Long run completed

Slow and easy, but in the end a fairly comfortable 32 km in three hours and five minutes. When I woke up the back problem had receded to a general stiffness and I was no longer quite like the crooked man who walked a crooked mile and found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile. Seriously when the back is sore, I lean like the tower of Pizza -- people point and snicker behind their hands as I walk down the street.

So off I trotted at about 6:00/km pace to Yoyogi Park. I was hoping Gareth would turn up for his Saturday morning 10k, and eventually he did (by that time I was muttering to myself, "where's Gareth, where's Gareth..." then he miraculously emerged out of the bushes down along the fence). So we spent four happy laps together. Slow laps, but honest and true. After he left I completed one and a half more laps before turning for home -- the last lap was a positively speedy 14 minute effort. I arrived home a little weary in the legs, but able to continue running if I had to. I think I might continue with this steady approach and try to get in longer runs that don't tax the body quite so much. Build the aerobic endurance. The aim is to get through the marathon in a respectable time and in one piece, not to go breaking any records.