The past few days were marked by planning the marathon day, going easy with my knee, and jet lag. Today^(*) I was up at 2:30 am and after failing miserably to get back to sleep, I decided that the knee had had enough break and it was time for it to be tested. So, I jumped out of bed and went for an early (5 am) run around the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. Two laps with a progressive increase in pace was my plan and that’s what I achieved:

It was the first run over 10 km since the second marathon a few weeks ago and I was quite happy with the run. The knee is still a bit uncomfortable but I managed my pace well and was able to run fast even after a decent distance. This gave me extra confidence that the knee will be able to cope with the challenging course that I have set for marathon 3.

A few hours after the run and the knee pain came back. Not severe but annoying enough to make me want to check the hardest part of the planned course by car. It was also a great opportunity to show Joe, a friend from work, great views from Rio. As soon as we started the ascent and the forest begun to dominate the surroundings, I was sure that I have made the right decision about the course. I felt so good already! Not even this sign that we found on the side of the road would made me change my mind:

I can’t wait to run up there on Sunday!

(*) the post was written on Monday but due to a problem with the internet at the hotel I could only post it today.