It was a bit of a rocky start after an ‘easy’ April. I also changed my running shoes to Asics due to blisters from my Brooks. With that said, I had a great training run at Hedianga with a new trail buddy on Saturday and decided to rest on Sunday due to a terrible headache.

Tears from disappointment and shin pain…

That is clearly how my second week of SOX training will start. This posterior shin injury I had in 2017 is just not going to let me have smooth sailing. Every now and then it bugs me. Nevertheless, this too I will conquer!

That, however, is nothing compared to the disappointment I’m feeling. Disappointed in how little other people actually care about you and your journey. I guess it is about priorities. I am also disappointed in myself for relying on someone else to help & support me. I never ask for help, I’ll die first. But, this time I had the courage to ask a friend for help. It is, after all, my big goal race for the year, and I would have really appreciated some guidance when it comes to the actual running side of this. See, I always plan and prepare very well before I embark on a journey. Once again, every little thing was in place and on time – except my actual running program. But, as it turned out in the end, I had to figure that out all by myself. Luckily, everything is ‘figureoutable’! I am just hoping and praying that this will not be a ‘trial-and-error’, but rather yield a successful result.

I also learnt once again that the only support I can truly count on is from my husband, child, forgetful mom and close family & friends. Still, trust comes difficult to me and it will now be impossible for me to ask another person for help and advice.

“Oh dear God, may this serve me and not hurt me in future!” I believe that the combination of knowing my body plus my little knowledge on trail running will at some stage give me confidence in my own program. No time for failure.

Let me just say that this will never break me, it is merely just a pothole… Motivation was luckily never a challenge for me. I am very motivated and unstoppable! I will however choose carefully where I take my inspiration from.

OK, so “chin up Buttercup, you’re off to sail through many kilos on your own”. Hoping and praying that my training will be a ‘spot-on guess’. Because I came way too far with this dream to let anything stop me!

‘Till next time…