11 days 6 hours to go.

I woke this morning to find the earth was breathing normally for the first time in a while.
It was sunny, it was cool, and the wind had gone. It was 6a.m, too early to get up, so I read for a time. Bill Bryson's study of Shakespeare. I like the way he tells me stuff that I didn't know, with a gentle humour, and with words that I can understand.
At 7.30 am I swing my legs out of bed, and am immediatly reminded of the 22.2 miles that I ran yesterday. My thighs hurt, and the tape to hold my right knee stable pinches.
I grit my teeth and peel it off in one long tear.
My knee has held up, and for that I am grateful.
I put the billy on to make tea, and then settle into the day.
Check the emails, have a shower, pull on a pair of black shorts and a grey tee shirt.
I settle back on the sofa with my bare feet up on the hardwood chest that I put there to put my bare feet up on.
I am writing a letter to my friend Julia who lives in Melbourne...I don't send her emails, I write her letters, not many I have to admit, but I like to take the time to touch her with my words and to let her know how special she is to me.
Julia, you see, was my first girlfriend. I was 14 and she 13... It was a lifetime ago, but what we had back then still sparkles like magic between us.
Meanwhile I have to go and stand on the cold concrete in the bathroom, cos my feet hurt. Yesterday was Sunday, and my last long run.
Mike came with me on the bike, and while I suffered just the same, my time was 14 minutes quicker than last week.. I start to feel a little gob of self assurance about this race.
Tonight I go swimming with my kid, I go through my sets with ease. Despite the leg fatigue I'm getting faster.
I have 11 days and 6 hours to go.