“I think what endurance sports teach you is to stay dedicated, stay focused, and also to understand you're going to have ups and downs, but you need to keep running right through them.”

Kyrsten Sinema

Goals for the Week were: 

• Monday is going to be a 20+ miler.
• Tuesday teaching at the dojo
• Wednesday will be a 10 mile minimum
• Thursday will be a 15 miler
• Friday 6 – 10 miles
• Saturday is planned to be 10 x circuits of the Buster Hill Half Pipe (seriously not looking forward to this one. eeeeek!)
• Sunday rest day!!!!!!!

Here's how it panned out....

 

 

Monday 11/03:

After a decent rest day and work wrapped up for the day, i had the route for tonight figured out quite early on.

I often find that visualising the session and mentally getting it in my head usually puts me in good shape just to crack on and get the job done.

Route meant taking in the airfield with the crazy four legged loons, dropping them off and then heading out to do a lap of the cliffs and Hook Village thrown in.

I’d estimated it to be about 21 miles so a great start to the weekly total.

Getting the pack ready with torch, water, nibbles etc I noticed that the rucksack is actually falling apart where the shoulder straps connect to the main storage area!!

Not impressed was my initial thoughts but then it dawned on me just how much abuse this thing’s gone through in the last 8 months.

Ultimate Direction packs are seriously recognised as being one of the leaders in this kinda kit and, although it took me a while to get it packed comfortably enough to run long distance with on a regular basis, it’s pretty good overall.

That said, I don’t like where they’ve put the front water bottle holders coz, in my opinion they’re too high up but hey maybe it’s just me.

Remember, it’s done over 1,000 miles with heavy loads almost daily so it’s to be expected that it’s gonna have excessive wear. Nothing has an infinite life.

Anyway, although they’re not cheap, a new one’s ordered for the Jungle so I’ll use this one til it completely dies and then swap over.

The run itself was, as expected, all good. Hounds loved it (as usual) and having the daylight for most of it was nice too. In comparison to yesterday’s gale force winds it was practically calm although there was a steady headwind but nothing I should be moaning about.

The temperature started out OK when I left the house at just past 4pm but by 7pm it’d dropped quite a lot and needed to add a layer and neck buff to keep a little warmer.

Pretty straight forward kinda run. Music on, plodded, power walked at times to add a bit of variation to it and all was good.
20.5miles  was the final total and a great start to the week.

Next one, Wednesday, and sticking to the plan it’ll be 5 miles to the dojo and back and then another 5 miles with the mental mutts.

 

 

Wednesday 13/03:

Today felt like it was going to be a looong one, not from a training perspective but more physically challenging than usual. Legs were feeling really really heavy for some reason and that's unusual.
Still, the plan was to get a leg on to the dojo to teach and try and get a little bit of cross fitness in with the students then run home to collect the two little ones before doing a quick, sharp 4 miles (not that I get much choice with them!).

All went to plan up to the point where I set out with my running companions. Hit the seafront and then that moment of euphoria sets in and decided that I may as well do the airfield (again).

The last thing heavy legs needed was a sprint sesh but that’s how it turned out and hampered by a strong headwind it was a slog.

On a positive, this time next week the clocks will have changed so I may at least get to do 90% of my sessions in the daylight.

Ended the day with another 11 miles done which is great to add to the weekly counter and still keeps me on track for the weekly goal.

Tomorrow is going to be a 15 miler. Route was figured out last week when I outlined my accountability goals so it’ll be dogs, airfield, cliffs although the weather forecast is indicating the windy weather may be fully supported by rain too – joy!! :0/

 

 

Thursday 14/03:

Swinging legs outta bed in the morning, I knew the run tonight was going to be a toughie. The heaviness was still there. It felt like someone had actually snuck in during the night, removed my normal legs and replaced them with lead ones!.

It’s weird. They don’t normally ache and when I’m running they feel ok but right now it's like they have no life in them at all. Strange!

Today was first ever for me. I’ve never seen a chiropodist but today's the day.

My feet have never been one of my most endearing qualities, but hey, I’m a bloke so who cares.

The knackered toe nails that were giving me grief needed looking at. Occasionally one of them get a bit “angry” and is pretty sore to run. NOthign worse than putting on yer traininers for a 10+ miler and grimacing before you've even stepped out the door.

 

That said, since booking the appointment, the most painful ones have been behaving. Anyway, still went ahead as planned although, was a little unsure what to expect.

The fear of having nails removed was NOT an option. With a typical 4-8 week recovery time it can’t happen.

Eli (the Chiropodist) did a great job at reducing thicknesses and getting shot of skankiness and at the end of the treatment they looked almost human again.

Tonight’s run was just a little urgh. There was a crappy strong head wind for half the route and to top the lot, my bloody phone battery went into power save mode at 10 miles and knocked off the run app. In essence, it didn’t record the last 6 miles. some say, if it doesnlt record then it doesnt count. What I say is bugger off! Lol

Hooked up the hounds and took in the airfield at a nippy (stupid) pace before dropping them off and crackin’ on with another 10 miles but as I say, the wind was shockingly shit.

Not being impressed with the weather and those leaded-legs having no energy, it was still lovely to see people who waved, horn honked or stopped for a brief natter and, my toes felt a load better.
16 hard miles done which was slightly more than planned but not complaining. Today was still a good day :0)

  

 

Friday 15/03:

Woke up to a world of negativity (really unlike me).

Probably all caused because I didn’t have a great night’s sleep despite hitting the sheets loaded with Ibuprofen for the aches (back, knees, thighs etc) and to top it, I woke up at stupid o’clock starvin’ (despite a mahoosive dinner) so neede to eat.

The weather wasn’t just bloomin’ windy but the rain has joined in too! As a result, the run tonight was looking like a no no.

When your head's saying no, I have to dig deep and have a word with myself. That word was "man up ya lazt sod!". It seemed to do the job but can;t say I was extatic about it. 

Had another round of inoculations in the morning (Yellow Fever this time) but still needed to get my head sorted and get the run done.

Fortunately, based on the initial weeks plan, today I only needed to do a 6 – 10 miler.

With work done and jabs outta the way I did man the hell up, got the kit on, hooked up the loveable loons to focussing on lapping the airfield safe in the knowledge that I could always drop them afterwards and head out for more if I suddenly felt the love.

 
Did what I set out to do despite the cold, wet and bloomin’ windy conditions. At the end of the day, it was a case of head down and just get the job done. The dogs seem to love the run more than me, mostly because they were soaked, so for them it was bordering on the best day ever. 7 miles banked by the end so everything was still on track for the week.

 

 

Saturday 16/03:

Now, I ain't a wimp but the wind today was fricken 'orrible. The forecast predicted 25mph winds but I can tell ya, they got it absolutley wrong!

Plan was to head off to Queen Elizabet Country Park and tackle the hills but figured if the wind on the sea front was as bad as it was, the hill would’ve been pointless and completely unenjoyable so, went down to Park Run to support friends that clearly had more nuts than me. Figured I’d swap out rest day, watch the rugby and hit the hills tomorrow.

Sunday 17/03:

It's been a beautiful day today. Sun shining, hardly any wind and a fair 10 degrees.
 
 
Kit was prepared yesterday so nothing more to do than to bundle the hounds in the car and crack on.

The Butser half pipe was the intended goal but tbh, it was soooo slippery from the last few days rain I figured I’d probably kill myself if I tackled it. Last thing I need right now is a twisted ankle / broken leg or a coffin.
 

 
Ended up doing a couple of slow steady laps of QE park and let the dogs have their fun rather than worring about distance & time. That said, we still managed 1,000ft in elevation so defo not a wasted session.

End of the session clocked in at 10½ miles and proper slow but the dogs loved getting caked in crap and cockin’ about with new four-legged friends met on the route. Day was a winner!!

Week total ended on a reasonable 63 miles and within the distance limits other Ultra experts have advised (although not sure how I'd find time to do more even if I wanted). Well happy with that!    

 

 

Monday is going to be a 20+ miler
Tuesday teaching at the dojo
Wednesday will be a 10 mile minimum
Thursday will be a 15 miler
Friday 6 – 10 miles
Saturday is going to be another QE run of 10 miles minimum
Sunday well deserved rest day if all's gone to plan.

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