Sensible head

With 32 days till I’ll be standing on the start line in Lake Tahoe, my focus is sharpening. Training has been going well and in July I ran 380km which included 14,000 metres of ascending.  But now the clock is really counting down and every training session critical.  Hard to image that I’ll be running 328 km with 13,000 metres of climbing in 4 days!  Elephant eating will be required - small pieces!
This week has involve long runs, a sport therapy treatment and a 1.5 hour leg massage.  My quads were like concrete so they took a pounding and it wasn’t enjoyable.  But I need to keep my body in good working order.
My Monday morning run to the office was made more pleasurable as my coach joined me after I’d completed 15km, only 18 to go.  But I left 5 mins late (toilet issues) so had to run faster than planned.  I got there early.  I’ve said this all along but having someone to run with makes it easier so it’s no surprise that my pace for 33km was faster than the day before despite the fatigue and the elevation in this run versus a flat run the day before - result.
Yesterday was a 3hour 20 min run but it came on the back of a night out.  I suffered. Self inflicted but I completed the run.  Can’t afford to do that again before Tahoe!
Today was meant to be a 6 hour hill run.  The weather forecast was vile so I headed up north to where it was meant to be better.  I was on my own on a hill I hadn’t climbed before, Ben More, and the climb was described as relentless- it’s an accurate description.  I couldn’t see the summit from the bottom due to clouds.  The terrain was boggy, wet, slippery and rocky.  I made it 3/4 of the way up before my sensible head took over.  The wind was picking up, I was just below cloud base and rain would be arriving at some stage so I decided to call it a day.  The way down was treacherous but I managed to stay upright.  Don’t know how I’d have managed had it been raining as it was tricky getting down.  I’ve got a niggle on my ankle which has a little bit of swelling but with the next threee days off hopefully it will settle down.  Next weekend is 2 X 6 hours so I’ll need all the rest I can get. Tick tick.  As you know I’m raising money for Maggie,s Cancer Caring Centres in memory of my good friend Carol O’Docherty. If you can help the link is www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Derek-stewart8 - thanks.