Calming the nerves and quietening the gremlins

Today I am a nervous wreck.  This is not unusual for the day before a marathon but I seem worse today and I think it's because I've trained so hard that if I don't put in a good performance at the Brighton marathon tomorrow I shall be very upset.  The gremlins in my head have been working overtime telling me I'm silly for even trying to get a faster time/I'm too old and fat/I haven't trained hard enough/everyone will be faster than me/etc etc.  Same old stuff, just a different marathon.  By this evening I will have, hopefully, regained my optimism and quietened the little blighters!

There has been such a lot happening this week that I'll have to do a catch-up post early next week.  This afternoon I just need to occupy myself with a more general, probably rambling, post.

This morning we went to Brighton to collect my number and timing chip from the Expo (which is just a room full of vendors plying their running related wares).  The first thing we did when we arrived in Brighton was to find a nice cafe, of which there are many, and have coffee and cake.  That's my raspberry bakewell in the photo and it was scrummy.

Fuel

I came away from the Expo with some new shoes; all girly pink and summery. Pretty as they are, I wasn't swayed by the colour as I'd have preferred some purple ones I saw but they didn't feel as comfy when I did a test run in them.

Here they are in all their girly glory - Mizuno Wave Enigma 2:

I shall break them in for runs up to 7 miles or so over the next few weeks before I use them for long runs.

Here are the 2 very helpful young men who guided me.  I've been wearing a different brand since I moved up to marathon distance 8 years ago but the latest model in that brand (ASICs Gel Nimbus) is so far removed from the previous model that I had to change my brand.

Sorry they're a bit fuzzy!

The oddest thing we saw at the Expo was this man collecting his number wearing this rather disturbing costume:

Creepy costume

I didn't take many photos in Brighton today as although it was fine first thing it soon turned to wind and rain at which point we headed home.

Here a few things that caught my eye today:

A beautiful church spire sticking up above Wetherspoons!

There are some really whacky shoe shops and I just had to take a photo of these shoes:

Yes, the bunny is indeed the heel!

They also had models piled high with fruits and flowers and all manner of baubles - great fun for youngsters or fashionistas but I can't walk very far in high heels these days.  I think Mike was quite relieved that I didn't want to go and try them on!!!!

I also kept seeing owls - everywhere!  A veritable parliament of owls in all shapes and sizes.  I saw glass/pottery/silver ornaments, cushion covers, greetings cards, mugs, placemats, books, knitted hats, wrapping paper to name but a few.

Owl  book

Owl cookie jar

Gorgeous owl wrapping paper

Earlier this week

I met proud granny Angela for lunch and a good natter and gave her the bootees for baby Violet.  She was bowled over by their cuteness and I couldn't have wished for a better reaction.

Cute bootees

Looking out of the window today at the grey sky and pouring rain it's hard to believe that earlier in the week the ground had dried up enough for the horses to come and graze the wilder parts of the lawn (I use the word 'lawn' loosely as it's very rough!).

Horsey lawnmowers

They absolutely love being allowed in here and were most indignant when I didn't let them in here when the rain started and the ground became waterlogged yet again.

It's nice to see that the daffodils we planted several years ago are bulking up nicely so we'll be able to divide them when they've finished flowering.

Daffodil clumps ready to be divided

Baby patterns from long ago

To take my mind of being nervous I've been rummaging around in my collection of old patterns and found these:

Mum's patterns

Oh my, mum must have used these to knit/crochet my baby things.  I know that because one of them bears the stamp of a shop from the town near where I was born.  That brought a lump to my throat I can tell you.

I still have some more baby things to knit over the next couple of weeks so I think I shall be using a couple of the cardigan patterns as they are still lovely and don't look dated.

On that note I think it's time for a photo of my mum, in whose memory I continue to push myself to the limits in my training to raise awareness of the devastating effects of dementia and to raise more money for vital research.  

She'll be with me every step of the way tomorrow and will give me the strength to carry on when the going gets tough.