Digging deep

In last weeks blog I left you wondering how my 2 hour run on the Monday would go following my quad thrashing of a weekend.  I smashed it with a fast, for me, 5:09 kmpm pace and felt great - how did that happen?  I think it come down to two things; a well designed training plan and plenty of rest and food in between.  I see athlete’s over train all the time and then wonder how they can’t reach their targets.  Rest is just another discipline involved in training and one I make sure I get plenty of.
This week once again was building my training round my work and I was in London on Thur/Fri with two long days and some client socialising!  Thursday was a much later night than intended which meant getting up at 6.30 for a run along the Thames was an effort.  My legs felt heavy but I slogged it out. Another long day and another delayed flight home so not ideal preparation for my 4hr run on Saturday.
Fortunately I had company.  Beth met us already having run an hour which she needed to do to fit in with her plans.  Stuart is tapering for his ultra next week end so he was joining us for an hour and would then head back with Beth.  Gavin joined us having run 5km to get to us and to my delight stayed the full distance with me.  It’s funny how your perspective of distance and time change as your training builds ups.  A month ago 4 hours would have seemed like a very long run, and it is.  But because I’m steadily building up the distance I don’t seem to mind so much.  While it’s physical it’s more mental.  And in a months time I’ll be thinking 4 hours is nothing because for 53 miles I’ll probably be running for 12 hours!
3 hours into the run my Garmin ran out of juice and Gavin very kindly stayed with me although the distance was a big jump up for him.  This allowed me to get accurate stats on my run because my Strava feed would only show 3 hours and as my pals (annoyingly) say “if it’s not on Strava it didn’t happen”.  So than’s Gav for digging deeper that you thought you’d have to.
When we were chatting we got onto the subject of what do you think about when running?  Your mind can wander and you can think through problems or whatever but the best bit is when you are on “auto pilot” and thinking about absolutely nothing.  It’s sheer bliss when you are in this “state”.  But there is also the time when you are running with someone and neither is speaking.  It’s usually when you are digging into your reserves, thinking of the pain and trying to deflect it either by looking at the scenery or thinking about what you are going to eat when you finish.  We went through that period of silence and I think it’s out of respect you don’t start talking negatively because that will impact on your running partner as well as yourself.  It’s a real privilege to run with people who’s company you enjoy knowing that they are working hard to reach their own goals.
Part of the run was in Chatelherault and we bumped into Scott Cunningham who was walking with his guide dog.  I can’t begin to imagine what goes on in his mind while he takes on the challenge of the uneven ground of Chatelherault.  Unfortunately his guide runner is in hospital and he’s looking for some runners to train with as he prepares to the Great North Run - he finished the Manchester marathon in 4 hrs 10 mins so he doesn’t hang around.  I hope to be able to accompany him on some runs in the coming months - he’s such an inspiration!
This morning was a short run - only 2hrs and 8 mins (see what I mean about changing perspective!) but on tired heavy legs.  I was on my own so I went out with some music to distract my mind but it’s not the same as having company.  It was a tough shift made tougher with the knowledge I was following it with a gym session.  The leg burn in the gym was tough but I know I need to improve my core and leg strength for all of my races.
Just to finish off the tired legs training, tomorrow I am heading off very early with Michael to head up and run down a nearby mountain to continue with the quad shredding as part of my essential preparation for the Fling on 27th April. The journey continues and I’m loving it.

Double Conic!

My 53 mile ultra is approaching rapidly and I need to prepare my body and more importantly my mind for this event.  I could probably do with another 3 or 4 weeks to prepare, but that’s no available so a bit of cramming is required.  A tough week at work and a tough weeks training, especially this weekend.
Saturday was a 31km run on a section of the race.  It involved going up over Conic Hill, down to Balmaha and along the side of Loch Lomond before retracing my steps.  Fortunately my pal Stuart was running with me because as we started the climb I didn’t feel “I had it in me” but he encouraged me.  The rain started and I was all for chucking it at the top and heading back down but we stopped for a couple of photos of the breath taking views and spoke to a young couple from Wales.  That break did me the world of good.  My spirits lifted as I headed down the hill but at the back of my mind I knew I’d have to be coming back up this hill.
I seemed to get a second wind and as the run went on I seemed to get stronger.  We finished strong and I was relieved to be finished but felt completely drained.  We headed off  to get something to eat as there was nothing left in the tank.  So glad I didn’t allow my mind to talk me out the run - it almost did.
Today was going to be tough.  A 2 hour run up Ben Ledi.  Again I was lucky to have a couple of pals with me, Michael & Beth.  However the weather conditions didn’t look favourable. 50 mph winds predicted and that was at ground level.  When we were head into wind we were almost at a standstill but worst of all was the cross wind.  It almost blew us off our feet and when we got to the summit we didn’t hang around.  Our descent was fast as the wind blew us down hill but when we reached the bottom we had to refluel as the tank was empty.  We took a chance on the weather and got away with it.  The scenery was stunning and it certainly blew away any cobweb we may have had.  We are so lucky to have this scenery on our doorstep.
Back to back runs are what gets me ready for long races and tomorrow I have a 2 hour run on tired legs.  It should be interesting but I’m looking forward to it as it takes me 1 step closer to my goal.

How bad do you want it?

When setting goals in life, this is the “killer question”.  Everything else takes second place.  Whether it be climbing the career ladder, planning your retirement or running your first 5/10/21/42 km race this is the key question because if you don’t “want it bad” then when the going gets tough you will struggle.
The Kms are starting to build with my first race of the season approaching in 5 weeks time.  It’s a tough 53 mile / 85km ultra on the West Highland Way with 7,500 ft / 2,300m of climbing.  This weekend has been unusual as I’ve been concentrating on shorter 1 hour runs but with pace.  The fact that they’re shorter doesn’t mean they are easy as the increase in speed feels alien but these are important sessions.  The next two weeks involve some of my longest runs to date and mountain runs where I shred my quads on the way down to replicate what the conditions will be like on the ultra.  I’ve also to fit this around a couple of London trips but it has to be done because “I want it bad”!
After today’s run I met with my coach to go over my schedule between now and the race.  We made a few alterations to the plan but all the statistics are pointing in the right direction which is encouraging.  More planning is required to make sure I fuel properly during the race because it’s easy to get this wrong and all the training in the world won’t get you through running “on empty”.
I’ll be talking to a group of Vistage CEOs next week about this subject.  They are “corporate athlete’s” and their approach should be no different from training for an ultra.  After all, running a successful business isn’t a sprint.  It’s far more like an extreme ultra in my own personal experience.
So when thinking about your goals remember and ask yourself, how bad do you want it?

On the edge

I often get asked, how do you train for a crazy event like the Tahoe 200 which has big climbs / descents (40,000ft), altitude, heat, cold at night, lots of miles and it’s a non-stop event so sleep deprivation willl be another challenge.  I can’t replicate the conditions so I have to rely on consistent training, a lot of it on tired legs, and throw in some Scottish hills to shred my quads on the downhill but nothing will come close to the mountains around Lake Tahoe.
The other and probably the most important aspect is preparing my mind.  My experience has shown that it’s your mind that gives up before your body.  After all it’s the “health and safety officer” and wants you to stop before there is damage.  However the “factory settings” are set with a big safety margin and you have to test that margin on a regular basis so you know how far you can push it.
This weekend has been a testing one for me.  I had to swap the order of my runs so the shorter run was on Saturday - 18km at Chatelherault.  When I finished my watch told me I needed 36 hours recovery - well that wasn’t going to happen and I wasn’t going to dwell on it.  Today the weather forecast was shit - snow and wind and if I didn’t finish by 1pm then the winds were 40 mph.  I was meant to be running for 3hrs and 10 minutes and had planned my route before I’d seen the weather forecast.  Unfortunately I had no pals to run with and those two factors should have made me change the route as I was running in the middle of nowhere which was high - there’s a wind farm up there so there’s a clue!
When I headed out the snow was lying and I could have worn trail shoes.  As I climbed the wind was picking up and the snow started to sting my face.  I considered lifting my buff over my nose but my headphones were tangled and I didn’t want to take my ski gloves off.  The gloves felt like boxing gloves with the weight of the water but my hands were warm.  Before I hit the big climb I managed a gel but not easy with the gloves on.  Shortly afterwards my shoe lace came undone and I had to take my gloves off.  Getting them back on wasn’t easy and my fingers were now numb.  As I reached the top of the climb it was a white out.  Two cars coming in the opposite direction hadn’t slowed down and left me looking like a snowman!  I was constantly trying to get my fingers to move and knew I wouldn’t be able to get a gel or any food out.  This was not a good place to be in and I’m in the middle of nowhere.
I had my phone with me if I was really stuck but this would have meant taking off my gloves.  I was determined to keep moving as the temperature had dropped and the wind was getting stronger.  I was really starting to think about my safety and had agreed with myself that if a car was heading in my direction I’d hitch a lift.  I also comforted myself with the thought that these are the positions you need to get into to try and replicate when you want to chuck it.  No cars came so I struggled on and found my way home having cut the run short by 30 minutes because that would have been extremely stupid! It was an ugly run but I’d definitely been “on the edge”.  Straight to bed with a hot cup of tea and a couple of hot water bottles to allow me to heat up slowly before going into the shower.  My fingers weren’t functioning.  All sorted now as I’m washed, watered, fed and have my feet up watching the footie.  My body feels fine and my recovery run tomorrow will flush out any nasties.  In hind sight I should have changed route or found someone to run with.  I need waterproof mits that can be taken off and on when needed so I can feed myself on the run.  Every day’s a learning day, today just happened to be a very cold one.

How do you eat an elephant?

As you know my blog has been going for 9 years.  Its purpose is to act as a personal journal for me but at the same time if it inspires anyone to push their limits, then I’m happy.  Blogging helps motivate me so, and hopefully some others, when I’m digging deep or considering skipping a session.  But if I blog it, post it then I do it.
I’ve 193 Days till Lake Tahoe - “the elephant”.  I’m starting to organise the logistics, flights, accommodation, gear (rucksack), support runners etc. But in the meantime I’m focused on my training plan.  Every session has a purpose and I need to deliver against the targets as my coach prepares me for the toughest event of my life - and I’m loving every moment of it.
Once again this week I was juggling my diary with my training schedule.  On Friday I left the house at 5am so I could start running at 5.30 and finish in time for a 7am swim and be at work for 9am.  It was a tough double session but it was just the start of a very hard weekend.
The weather forecast for Saturday was horrendous but it wasn’t really bad till 1pm so the fabulous three headed out at 7am.  It was a hilly run but in 2 hrs 20 mins we were back at the start and one of the group headed off to run a class.  And then there were two but my partner was struggling and a few miles later he headed back - we call all have an off day.  But now I was left on my own and that when I started to think about “eating an elephant”.  It’s not that I was hungry, just I was thinking about Tahoe and the 205 miles with 40,000 ft of climbing and ascending.  It seems a mammoth task but I know if I stick with the plan and complete every training session then I will succeed.  After 3hrs and 36 mins of running I was 3.5km short of a marathon but I’d hit my target and didn’t want to risk getting injured.  My calf was taped up on Friday to ease the pressure on my foot and it had worked so I called it a day.  Back to juggling so shower, food and then jumped into the car and drove up to Aberdeen, 3 hours, for a night out with family - it ended in a nightclub at Midnight! (Not normal behaviour!).
At lunchtime I drove back from Aberdeen and when I got home all I wanted to do was sleep.  But I had a double training session to do!  A 90 minute run at a faster pace than yesterday which wasn’t going to be that fast.  But rather than keep checking my Garmin on the pace I decided to “go for it” otherwise I might not give it my best.  I didn’t look at my watch once and when I finished the run I was very happy with the results.  I’ve said it before but sometimes it’s the session you least want to do that’s the best session.  But I wasn’t finished - I had a gym session to complete.  Being warmed up made it a better session but oh the burn in my quads!
The way to eat an elephant is in little slices.  Each training session is a slice of the elephant and takes me one step closer to my goal - I’ve just got to avoid getting indigestion!