Now or never

I have just read my most recent blog post. It is 4 months and a week old. Hmmmmm. This blog was supposed to help me stay focused and keep the motivation up. And it did. For a while.... Let's see if not I can get back into the old routine of running and blogging.

I started running again 2 weeks ago. The Kampala Marathon is scheduled for Sunday November 21. So, I have got exactly 6 weeks to get in shape for it. And to make it even more interesting, I'll be climbing the Rwenzori Mountains from November 13-20. HMMMMMMM!! Well, I wanted a challenge. Now I've got one. Honestly, right now I'm not entirely sure how I am going to pull this off. Kampala Marathon is very different from the one in Copenhagen. The temperature, humidity, the hills, the altitude, the traffic, the dust, the pollution, the lack of water/energy drink points are factors that combine to make Kampala Marathon an intimidating run. Right now my only comfort is that I have a couple of times passed the 30 kilometer mark on my tranining runs here. But last time that I did that was 6 months ago and I have not been running the last 4 of those. HMMMMMMMMMMMM! Not sure that thinking any further about is the best thing to do right now.

Right, so the plan is to more or less run every day from now on. 10K minimum. One long rung every week. No running on days where I play squash or raft. Minimal to no intake of alcohol. Letting the hair grow so as to protect the skull from the sun. Absolutely no smoking. No electronic gadgets allowed, except maybe for a watch once in a while.

So, what's so special about the Kampala marathon? Why not just wait postpone and run a different one instead? The Kampala Marathon is important for 2 reasons. First of all, to qualify for the Comrades Marathon, one must complete a regular marathon in a reasonable time no more than 12 months before. The Kampala Marathon is right where I am and it leaves me with 6 months to get ready for the Comrades. Supposedly 6 months is the minimum preparation time for a beginner like me. Secondly, completing the Kampala Marathon is bound to be harder than any of the Copenhagen runs have been. As I am a firm believer in "if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger" I trust that 42 kilometers in the hills of Kampala is a good way to expand the mental strength. If it doesnt kill me, of course....

Marathon Madsen