So it’s Two Ocean’s Race week… I have piles of books read and reviewed and ready to blog about. I have a fabulous trip to the Swellendam Winter School to blog about and share with you. It was fantastic and it is a series of blog posts, with everything you need to know about how to get there, where to stay, what to eat and what to learn… you are going to have to wait a little longer. Because all I can think about this week… is race week. After weeks and weeks of training, and dreaming about this race for even longer… I am finally there…

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The race starts in the dark, we run up hill and down dale, and up mountains and to the finish. There is a cut-off at Almond Street. When I am feeling great and optimistic, I know I am going to breeze past this point… and when I am feeling daunted, “How am I ever going to get there?” The rise and fall of temperamental mind of a tapering mother-person.

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What I can say, is that I have survived the training and… I celebrated with an ice-cold swim in the sea. A week ago, I had a bad fall while training, smashed my knee into the curb and I have been nursing a black and bruised leg ever since. Ice and arnica oil, and it is feeling better, but a swim in the icy water was the actual best medicine.

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I have to say that at this stage… I survived the training, it was harder than I imagined and I am told that if I rest up and recover that my leg my legs will be full of spring on the day and I will have a great race. I am waiting for this magical moment, my legs have never been full of spring!!! Otherwise, I have to say this whole thing appears to be a game of patience… one step at a time, there are no quick fixes. Every single run I did on the training programme, my head told me I couldn’t possibly do. I had a strategy: just get to the run and take the first few steps, then the next few and eventually the runs got done. My head knows I can run this race… but still the nerves for Saturday are HUGE!!!

If you have been following my journey and you would like to support my GivenGain Project then… now is the time. In three days time I run my race and this campaign ends. TWO DAYS!!!

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Meanwhile it has been so exciting… I have run with legends, I have been banqueting, I have watched the #RunAsOneMovie, celebrating 50 years of The Most Beautiful Race… and stayed up more than half the night reading the very special launch book. If you are heading for the Two Oceans EXPO over the next few days then take the time to see the movie… it is beautiful and inspiring. And grab a copy of the book… it is living the dream. Also, I will be being interviewed on Thursday at 5:30 on the Stage… so if you are collecting your race numbers then please stop by and say hello!!!

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In the meantime, I will be idling around, wanting to run, but not running… resting up and pacing around the house… waiting for race day. Trying to read, but I can only think about race day, watching a movie with the kids but the thing is the night before, the night before race day… I can only really think about running 21km. So… I will be idling… for the next two days… and thinking about getting to Almond Street on race day. Because from Almond Street, I will have 3km to go and I know that whatever happens I can run 3km. Basically on Saturday… I am getting to Almond Street.

And whatever else happens, regular blogging should resume next week!!!

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