The Countdown Continues

Well it has been a while since I blogged.  I could blame a lack of things happening in regards to training but that wouldn't be true.  In fact I have done some of my best training ever but I have also been truly tested in terms of injury.  I have learnt a lot in the last couple of years about when to listen to your body and believe me I have certainly been having to use that knowledge recently.

So last time I blogged was a week before the Fling.  I had Achilles Tendonitis in my left leg after having shin splints on the same leg.  All caused by a tight calf and so this caused me to make the biggest decision ever in my running career and drop the Fling race.  It was really annoying.  Here I was in my best condition ever but an injury meant that I wouldn't be able to race.  On the day of the Fling I supported Debbie and there was only one small minute that I wished that I was racing in that heat.  While watching Andrew and Jez battling it out for first I wanted to be part of it.  Reality though hit me moments later when I realised I never would and would have likely been about an hour behind them.  Well unless they were just coming to Drymen and we all know how my story went that year.  Back to the Fling and Debbie had a fabulous result coming in second.  Even more amazing considering the heat and how she normally only has a comfort range between 14.5C and 15C  I was sweeper for the last 12 miles and although it was a long journey I met a few new friends on the way.

After the Fling it was time to ramp up the mileage and try to get back what I had lost during the month of April.  Against all my training of previous years I decided that I would need to have 5 weekends of long runs and then taper for the West Highland Way.  This completely went against my usual 3 weeks long 1 week short (Recovery) but the way things were panning out I had no choice if I wanted to be fit for the race.  I checked with Graeme at Hampden and he agreed with the plan.  So the day after the Fling I ran 17 miles easy on the hills.  Then the following weekend I did 26 miles on the hills and then 10 miles on road.  After the enforced rest for April and only 114 miles total for that month including 40 in one day the running was so tough.  But I kept it all easy and this made the runs a good 4 to 5 hours of tough time on feet.  The weekend after I ran with Thomas who was still recovering from the Fling.  It was great to be back out with my old training partner though.  Next day I was out doing 12 miles, the Achilles still niggling but manageable.

Then it was onto the most important runs of my training.  The 2 back to back weekends that I had planned.  I had taken the Friday off and was running from my house to Callander where I would stay over as part of the Garscube Training weekend.  The distance is just under 40 miles and once in Milngavie you take the WHW to Drymen before going onto the No7 Cycle track to Aberfoyle and then Callander.  I had ran it last year and thourouly enjoyed it.  Again I tried to take it easy and relaxed.  I never stopped the watch for any breaks and was pleasantly surprised that the run only took 6 hours.  About an hour faster than I thought it would take.  So it seemed that the enforced rest and not doing the Fling may have helped.  I felt so fresh at the end that I even managed to go running with some of my club mates that night for 6 miles at 7:16 min/mile pace.  Probably not the wisest thing to do and certainly if I had known what the next day was going to bring I would have instead gone to bed.

The next day I ran 36.50 miles including two munros (Ben Vorlich and Stuc a Chroin).  The first 18 miles I did myself before meeting two runners from the club, Athole and Euan.  Athole had done this run before and has supported me in every WHW but this was all new to Euan and I dont think he will ever be inclined to run in an ultra anytime soon after it.  All was fine until we reached Ben Vorlich.  Athole was going great and forging ahead, but I was having a low point and struggling to get enough food into myself.  Once we got to the top the wind and rain hit us.  Hillwalkers were dressed for the winter and here was the three of us dressed as if we were going for a newspaper on a summers day.  There was gasps of disbelief as we headed for Stuc a Chroin whilst the well dressed Hillwalkers retreated from the top of Vorlich to go to the pub early.  By Stuc we were all totally miserable.  I was so cold that the fell shoes I had carried for 60 miles over the 2 days didnt come out of my pack in fear that my frozen hands would not be able to tie them up.  It was so cold and my hands so numb that they started to swell and looked like red balloons attached to my rain jacket.  I had gloves with me but again it was too late as I would never have been able to get into my pack.

Luckily this year we didn't get lost like last year and found the track out (and the correct valley) quickly.  Problem was that this year the river crossing that we had to make was horrendous.  We had to wade through it but seeing as I was soaked through it didn't matter so I jumped in.  The sudden freezing water sending my calfs into cramp.  Not great when you have been nursing them for the last 2 months in the fear of more injuries.  We got back to the bunkhouse in time for the football that had been keeping us going the whole way.  I then missed the whole thing when I fell asleep.  36.5 miles in just over 7 hours with 1800m ascent so happy with that even with the weather.

I then had a slightly easier week to recover before hitting the distance again and running the 30 miles from Balmaha to Inversnaid and back.  I had just bought a new pair of shoes (After one and a half hours trying loads on in Achilles Heel, thank you Christine).  I had been unhappy with my Nike Pegasus since they had changed the sole to something even more cushioned than the pillows they had before.  So with my new Brooks Adrenaline I ran the route in 4 hours 50 mins.  It didn't feel fast at all but was quicker than I had ever done it before.  But I was sore by the end.  My left shin and now my right Achilles.  Damn injuries.  The worst thing was though that I had promised to meet some other WHW runners on the way that night for a 20 mile night run too.  So I spent the next 4 or 5 hours trying to get a rest as my calfs twitched and pulsated and prevented me getting any sleep at all.  Nightmare.

I turned up at Milngavie for 11pm after popping painkillers and promising myself that if I had any twinges at all I would head straight back to bed.  Fortunately I had no twinges at all and made steady progress until a lot of fallen trees stopped us on the way through the forest after Drymen.  At the end of the run and 50 miles ran in the preceding 24 hours I could have actually continued on.  That was a great feeling and gave me a lot of confidence which was then shattered when I went out a 5 mile easy jog on Tuesday and the return of my screaming achilles (in the right leg now) and more time off running and back to the pool and bike.

And so after 5 very good weeks training I am back to resting an injury.  Luckily its taper time and I am meant to be taking it easy.

The funny thing is that this taper is actually different.  The years before my taper has been a nightmare.  Three weeks of nerves and fidgeting.  Not sure if you should train or not, are you going to fast/slow.  This year I cant run and so there is no stress.  My body is recovering and I am enjoying it.  I weighed myself after the 5 hard weeks and had lost 3 Kg so no food fears as I gain it back on.  Is this a new way to prepare for a big race?  Don't train at all.  Well we will see in 2 weeks time.