On top of the world

Pain and suffering before gain and achievement.  That's how I finished last weeks blog.  It's fair to say I had a lot of pain last week.  I couldn't walk properly till Thursday, I just wasn't in control of my legs due to the DOMS from Saturdays repeats of Tinto!  I had a hot Epsom salt bath every night for 4 nights and had to drop my gym sessions as I literally couldn't bend down.  It didn't stop me running 3 times during the week before my longer runs at the weekend.  In total this week I have run 56 km which includes 19km in the mountains.
All this was possible due to a massage on Wednesday.  Rhondda worked very hard just to access my quads which had a "field force" in place and needed a lot of encouragement to let her have access.  She said she'd never seen my legs so tight.  To say it was painful is putting it mildly. There was nothing pleasant about the massage and even the "cupping" that she did was uncomfortable.  When I woke up the next day I felt my legs were working normally and I had no pain.
But the highlight of the week was my run in the mountains with my pal Michael Martin.  Not only does he pick good routes, he makes sure we are safe and takes terrific photographs at the same time.  I have been missing the mountains so much.  It's my happy place.  Being out in the wilderness with a pal and in stunning scenery is a privilege and I don't take it for granted.  There was snow above 700m so we had to cross snow fields and be careful when near the ridges.  You could be running with your foot sinking 6 inches and then suddenly you were up to your thigh.  Due to the snow conditions we had to alter our route slightly which meant a monster climb straight up hill to the second summit.  My legs knew they were getting a good workout but this was the type of gradient that I will be experiencing in Romania, so good practice.
On the second summit it was like being on top of the world.  We could see all the major snow covered peaks in a 360 degree view and there was no noise other than our breathing.  That makes the climbing worthwhile.  Getting to the summit where there are only two of you and you take the time to enjoy the views and the peace and quiet is bliss.
The descent was technical and slippy so it wasn't quick.  It would have been easy to have fallen so the poles were working overtime.  Eventually we arrived at the forest track and I didn't bother asking Michael how far we had to go to get back to the car.  What's the point?  It is what it is so I was prepping my mind for race conditions and just thought about finishing strong so we started running as the track was ok under foot.  There was a nice little uphill slope right at the end and when I finished I knew my legs had worked hard, but were in good condition.
When you are on the mountains you need to be careful so I had all my gear in case of an emergency such as waterproofs and a survival bag.  I had food with me and water was in plentiful supply from the rivers where it was crystal clear and cold.  It's lovely to drink the fresh water and made me feel at one with nature.
I woke this morning and my legs were great.  Todays run was a 16km slow heart rate run with my target HR 126-132 which isn't easy to achieve.  It was a hilly route so I did go above the target but was very happy with the outcome.  To make the run easier I replayed some of my favourite runs in my head from the mountains in the past.  This has a double benefit.  It makes me want to get back to the mountains to experience the same feeling of freedom and at the same time, makes the run pass quicker.  I floated round my run today and loved every minute of it with no pain in my legs - it was over before I realised it.  So last weeks "kick start" at Tinto has worked.  
My coach wants me in the mountains for the next 4 weeks in preparation for the Inverness 125X Ultra so hopefully the weather will be kind to me.  We are so blessed living in Scotland and having this magnificent "play ground" in our back yard.  Get out there and get on the mountains, but be safe.