Motivation, Motivated & being Motivating…

Met a couple of lovely ladies whilst out running last weekend (Jodi & Emma) who were kicking off some London Marathon training. You may recall me mentioning it in the last blog update.

Imagine how surprised (and genuinely flattered) I was to be contacted by Jodi after she’d read the blog to ask if I’d be willing to be their inspirational speaker at her school annual awards event later in the year!!

How cool is that? Blown away, genuinely honoured and actually really looking forward to it. Just another reason added to the growing list of things that makes this whole journey more than worth the year of pain, trials & tribulations.

I’ve spent the last week reading a book loaned to me (thanks Lisa!!) called “Relentless Forward Progress” by Bryon Powell. Actually I read it and now back to reading it again.

Having read several of these type books over the years, this has to be the one I’ve connected with the most. Can’t recommend it enough for anyone thinking of doing anything from a half Marathon upwards.

The opening chapters talk about what you’re likely to experience and gives a balanced approach to the do’s and don’ts. Was quite refreshing to know that everything I’ve experienced so far is fairly normal for your average person doing an ultra.

Later the book has some really good tips on training plans, nutrition etc along with how to extend distance. Well worth a read.

 

 

Moving on to a bit of Jungle  kit update … I’ve got running / hiking poles!! I’m still not sure if they’re for me but I’m going to give them a go.
This is a piece of gear that, from what I gather, is a mixed bag of opinions. Some say that they’re a must whereas others say the opposite.
The Jungle has horrific terrain at best so, having extra stability may be the right thing but I’m told they take time to get used to. In the coming months I’ll take them on the long hill runs and when the going get extra tough I’ll have a crack. The bottom line is, if I’m not going to use them then I’ll leave them here. Extra unnecessary weight is simply not the luxury I’ve got. 

 

Monday 07/01 was my 1^st back-to-back-to back following on from the previous Saturday & Sunday’s long ones. I was anticipating really heavy legs but tbh, the only part that was uncomfortable was my lower back. Probably the hardest part was getting out the door to do the do.

I knew on Sunday, prior to the run that I needed to repack the weight but stupidly figured it’d be OK. Where I’m carrying sacks of rice right now, the bags alter shape as I run which means they doesn’t sit in the same place and when they shift it causes skin wear in places. Anyway, lesson learned (again) and the first thing done when I got home on Monday was to unload it all and repack ready for Thursdays effort. Come Jungle time, it’s going to be crucial to have the rucksack 100% loaded right each day or it could probably have dire consequences.

So, a simple outing along the cliffs and back again. No dramas, just cold and dark which saw a pretty uneventful 8 miles done.

Semi-rest days on Tuesday & Wednesday (Martial Arts teaching) and back on it again on Thursday for the 11 miler.

 

 

Thursday 10/01 went to plan. Although I’d considered a change of scenery, at the last minute I backed out. It was dark when I set off and figured whatever route I did it’d be black anyway so stuck to the usual one.
Having a properly loaded pack makes these training runs significantly more chilled & comfortable. When you have even a little niggle (weather it’s muscle ache, skin sores, tendon twinges etc), it causes your mind to un-focus on the job in hand which quite frankly is not a good thing if you’re in for a few miles.
Always best to be distraction free!

11 miles added to the weekly total albeit far quicker than I need to be doing in reality. Let’s chalk this one up to a speed session?!?!

Digression time… Saw a post a friend shared which explained why ultra runners do what they do v’s shorter competitive races. Although I’ve tried to hypothesis on why I personally prefer them, there is actually scientific studies which support what I’ve said previously. In summary it seems that it’s a generation thing and the way we’re wired when it comes to competing v’s completing events.

If you get a chance, take a look at this article. Great read in my opinion and lays to bed a whole load of conceptions. https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a25728785/what-motivates-ultrarunners-study/

Friday 11/01 was a supposed to be an easy 5 miles, however, knowing that I ideally need to be adding 10% increments to my training routine weekly and unsure of how far the Butser Hill distance would be on Saturday I decided to knock out 15 miles instead (the plan for Sunday should reap in another 15). As a compromise,  just did the cliff run tagging on the Hook village loop.

Again, the most challenging part for me is getting kitted up and out the door but hey, man up, get out and enjoy the time, which is exactly what I did.

Weather was perfect. No wind, dry and around 8 degrees.

 

 

Saturday 12/01 Butser Hill training.

Planned to do some running and then totalled up what I’d done during the week and figured I’d better reign it in a wee bit.
The decision was to crack on and take in the South Downs area I’d run last Sunday with Paula.
Although I wasn’t running it was going to be aimed at hiking with the pack so, hills, hills & hills BUT with the new poles. I needed to try them out and see if they were for me or not. Unfortunately the route took a bit of a Rob style turn of events. I took a wrong turn and ended up just finding a hill, heading down, turning round and going back up followed by a repeat.

Poles were a huge help. Balance was the main noticeable difference but also found it helped me keep more upright. Winner!

Only 3 miles in conclusion BUT it was around 800ft elevation.

Sunday 13/10 Stubb 10k +.

Definitely the way to go and got the best of both worlds (part with people & part alone).

The intention was to run with friends and just enjoy being with others. The plan didn’t quite work because I couldn’t find them at the start.
Ended up starting right at the back and plodded. I did eventually bump into a few mates and ended up coming in at about 48 mins (unofficially), but it was never about speed/ pb etc. Just about supporting friends and enjoying the day.

So phase one was to run to the race, do the 10k with the runners and then crack on and make the most of the closed roads by doing it again before running back home.

Weirdly, I’ve never been one for races but having spent so long training alone, it was really refreshing to be surrounded by loads of people doing the same stuff.

What’s even more bizarre was standing on the start line with jitters! I wasn’t even taking part!! I was just doing it for the training but still got a little nervous. What’s that all about?!?!

All aside, I knew I was in for a long one so took the opportunity to try some recommended nutrition supplements.
First up was the 33Shake. It’s made with Chia seeds and all you do is fill the sachet with water, shake and leave to expand. Chia has a slow energy release and easy on the stomach apparently.
Anyway, mixed & stored for the second leg of the 10k circuit the moment of truth came.

If I’m honest, it was like taking a swig of frogspawn in texture, but if you can put that to one side it was OK. Did I notice a boost? Can’t say I did but knowing that it’s in and doing it’s job was sufficient.

The other new one for me was Tailwind. I’d tried the Lemon flavour during the week but it tastes foul. Luckily, Nick at Alton Sports let me sample a different flavour (raspberry) and all was good. Again, knowing the essential minerals were being topped up was good enough for me. No upset stomach and easy to drink.

Historically, I’ve been focused on the Arbonne sports nutrition range but sadly, their hydrating range just doesn’t cut it enough for me with this kind of training regime.

That said, it’s awesome for your everyday sporting activities but lacks the qty of potassium, magnesium, slat etc needed for ultra running.

That’s said, the Arbonne protein recovery shake hits the spot 100%. Being non-whey, a high absorbsion rate and a fricken lovely taste, it’s a must take for the jungle.

So the week ended having done 54 miles. The new one is about to start but I’m going to need a rest day at some point. Just got to figure out when to squeeze it in.

Have a fabulous week folks and thanks for keeping me motivated with your messages, horn-honkin’, "Likes" and advice. Love ya all.

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