Issue 368 - Tue 30th May 2006

Hi,
I hope everything is ok where you are.

Yesterday was a public holiday both here in the UK and in the US at the same time.
Blimey with so many people off work, I'm surprised the whole world didn't just up and stop turning!

Of course one of the effects of the world turning is earthquakes, and the weekend quake in Indonesia has killed at least 5,000 known so far.
Events like this should give us cause to stop, step back, appreciate what we take for granted, and bring our small niggles down to the perspective they deserve - small.

Last week I got feedback that people enjoyed the story of Noor Inayat Khan, who showed great courage right up to her death in World War II.
So, next week, I'm going to remember another brave woman, acting in peacetime, who also lost her life, and the legacy she left.

I was going to do that this week, but wanted instead to ask for some more feedback, and it concerns my marathon venture.

First, let me tell you about last week's training.
During my weekday sessions, I have now begun to nudge up the running stints, which will serve to increase my stamina, and also tell my subconscious that if I can handle the increased effort in the week, my long run on Sunday at the previous pace should be 'easy'.

When it came to the 6 miles on Sunday, I was a bit apprehensive after the bad patch I went through last time.
I made a couple of changes in preparation though, and they helped.

The first was physical, I didnt have a load of banana protein shake swilling around inside me.
The second was psycholigical.
When I did my first Sunday session, it was 3 miles, and only took me a few minutes longer than my weekday 30 minute stints, so that felt fine.
Then I did 4 miles, which again was only my weekday stint plus a bt more.
Last week when I started on my 5 miler, I assumed it was still my weekday effort plus a bit more.
This meant that after 30 minutes, I was starting to think about the end, when in fact I was only half way through!
So this week for my 6 miler, I paid no attention to the 30 minute mark and just carried on.

I have also changed my running statement.
What you say to yourself is important when running long distance, and you'll know how I think it's important in all walks of life!
When I started training, I repeated to myself 'I am fit, I am well, I am fit, I am well'.
Now I have changd it to 'Nice and fit, nice and slow', and when I say it, it helps to force me to go slower, which at my stage of training is a great help to going further.

With those changes, I completed my 6 miles in 1 hour 14 minutes and was chuffed that at the end because I felt fine.

Phew - there are some goal achievement standards there - analysing a bad patch to change the outcome for next time, the importance of the correct self-talk, increasing your levels slowly, so that your standard level increases accordingly.
Oh yes, and how to avoid banana flavoured burps!

Right, here's the feedback I would like.
I'm thinking of changing tack slightly on my marathon site.

At the moment I am offering my new book plus my old book, plus a link/image on the site for $27, and 25% of that goes to charity.
That seemed a good deal to me, and with an affiliate program to boot.

However, I think people might prefer to sponsor me if they thought *all* of the money was going to charity.
So I am thinking of just asking for $7 to sponsor me for 1 metre, which will give you an image and link.
Then if you want to sponsor me for more, your image size goes up in line with the amount of $7 metres.
I wouldn't offer the books, take down the affiliate program, and 100% of the money would go to charity, minus my paypal expenses.

How does that sound?
Please let me know what you think, this either means you can have a link/image for $7, or for the same $27 as before you get 4 times the image size, and it all goes to charity.
I'd like some feedback before I make that change, so even if you don't want to sponsor me at all, I'd still like to know what you think.

Thanks for that.
Ok, that's it for today.

Have a good week.

'Til Next Time,
Health and Happiness,
Gordon