My training this year has been great. With the exception of one week laid out with the dreaded lurgie I've hardly missed a run! I've pretty much run back to backs every weekend and enjoyed (nearly) all of them. My mid week runs are typically half marathon distance and I'm running these in times I'd have killed for 3 years ago.
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| Me, not racing the Glenkiln's race |
Even if I was 3 minutes slower than last year and I was overtaken by a man with a dog at mile 11, I'd done a 22 mile trail run the day before and I still felt good.
My training mileage is exactly where I feel it needs to be for the WHW race in June, I'm well ahead of last year's mileage and I've done a couple of 30 mile runs bang on plan too.
I've lost weight partly as planned but mostly down to the spectacular dose of the "two bob bits" I had two weeks ago.
I went to the superb WHW "inspiration evening" in Edinburgh this week, and was duly and genuinely inspired and enthused.
I ran our usual Mabie Forest 13 mile route last Saturday and felt really strong and positive afterwards. I ran my last planned run on Monday, an easy 6 miler and didn't even break sweat.
So in theory I'm now a coiled spring ready to explode off the start line in Duthie Park on Saturday, except I'm not, I'm having a wobble.
I woke up on Tuesday morning and both my ankles were sore, not sore in specific bits like my Achilles or anything obvious for a runner, just generally sore and weak all over, I could hardly walk from my desk to the kitchen at work and when I did I kept having to lean on the furniture.
I had to fetch some timber samples from one of the warehouses at Lockerbie, they probably only weighed 5 kilos, but by the time I waddled back to my office on my weak and girly ankles I was puffing and wheezing like an old goat.
My back decided to join in too, pain free for months and then Voila, Wednesday sore back and hobbling around like Albert Steptoe on a bad day.
I even managed to cut myself shaving this morning, you would think that at age 49 I would know by now how to navigate a razor round my grizzled chops.
I left home today with more bags, food, clothing and running kit than a NATO excercise!
The forecast for Aberdeen is snow and Artic weather, gulp.
Yup, I'm definately having a wobble.
But wait a minute Ainslie
I've managed to arrange my work week so I'm working at our sawmill in Aboyne tomorrow, so I've substituted a 5 hour drive in the dark from Dumfries arriving stupidly late for a 1 hour daylight drive to my hotel right next to Duthie Park and a civilised meal and an early night.
This will be my 4th Ultra, so I know I can do the distance.
The chat on the D33 has been great fun.
The route is pretty much as flat as a pancake, compared with the trails I've been running, it's mostly on a cycle way, so ankle rupturing opportunities will be minimal, douche grade.
I've been practicing my hydration and nutrition and whilst I'm far from perfect I am getting better, my pee is seldon the colour of Irn Bru when I finish a run.
I'm not running for a time, it's part of my WHW build up.
I had a great nights sleep last night, my girly ankles are back to normal, my back is fine, I'm not nervous about Saturday at all in fact I'm pretty relaxed about it.
It's the dreaded taper.
Time to zip up my mansuit, grow a pair and get out and enjoy the run.
Cheers
At the start of your post I was forming a comment in my head along the lines of "Get a grip Ainslie, these are just symptoms of taperitis and signs of a good run ahead!" But no need to shout at you, you've already sussed it. Have a good one.
ReplyDeleteFi xx
Have a good weekend and good race Keith.
ReplyDeleteVicky
Sounds like a classic case of taperitis, just as discussed at the WHW Inspiration evening earlier this week. Good to meet you there! Murdo tM
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