Hitting the wall

Does technology make me a hypochondriac or give me a more scientific approach to my training? After last weekends back to back 20 mile trail runs I was knackered.  As always I took the Monday off training and got an amber light on my heart rate variance (HRV) app which meant I would need to have taken any training easy anyway. But on Tuesday the HRV was red so definitely no training.  The same was repeated on Wednesday and I certainly was suffering from a head cold so I though better take the rest. Sports massage on Thursday so I didn't want to do any training although I had a green light and I had a funeral on Friday so wasn't really up for it.
On Saturday I went out with two experienced ultra runners to run probably the toughest section of the Highland Fling from Rowardennan up the east side of the loch. I had purchased a new heart rate strap for my garmin as I wanted to see how high my heart rate was when running.  This stretch of the run involves clambering over rocks and it's easy to see where time is lost. It's hard to average walking pace at times with all the ups, down, tree routes, bog and a new hazard - the waves crashing against the path. The white horses were riding high and at one stage actually came onto the path. You can't really enjoy the spectacular scenery while moving or else you'll fall. I managed that twice; once straining my hamstring as I tried to stop my fall and the other time going down full length. I was attempting this 9.5 mile out and back with fresh legs so I hate to think what it will be like with 30 miles in them on the day.
We set off too fast, when will I learn, and it's a hard uphill start. When my heart rate reached 170 I walked but was it because I was tired from last weekend, was it the head cold, or were we just going too fast.  In the end I think the technology was telling me to back off and I didn't listen.  I struggled to eat and this eventually caught up on me when I "hit the wall".  I had started to get thirsty and then got to a point where walking up hill was almost impossible. Rosie and Craig force fed me jelly babies and got some fuel into my body.  Then they persuaded the chimp in my head that I could make it to the end so we ran/walked the last 4 miles.  I can't tell you how many times I had "retired from running" during the four miles but it was plenty.  Golf seemed like a fantastic alternative.  However it's normal to feel this way if you haven't taken on enough fuel especially with what I am attempting to do. So it was a big learning day for me and I am so glad I have seen this part of the race before race day.  The race plan is formulating in my head now, I can see it.  But between now and the 'fling I need to get my nutrition nailed as I do not want to experience that feeling of the wall - ever again!