It's not quite "squeaky bum time" but its getting close. The training continues to go well with my hill walking/running into cloud base continuing and longer Chatelherault runs confirming my progress. But I thought I'd share what's going on between my ears as this has happened in all the major events I've taken part in from Ironman to MdS, Ultra runs to ultra swims.
Every training session I'm visualising being in the Grand Canyon and how the session relates to the event - even if I'm in the pool. So today I enjoyed company on the first two laps of Chatelherault but was on my own for the third lap. I had to dig deep because I wanted to maintain the pace and was running on tired legs which is deliberate as that will be what it is like in the race. So I channeled my thinking into race mode. I also have to be mentally prepared for sleeping in a 10 man tent, there's bound to be a snorer, with a bunch of smelly people - you don't waste your water supply on washing and I'll only have one set of running clothes. Sleeping in a sleeping bag while balancing on a small inflatable mat isn't easy. The temperature will swing from bloody hot to bloody cold in 24 hours and I need to make sure I am adequately prepared for those conditions without taking a wardrobe of clothes which would make my rucksack to heavy.
On the subject of a rucksack I am hoping to have that one resolved this week and I'll need to be walking/running with it filled with clothes and water to get the weight up so I'm used to running with about 12kg.
My new shoes were confirmed this weekend based on two successful training sessions as the last pair fell to bits in less than 4 weeks, so I changed brand - they wouldn't have survived 170 miles. I still need to agree what food I'm taking so a food tasting session is required. And all these thoughts are going on whenever there is space in my head from life & work. The worst time is just before I nod off to sleep as my mind is still processing the information.
My diary is planned as much as possible around my training and with so little time left, 27 days to the start line or 22 before I step on the plane, every session counts. For my friends who compete in Ironman and Ultra events, they will get this way of thinking but not everyone who reads this blog is involved in this madness. Getting to the start line is always the first priority but you also have to enjoy the journey. The excitement is building to this adventure of a lifetime. The opportunity of living in the canyon with a group of likeminded individuals. Shut off from the outside world with the exception of messages coming through on email which are handed to us at night. I remember how emotional everyone got at MdS around those messages - our only contact with the outside world. You are literally stripped of everything you are used to and you have to survive while running in the desert carrying everything you need in your rucksack - if it's not in your rucksack then your stuffed. This means the preparation / logistics are essential. I have lists of lists and am slowly ticking the items off. So every waking moment, this is what's going through my mind. Just thought I'd give you an insight into the mental side!
Sunday, 27 August 2017
Sunday, 20 August 2017
When the cats away.........
So the boss and mini boss (wife and daughter) were away in Palma for 4 days so it was decided this would be a good time to get 4 consequitive days on the hills - quad crunching! Thursday I couldn't get any accommodation so took a tent. More of that later but the weather was fowl. As I was on my own and decide to play it safe having been given a route by an experienced friend which avoided the summits. After an hour in clouds with the rain pissing down and the trail getting worse I decided to cut my losses and headed back. Off to the campsite. I chose a spot under a tree thinking it would offer some shelter. The instructions said the tent would be set up in 15 mins - try 45 mins. Then I discovered a big rock in the centre of the ground - rookie error. The ground was saturated so I got a rubber liner out the boot of my car. Checked the weather forecast for the following day, and packed up and went home. I think I'd have been under a foot of water by the morning.
On Friday I ran three laps of Chatelherault- can't remember the last time I did that. It felt good and my legs knew they had been through a work out but at the cost of two big blisters on the inside of my big toes. This is not good news but at least I'll get to practice my repair skills on them. But as I had just visited my friend Davy Arthur who was recovering from a bad bike accident with a broken back, broken neck and many other life threatening injuries, I decided to man up - he's an inspiration.
As a novice on the hills I was delighted that Michael Martin was taking me up two munro's at Bridge of Orkey. We were soaked before we left the car park. 400m up and we were at cloud base. Then the hailstones came crashing in on a gale force wind. At the summit the conditions were brutal. We had to skirt round the summit with a big drop while trying not to be blow off. My hands were numb and I put them through the loops of my poles in case they fell out my hands. On the descent we ran down the stream rather than go through the bog and I ended up doing a somersault bruising my hip. We had to wade through the bog and twice was up to my knees - summer in Scotland! We went for lunch at a hotel in the middle of nowhere as I had a room for the night. After lunch I binned that and headed home for a good nights sleeep and I wasn't convinced the forecast of good weather would come true. It did!
Another experienced hill / ultra runner friend, Derek Fish, had invited me up to Comrie near Crieff to climb Ben Chonzie with his pals. What he didn't tell me was there was a 8 mile warm up run with 1,000 ft of climbing! Then we tackled Ben Chozie (3,000 ft) and these guys were keen to run up it! There is a dry (for a change) 3 mile track before you get into a small amount of bog then running across rocks and grass. I was tired but did my best to keep up and was delighted with the views at the top. We ran all the way down but the blisters didn't appreciate it.
Mission accomplished - quads were well bashed. I've done more running in the last 4 days than I have in the last 9 months. Running on tired legs is all part of the training and although the weather reduced the number of hours I was supposed to be out, it's building nicely. In 34 days time I will be running/ walking with 12kg on my back, in heat, sand and at altitude. It may be 6-8 hours a day with the exception of the double marathon stage. It's certainly a challenge and I can't wait for it to start - although another month of training would help.
The cat was away so this mouse did play but it will definitely be an early night tonight. I'm bust!
On Friday I ran three laps of Chatelherault- can't remember the last time I did that. It felt good and my legs knew they had been through a work out but at the cost of two big blisters on the inside of my big toes. This is not good news but at least I'll get to practice my repair skills on them. But as I had just visited my friend Davy Arthur who was recovering from a bad bike accident with a broken back, broken neck and many other life threatening injuries, I decided to man up - he's an inspiration.
As a novice on the hills I was delighted that Michael Martin was taking me up two munro's at Bridge of Orkey. We were soaked before we left the car park. 400m up and we were at cloud base. Then the hailstones came crashing in on a gale force wind. At the summit the conditions were brutal. We had to skirt round the summit with a big drop while trying not to be blow off. My hands were numb and I put them through the loops of my poles in case they fell out my hands. On the descent we ran down the stream rather than go through the bog and I ended up doing a somersault bruising my hip. We had to wade through the bog and twice was up to my knees - summer in Scotland! We went for lunch at a hotel in the middle of nowhere as I had a room for the night. After lunch I binned that and headed home for a good nights sleeep and I wasn't convinced the forecast of good weather would come true. It did!
Another experienced hill / ultra runner friend, Derek Fish, had invited me up to Comrie near Crieff to climb Ben Chonzie with his pals. What he didn't tell me was there was a 8 mile warm up run with 1,000 ft of climbing! Then we tackled Ben Chozie (3,000 ft) and these guys were keen to run up it! There is a dry (for a change) 3 mile track before you get into a small amount of bog then running across rocks and grass. I was tired but did my best to keep up and was delighted with the views at the top. We ran all the way down but the blisters didn't appreciate it.
Mission accomplished - quads were well bashed. I've done more running in the last 4 days than I have in the last 9 months. Running on tired legs is all part of the training and although the weather reduced the number of hours I was supposed to be out, it's building nicely. In 34 days time I will be running/ walking with 12kg on my back, in heat, sand and at altitude. It may be 6-8 hours a day with the exception of the double marathon stage. It's certainly a challenge and I can't wait for it to start - although another month of training would help.
The cat was away so this mouse did play but it will definitely be an early night tonight. I'm bust!
Sunday, 13 August 2017
Spend spend spend!
41 days till I line up at the startline in the Grand Cayon but in 35 days time I get on the plane! Therefore I have to have all my gear and food purchased and tested. Yes tested. I can't turn up without having tested my equipment. So a few major purchases were made during the week. A sleeping bag that can take minus temperatures (I'll be sleeping at altitude), a down jacket and a set of graphite foldaway poles. The poles failed on their first outing and will be going back to the shop tomorrow - very disappointed as they are so light. Minimising the weigh of everything is essential and every item I am carrying is on a spreadsheet and will be weighed.
This was a busy week and I would normally have a day off on Monday but it was switched to Thursday as I would be in London that day. Therefore it was an extended weeks training and while I felt tired, I managed two walk runs without any issues and then a 90 minute run at Chatelherault- I loved it!
On Saturday I climbed The Cobbler 884m, Beinn Narnian 926m and Beinn Ime 1,011m. My friend Graham Harvey had sent me a map with instructions and I headed off on my own (I can get lost in a car park). The Cobbler was a bit scary as it was windy and clouds were covering part of the summit. I don't know if this helped me manage a very narrow ledge as I couldn't see the drop but at the very top I couldn't stand up. Beinn Narnian had amazing views but I came off the summit at the wrong point and had to scramble up and down rocks to make my way round to the path - eventually got there. The last summit had incredible views but my foot was protesting on the way down with the terrain.
When I got off the mountain I decided to run down the path to the car and I managed that without too much pain. I feel as though I am actually training my head to cope with the pain which I know will be the case in the Canyon as it was in MdS. In total I was out for 5 hours and when I got back I headed out for a meal and then the Edinburgh Tattoo - got back at 2am - a long day which had started 21 hours earlier.
Today was swimming and for a change it was an evening session. I'm feeling great and tomorrow is a day off training although I'll be at the chiropractor followed by the physio the following day.
I have 4 days of hill walking / running coming up so I hope I have more exciting tales to tell you next week. These injuries have meant my training schedule has required to be adapted and I think it's working in my favour. Back to spending more money this week as I buy the last of the items I need and then to decide on the food I'm going to be carrying with me. This approach underlines my mantra of the 7Ps; piss poor preparation precipitates piss poor performance! Once I step on that plane I will need to have everything with me to succeed and it will need to have been tested. So preparation is essential and it's not just about running.
This was a busy week and I would normally have a day off on Monday but it was switched to Thursday as I would be in London that day. Therefore it was an extended weeks training and while I felt tired, I managed two walk runs without any issues and then a 90 minute run at Chatelherault- I loved it!
On Saturday I climbed The Cobbler 884m, Beinn Narnian 926m and Beinn Ime 1,011m. My friend Graham Harvey had sent me a map with instructions and I headed off on my own (I can get lost in a car park). The Cobbler was a bit scary as it was windy and clouds were covering part of the summit. I don't know if this helped me manage a very narrow ledge as I couldn't see the drop but at the very top I couldn't stand up. Beinn Narnian had amazing views but I came off the summit at the wrong point and had to scramble up and down rocks to make my way round to the path - eventually got there. The last summit had incredible views but my foot was protesting on the way down with the terrain.
When I got off the mountain I decided to run down the path to the car and I managed that without too much pain. I feel as though I am actually training my head to cope with the pain which I know will be the case in the Canyon as it was in MdS. In total I was out for 5 hours and when I got back I headed out for a meal and then the Edinburgh Tattoo - got back at 2am - a long day which had started 21 hours earlier.
Today was swimming and for a change it was an evening session. I'm feeling great and tomorrow is a day off training although I'll be at the chiropractor followed by the physio the following day.
I have 4 days of hill walking / running coming up so I hope I have more exciting tales to tell you next week. These injuries have meant my training schedule has required to be adapted and I think it's working in my favour. Back to spending more money this week as I buy the last of the items I need and then to decide on the food I'm going to be carrying with me. This approach underlines my mantra of the 7Ps; piss poor preparation precipitates piss poor performance! Once I step on that plane I will need to have everything with me to succeed and it will need to have been tested. So preparation is essential and it's not just about running.
Sunday, 6 August 2017
Munro bagging
Another week with no running and further treatment for the hip/hammy problem. Pleased to report that the hip & hammy are brand new thanks to the amazing chiropractor Gill Fraser (Strathkelvin Chiropractic Clinic). However my coach wanted to work my legs so a long walk was planned for Friday, hill walking on Saturday & Sunday. This is ideal training as there will be hill walking in the Grand Canyon and you need to practice power walking as it puts different pressure on your feet.
On Saturday I went out with experience climber Alan Stirling, another Ironman. We tackled 3 Munro's (mountains over 3,000 feet). Beinn Ghlas is 1,103 metres and I'm sure it would have been a nice view but it was in the clouds. We headed onto Ben Lawyers at 968m and guest what, it was in the clouds. We then pressed onto An Stuc at 1,118m and the clouds dispersed and we got our reward. We also watched in amazement as shepherds were rounding up their herd of sheep with their border collies - whistling and shouting instructions to the dogs. It is so removed from life 1,000m below and I could have stayed there for a few hours. But this was a work out and I had to press on. In addition rain was forecast so we headed back down and I was able to run (carefully and slowly) the bottom half of the mountain. The rain arrived so the last 30 minutes were very wet. It took us 4 hours in total so this was a good work out for me.
Today my target was 3 hours of hill walking so I headed to another "Munro" Ben Lomond (again). The weather forecast was for rain at lunchtime so I made sure I got their early, only to be met by torrential rain - what happen to Summer in Scotland? It didn't last long and the climb was in humid conditions which had the sweat poring off me (I lost 2 pounds on this climb). But the higher I went the more the clouds came in and the wind picked up. So for the fifth time in a row, I haven't had the reward of a clear view from this summit. The descent was sore on my foot but hopefully tomorrow I'll get my leg taped and this will help the stability.
I'm planning a 4 day trip into the Glencoe mountain range to increase the time to 6-8 hours a day as this will be good preparation for the Canyon. I can't replicate the heat or the altitude but I can get my legs used to being punished every day. I'll also be "braking the bank" when I buy the equipment I need for the event. I've now got a much better idea as to what I'll be taking and I'll soon be testing the expedition food. Sadly the company that supplied my food for MdS went out of business which was a shame as it was tasty and food is critical when you're burning carlories at the rate I will be. It really is beginning to get exciting as I get close to my departure for the Canyon but there is a lot of hard work to be done between now and then.
On Saturday I went out with experience climber Alan Stirling, another Ironman. We tackled 3 Munro's (mountains over 3,000 feet). Beinn Ghlas is 1,103 metres and I'm sure it would have been a nice view but it was in the clouds. We headed onto Ben Lawyers at 968m and guest what, it was in the clouds. We then pressed onto An Stuc at 1,118m and the clouds dispersed and we got our reward. We also watched in amazement as shepherds were rounding up their herd of sheep with their border collies - whistling and shouting instructions to the dogs. It is so removed from life 1,000m below and I could have stayed there for a few hours. But this was a work out and I had to press on. In addition rain was forecast so we headed back down and I was able to run (carefully and slowly) the bottom half of the mountain. The rain arrived so the last 30 minutes were very wet. It took us 4 hours in total so this was a good work out for me.
Today my target was 3 hours of hill walking so I headed to another "Munro" Ben Lomond (again). The weather forecast was for rain at lunchtime so I made sure I got their early, only to be met by torrential rain - what happen to Summer in Scotland? It didn't last long and the climb was in humid conditions which had the sweat poring off me (I lost 2 pounds on this climb). But the higher I went the more the clouds came in and the wind picked up. So for the fifth time in a row, I haven't had the reward of a clear view from this summit. The descent was sore on my foot but hopefully tomorrow I'll get my leg taped and this will help the stability.
I'm planning a 4 day trip into the Glencoe mountain range to increase the time to 6-8 hours a day as this will be good preparation for the Canyon. I can't replicate the heat or the altitude but I can get my legs used to being punished every day. I'll also be "braking the bank" when I buy the equipment I need for the event. I've now got a much better idea as to what I'll be taking and I'll soon be testing the expedition food. Sadly the company that supplied my food for MdS went out of business which was a shame as it was tasty and food is critical when you're burning carlories at the rate I will be. It really is beginning to get exciting as I get close to my departure for the Canyon but there is a lot of hard work to be done between now and then.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
