This time next week, I’ll be sitting with my feet up, drinking my morning coffee, with a stunning view over Lake Rotorua, proudly wearing my new pounamu toki after completing the Tarawera 100 mile.

Manifesting? Sure. Praying? Maybe a little.

With a little over 4 days to go until the metaphorical gun goes off, it’s weird to have already been in New Zealand for a week.

I realized pretty early on that when travelling for races that it’s a bit of a downer to travel before the race. There’s a very fine line to straddle, you want to do the fun things, the hikes, the paddles, the swims, the sky diving (ok not that) but you hesitate because you don’t want to be that person who trains for 12 months for a race, saves up their money and mileage to get there, only to not make it to the start line because you fell over hiking up to see a view or a waterfall, or gave yourself a concussion in a zorb (yeah not that either).

But this time I’m trying something different, I’m travelling ahead of the race, not after. We arrived in New Zealand almost a full 10 days before the race.

It’s been an adjustment.

I hate being away from my dogs. I’m sure they are being well looked after but I miss them and I don’t want them to feel abandoned so I don’t like adding “unnecessary” days onto the trip.

By unnecessary I mean days when I don’t have things planned or things to do. If I’m just filling in time or hanging out playing on my phone, I’d rather be at home. I’d pretty much always rather be at home.

They don’t feel touristy, I don’t feel like I’m making the most of the trip. I have to keep reminding myself why I’m here.

The last couple of events I’ve felt a bit “get in and get out”, arriving the Thursday before the race on Saturday, leaving my body little time to get over the flying and being in a new place.

I eat the same thing most days. I go to bed at the same time most days. The flying and change of routine stuffs me around a bit. I try to keep things as close to normal as possible and have to keep reminding myself that while I am in a cool new place with fun foods and adventures, I’m here for a race and anything I do in the week leading up is more likely to stuff up my race than improve it.

I have to keep reminding myself that I’m here because I want to be. That even though I feel like I’m wasting my time and doing nothing and I’d rather be at home, these days are also bricks in the wall, just like every single run and workout I’ve done in the past 10 years have been.

I have to keep reminding myself not to take it for granted, that this might be my last time in New Zealand, my last time at Tarawera, to make the most of it and remember why I’m here, to crush old ladies!!!

I have to keep reminding myself that tapering is hard. It makes you crazy. It’s not me, it’s the tapering. It’s going to be ok.

You’ve done the work, now just don’t stuff it up and let’s see what race day gives.