the beginning. I really need to find a comfortable pace where I know I can run forever, or close to it. All experience, all will work itself out.

It was a good course though, I'll definitely try and work it so that it becomes a regular - from our house along the long way to the Waikanae River (4km) then the 10km River run (up one side and then down the other), then 4km home.

Now, I was reading Andrew is Getting Fit's blog last night and he mentioned inspirational women he'd seen while running. It reminded me about the woman I saw yesterday. Now I've seen this woman for years - she obviously has MS or something like that, I used to see her at weighwatchers years ago, and over the years I've seen her out walking, progressing from limping, to walking with braces on her legs to the last year or so out with her dog and sitting in an electric wheelchair, well Friday as I was driving I saw her walking! and determinedly walking (with braces covering both legs, but walking). I ran past her yesterday (back in her wheelchair) and tried to say quickly, I saw you walking yesterday and you looked great! She replied something like "Thanks, it felt great" ... but I was running past and had my ipod on ... so didn't quite catch it. But I would say, that is one determined lady :)

Okay, on to the rest of the day - off to the shops to kit up the two girls for school, grab a couple of baking things so I can do some baking this afternoon - probably really dangerous thing to do when I'm trying really hard to eat right ... but the rest of the family could do with something in the tins!