The run: Double loop of Wytham woods. 13.5 miles, 1h 45m. Hard work but on target.
The shoes: Mizuno Wave Harriers - lovely and grippy in the mud. Feet - fine.
Spotted: one deer, thousands of pigeons, several squirrels, not a single person. In my down moments I started wondering how on earth I’d survive in the woods alone. I couldn’t kill anything that moved, and wouldn’t have a clue what was safe to eat. Plus I’d freeze to death in my running shorts pretty quickly 
No backpack, no water, no fuel and felt absolutely fine. I don’t think I need any water for a half marathon unless it’s hot.
And that really is it now - two short jogs during the week, then it’s the big’un. No pressure! I’m already finding that when I sit down to relax there’s something preying on my mind. It’s the race. It’s crazy really, I’m the only person who has any expectations for myself at Snowdonia. What I always struggle with though is the idea that I don’t push myself hard enough. I’ve always relished just being able to enjoy long runs in the countryside, not sweating my guts out. But knowing that I seem to be able to handle these long distances quite well always makes me think I should at least try to go faster, and a race is the blindingly obvious opportunity.
A week away and I’m dreading the idea of running for 3 hours 40 minutes or so. Two hours is quite enough thank you! I can still remember the anxiety and depression I felt last year before the half way point. But then I remember that it all got so much better - and I felt top of the world by the finish. That’s the moment to focus on.
