1st priority

The first priority in training for an endurance event is that you make it to the start line. It's all too easy to get injured with the amount of training you do and today I had to remind myself of that. I had planned a 22 mile run which consisted of an 11 mile out and return. But my abductor muscle which has been playing up since The Great Glen run started to become very uncomfortable. I made a decision to change my plan and cut the run short to protect my leg against injury. I took the opportunity to practise my walking. This is an essential part of endurance running especially when I will be running for 6 days on many different terrains and some incredibly steep sand dunes where there are ropes to help you up and down the hills. So rather than feel down hearted about only covering 2/3rds of the target distance I channeled my energy into an aspect of my training that I had largely ignored. Walking isn't easy especially when you have to start running afterwards. But the number 1 priority is to avoid or minimise injury. I will be doing a loy of stretching to get rid of this niggle because in 12 days time I am heading off to the Sahara Desert for 4 days training and don't want to be carrying an injury. I am also going to rest tomorrow, except for a yoga session, to give the niggle a chance to heal. I have to say I do feel a bit of a wimp as I'm watching the rugby and any one of those tackles would have me hospitalised! Each to their own as I couldn't see many of them running the MdS!