In training...

... not for a marathon. Thankfully. I don't think I'd get very far!

Instead for a residential summer school for my Open University degree.

A phased plan of earlier starts to each day has been going on for weeks. Trying to make the aim of getting to breakfast at 8am not such a shock, as I will end up in a exhausted heap for certain by middle of the week otherwise.

Eating 2 meals a day, I'll try to add in breakfast later on this week. I usually have lunch at a normal time, then a relatively late dinner. However, dinner on summer schools are quite early, so trying to eat early to get used to it.
Quite often, eating in front of others is utterly terrifying. I've just got to do it next week. Quick calming down/grounding techniques have been practised.

Lists are forming. Things to pack: so clothes, washing stuff, technology stuff (iPod, headphones, spare batteries, chargers, alarm clock), studying stuff, stuff I use to help me get the most out of learning (dictaphone, overlay, magnifying bar, green paper...), home comforts (lemon squash and a plastic beaker), weather dependent gear (sun hat, Cagoule), psychology work in case I need to remind myself of things to calm down/keep positive/stay safe, teddy penguin. Things to do before I go (life still continues for this week). Things to do when I get back (need to sort out everything and get back to normal).

I've got the problem of no access to a piano for a week. I might take a flute or recorder + some sheet music to get a music fix if needs be. Not sure if I'll be awake enough or have enough free time to play it though. Until then, I'm savouring each note I play.

I have been practising doing my own hair. Though I'm taking my Dad as my Personal Assistant, he is rubbish at doing my hair. So I've got a few practical hairstyles sorted.

Getting a bit ahead with my other courses, to be able to have a week off from studying for them. Or in the case of one course, planning time into the week after I get back for more time on it than would normally happen.


This level of 'training' might be a bit over the top. It might be all slightly futile and I might still crash and burn. However, it might make what would have been a disaster a success. Or at least a vague success. Or at least not a complete disaster.
Though it is all attempts to seem as functioning and as normal as possible, it is lots of energy before I have even left my house to start the journey.
Here is to me getting through the week, passing the presentation bit at the end of the week, and coming home in one piece. Without tears, complete meltdown, too much over-special treatment, wishes to come home/hide under duvet/run away.

Tomorrow it is an 8am start, so I should be getting to bed soon.