It's never as bad as you imagine

It's been a tough week as I start to recover from my chest infection, but I felt well enough to go out for my longest run this year at the weekend.  I prefer training with a partner, especially the long runs as having someone to chat to takes your mind of the pain and the boredom.  I certainly get tired of my own internal chat especially if I am out for a long time.  But on ultra marathons, you can spend a lot of time on your own, in your own head, and you need to be able to cope with it as it can destroy you especially if going through the night like I will be on the West Highland Way.  Anyway I had no choice as Stu had caught my infection and messaged me at 4.45am to say he wouldn't be going!
I have ran the Highland Fling twice (80 km) and everyone says, and I agree, the worst section is up the east side of Loch Lomond from Rowardennan to Beinglas Farm (22 km).  Exposed tree roots, rocks, large rocks you have to scramble over and big steps up and down make it a slow section requiring your full attention.  Some of the path is narrow with a drop of 5 metres to the rocks on the shore line if you miss your step.  You reach this section 44 km in during the race so your legs will be warmed up, but I was starting from fresh.  Because of logistics, unless you have someone picking you up at Beinglas and driving you back to your car, it's an out and back so it's 2 X hell - 44km!
I set off early to miss the scores of people walking the WHW.  I took the pace slowly as I am still trying to keep my heart rate down and not wanting to fall!  In my mind I'd agreed that I was out "all day" which should equate to about 7-8 hours.  The purpose of planting this thought in my mind was not to think about getting to Beinglas and turning back - just think about the time.
The way out was uneventful and I stopped at Beinglas for some coffee to give me a boost as I ate my food.  The coffee was shared with a midge who had decided to go for a swim in it.  Many of the campers were wearing midge nets, wise move, so I didn't hang around long before I headed back.  My quads, calves and knees felt the way back and I was careful to use my gels to keep me from "bonking".  The flat coke I carried certainly came in handy.  The big steps, up and down, took some navigating as I tried to reduce the strain on my legs.  But I completed it in 7hrs 2 minutes and thought overall, it was a good mental exercise.  While thinking about my race I was dreading this section but not any more.  It's like a hill you see in the distance that you are dreading but before you know it you are at the top and it's never as bad as you imagine.
That's a really important "thought pattern" to keep hold off as if I allow my mind to think about the enormity of the WHW, it will only make it more difficult.  It's check point to checkpoint and forget how many hours you have been going for.  It's about how bad I want it and the pain I'm prepared to go through to succeed.
I did a recovery run the following day but since then have been exhausted.  Today, 4 days later, was the first time I felt normal which is just as well as I had my PT session.  Bartek is such a Pro - he has been rehabbing my knee for months now through active recovery.  It's not 100% but in the last 5 months I have come from literally being broken and looking like an 80 year old getting off the floor to now regularly doing squats.  The more I've visited the PT, the less I've needed to visit my physio and that's an excellent result.
So if you've got a challenge coming up that you are concerned about, just remember it's never as bad as you imagine.  All that worry does you no good so why bother.  Just "programme your mind" to understand that everything is possible with the right mindset.
This week will be a light week for training and I have one last long day which will be the weekend after next before I can start tapering.  I don't want to wish time away but I am very excited about being on the start line at 1am on Saturday 22 June with circa 250 other like minded people.