“I don't know whether endurance sports attract obsessional people, or training for endurance sports makes people obsessional... it's the chicken and the egg.”

Alistair Brownlee

Let’s start by congratulating all those that did events this week!! MAHOOSIVE respect!! Hope you achieved all you set out to do. Now set a new goal that challenges you and do it!

Just one more full week of full-on training before taper weeks start.

It’ll certainly be weird only running 56 miles (80% of the usual) and even more when I reduce to 60% then 40%.
I’m still unsure how tapers work tbh. Do I still knock out a long distance one or am I supposed to chop the distance into smaller, varied chunks? I really don’t know. Maybe I need to speak to my Ultra experts.

Either way, week 3 doing 28 miles (40%) is absolutely going to give me some much needed time to make sure I have absolutely everything sorted from a kit perspective & perpare muscles for a whole world of pain in the Jungle.

The rucksack plan is to pack, repack, retest the hammock construction and make sure I haven’t forgotten anything (not that I’m obsessing of course – re: quote at the top of this page!)

One part of this whole experience has been a huge help for me. Using a training calendar and marking the future week routine has at times defo got me off my arse to do what I set out to do.

Maybe it’s my nature maybe not, either way it’s a great motivator.

Recently I’ve found, as the month progresses and the total for the month goes up it kinda drives me to try and achieve more. Weird right?

What I’ve been doing is set my realistic goals at the beginning of the week, put the distance is orange and each day aim for it. Once completed I get the satisfaction of changing it to green.

I appreciate it may not work for everyone but absolutely works for me. Maybe that’s reflective of my ambition personality, maybe not, either way it helps. 

Accountability is a brilliant motivation method and writing a blog has been fun. After all, involving others to help you keep going is superb (and a great mental boost) and coupled with a self-satisfaction visual plus a strong mental determination you can’t really go wrong (in my opinion).

That all said and done, and using as many mental boosting “tools” is awesome BUT at the same time you really do have to listen to your body when training get tough.

I’m historically poor at doing this and with this particular journey I’ve had to get sensible and listen in.

Training this intensely doesn’t allow for reckless physical complacency and ignoring parts of your body that feel like they’re falling apart at times is not going to get you through the finish line.  

Anyway, enough of all that, onto the weekly training accountability…enjoy!

Monday 22/04:

Bank holiday in the UK brought with it some amazing weather and the opportunity of running in heat albeit only 23 degrees compared a lot less that the Jungle will offer.

Having the whole day to make the most of training, I’d intended to get the 25 miles outta the way but an offer of doing some hills with a run group popped up.

Juggling route, distance, time and of course the dogs I figured I could still manage it all.

Met with some lovely runners for an early morning 9 miles of hill work before shooting home to collect the pups for a 6 mile lap of the airfield.

Swift drop off and straight back out for the long haul.

 

Heading along the cliffs towards Hook village I figured it’s be a great opportunity to see how a long run would develop in totally wet feet (because in the Jungle they WILL be wet every day for 5 days).

Ran the shoreline, through river outlets and just about anywhere I could to keep them soaked.

The Injinji socks were amazing and the ASICS were excellent at venting water quickly.

By the time I’d got home with just a little skin “pruning”, feet were still damp but blister free so I’ve absolutely no grumbles and a readiness plan that I hope will work in the Amazon.

The heat is still one of those things I need to work on. Historically I’m not great with hot & humid environments (ask those that have been on holiday with me in Thailand & Japan!). It takes my stomach a while to acclimatise and absolutely drains about 20% more energy when running. Hopefully I can control most of that with medical “stuff” when I get there.

Ended the day’s back to back sessions with an epic 30 miles clocked up and although tired, I looked back to several weeks ago when I clock watched and struggled mentally hitting 20 miles.

Possibly things are getting easier after all?

Tuesday 23/04:

Dojo teaching/training day

Wednesday 24/04:

I’d urm’ed ah arrr’ed about shortening today’s run from 11 miles to 6 but in the end and after an internal battle I figured I’d feel like I was letting myself down by shortening it.

So, kit went on, pack loaded and out the door for part one (running to the dojo to teach class).

As usual, the return home to collect the dogs for their daily run was considerably easier and then after a quick hook up it was straight back out for the airfield lap.

Absolutely felt better for doing the longer distance and not cheating myself. Can’t imagine why the soft option even entered my head at the beginning of the day and tbh it still keeps my weekly 70 mile target on track for the remainder of the week.

And there ya have it. Whatever’s happening in yer head, battle it out and don’t take the easy way!

11 miles added to the 30 from Monday and we’re still feeling good. Winner! 

Thursday 25/04:

Woke up and cracked on with the days’ work with background thoughts of what tonight’s run route would be.

To keep on track it needed to be a 16 miler and I knew the route splits. Question was, do I knock out the 6 miles with the happy hounds before the long section or vice versa?

It’s mental how fast two little four-legged crazies can run but they love it (even if I don’t as much) and run together as one.

A few miles in, fatigued legs played their wildcard and I full on kicked a rock protruding from the dry trail. Stumbled for about 10 paces and thought I was going to face-plant the deck.
I have no idea how I stayed upright but my right foot toes were absolutely killing!
Not being unaccustomed to broken toes through my Martial Arts career I was 100% sure I’d broken one or two. Quite a few expletives later I figured it best just to crack on and get the job done.
Hobbled for about ½ mile before switching it off the pain and jot back into something of a more realistic pace.

Putting on my sensible head I decided to head back take a look at the toes and sort out any damage.  

At least not having to teach meant that I got home at a reasonable time and able to enjoy the rest of the evening chilling once showered and fed & repaired.

Ended the session with 10.5 but all things considered I was happy with that.

Once home, I tentatively got my shoe off and realised the only main damage was to my second toenail. It’s been black ever since week one of training last year and hasn’t ever fallen off.

Cringe alert; rather than dropping off like they normally do, it’s kinda grown upwards in layers and proper sensitive. Result of the rock kicking exercise had that feeling of kicking a rock when you have a broken toe. Bloody ouch! On a positive at least it was nothing more serious.

Anyway, 51 miles down for the week and only 19 to go to complete the target. Realistically, there’s no reason why the 70 mile goal shouldn’t be smashed outta the park after Saturday so, assuming that happens I’ll be well happy. Let’s see how it goes.

Friday 26/04:

Last night was ibuprofen induced sleep but woke with no toe grief so back on it today!

Only 19 miles to do in two days is going to be easy and if I can squeeze a few more in then all the better.

Having done a little forward weather planning it seems tomorrow is likely to be wet n windy so today I wanted to break the back of the remainder just in case it’s super windy in the morning.

Headed out with the loons for  a slow chilled easy one.
Cliffs tops, different trail paths & streams just about summed it up.
We had all the time in the world so trotted, stompped and had loads of time to let the dogs do their thing.
Being a Friday afternoon and with the upcoming London Marathon weekend, there was absolutley nobody about throughout our session coz they're all resting for their big day.

A little longer than I like to do with the dogs but hey, they loved it and have soooo much energy it's crazy!

12.5 miles knocked off so, if it's windy tomorrow it'll be a short one to wrap the week up. 

Saturday 27/04:
Well, the weather men got it right and we had Hurricane Hannah blow in from the South.
Would hardly call it a hurricane but it was windy  but hey, if that's what they're calling windy weather then I guess we'll just have to go along with it. 

Up and out early and just did the airfield loop.
No dramas and nothing more than a sprint to get the session done and wrap the week up.

Rest day Sunday 28/04: 

Apart from a decent walk with the hounds we did nothing apart from watch the London Marathon on TV, which was totally amazing to see so many people taking part in what is the UK's biggest Marathon event. Totally motivationally inspiring stuff!

In summary we did hit the goal of 70 miles for the week although it means that I'll not make the 300 miles for the month :o(

The 300 mile in a month target was a bonus goal but unless I do 35 miles on Monday evening (which isn't likely to happen) I'll be short. On a positive, I'll have cracked out 289 miles this month which is 39 miles more than my best ever month so i can't complain / beat myself up too much.

Plan is to do the 25 miles onMonday and kick the pre-taper period off to a good start and then we're into May (how did that happen?!?!) and OFF to the Jungle!! :o/

 

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