Thoughts before the snow...everything still applies, just a
lot less running since the silly slippery sludge....
I find that training and preparing for a long ultra is sort
of like revising for an important exam. You have to make sure you put in enough
hours of revision; otherwise you get to ‘test’ day and your ‘mind can go blank’.
Okay, true, anything can go wrong when you’re attempting to run 100 miles, even
if you have done as much training as you possibly can. However, with so much to
think about, it’s always great to turn up on that start line feeling as fit as
you can, and being able to give it your best shot. This brings me to how I’m
feeling at the moment.
I’ve let ‘training mode’ take over my brain and any
objections in the lazy part of my brain, that don’t want to face the freezing
cold outside are being hushed and ignored. It’s time to get serious. Okay, so,
I will admit that I haven’t ‘made friends’ with January like I intended to in
my New Year’s Resolutions (wow, makes me realise just how long it is since I
have written a blog...). In fact, I’d probably say that January, thus far has
been my enemy. The January blues have hit hard this year. Yet, past the second
week of the month now, fear has taken hold: ultra-fear. It’s where a lightning
bolt moment hits you, an epiphany and suddenly you’re like, ‘Crap, I need to
train properly, otherwise it is REALLY gonna’ hurt/ hurt more/ be even harder
and I haven’t got a crew, so I can’t randomly drop out in the middle of nowhere…
I have to make that finish!’
As some may recall, last year’s Thames Path 100 was a bit
traumatic. On a personal level associated with my disorganisation, we bombed it
to the start with hardly any time to spare, and just as the race directors were
about stop registering people and stop giving out race numbers. Then I had to
quickly get my act together, calm myself and do all the usual pre-race faffing
around-ness.
On a much grander scale, I made it to the very last
checkpoint at Lower Radley and Mile 95 (I’m sure we’d covered more mileage due
to diversions, but the official distance was this), whereupon the race was
cancelled due to hypothermic runners and freezing weird weather, which included
constant rain from the early morning, waterlogged river paths, freezing wind
and even some snow! I battled so much last year. We got lost earlier in the
race due to some diverted pathways, but we got back on track. Then, having made
up time for the time lost earlier, somehow I found myself making the Mile 71
checkpoint with minutes to spare. I needed to pee, but pushed that to the back
of my mind and luckily I forgot I needed to during the night section, as I
simply didn’t have time to go. I didn’t have time to refuel. That’s bad…you
should always try and make some time to get the energy in.
Anyway, my point is,
I battled back and clawed back the time until I had hours to spare, and was set
on making that finish line ‘comfortably’. So, it was very traumatic to get to
Mile 95 and be only 5 miles away from the finish line and yet, never get to set
foot on the finish line. At the time I was numb. It was no-body’s fault, just a
set of bad circumstances regarding the weather. Me and this race have
unfinished business. So, I have to go in to it as prepared and as determined as
possible and I’m not going to let some January blues get in my way.
Normally, my January race(s) of choice and ‘ultra training’
would be Ultra Race’s 45/90 (back to back 45 milers) from Northampton to Tring
and back again the following day. I have done this event every January for the
last three years. It will definitely be missed this January. It is also great
training for the GUCR 145 miler later in the year, since it follows the Grand
Union Canal and an important road section over Blisworth Tunnel. Anyway, in the
absence of this race I have booked Wilmot Wander 32 miler for Sunday. I have
done this event before – we got very, very lost in the last section and did a
lot of extra mileage. However, this is a very low key, LDWA style event and
only about £10 to enter, so it comes in really handy for some long distance
training and time on the feet. Of course, this is all depending on the recent
crazy, snowy weather we have been hit with. Fingers Crossed. I’ve also got a
marathon list going, predominantly for February and a few weeks before March 23rd
and the big day that is the Thames Path 100.
Still on the job hunt, I have found it pretty difficult to organise
doing events. In the past I haven’t worried too much about how far away races
are and I generally accept event prices and don’t grumble too much. But it’s a lot
harder when you have to consciously plan what you can afford to do. Petrol is
always expensive anyway, but it becomes a much bigger consideration when you’re
living on a shoe-string budget. I’ve missed out on a lot of races that I would
absolutely love to do and I’ve just learnt to not read Facebook newsfeed so I
can ‘block out’ all the fantastic events that all my runner buddies are always
doing haha. Ultimately, I’d like to be able to do all sorts again. For training
purposes, marathons and ultra’s are so ideal for long, social training
runs. I’ve got a few ‘cheap ones’ on the
horizon though, so not all bad ;) and you have to learn to take the rough with
the smooth. It gives me a good kick up the bum to get out there, on my own and
make it happen.
Note: I’m pretty clumsy, it has to be said. I’m the type of
person that will bang into a shelf whilst simply walking around a shop or
something, for no apparent reason. Whilst I am more than happy to run in almost
any weather – I’ve been up on the moors in fog, freezing sleet, rain, wind etc.;
- I get a bit nervy around frosty ground, ice and snow.
Okay, so, we British can be a bit dramatic about our reactions to weather, especially snow. It’s not like were in northern America or Canada or something, but we simply can’t deal with it. Anyway, shortly after declaring all the ‘above’, about me having my ‘training head’ well and truly screwed on, the snow took over. Admittedly, it’s not been majorly deep here, but it has been icy and slippery and slushy. I haven’t wanted to risk it. It’s now been a few days and there’s not been much running. Finally, the other night, I ventured outside and found some bit of road where the snow had melted. I didn’t run far, but it was a very welcome run. It felt good to get out there. In my downtime, I’ve been doing some weights, squats and lunges...not quite the same, but you’ve got to keep it up somehow :o)
Okay, so, we British can be a bit dramatic about our reactions to weather, especially snow. It’s not like were in northern America or Canada or something, but we simply can’t deal with it. Anyway, shortly after declaring all the ‘above’, about me having my ‘training head’ well and truly screwed on, the snow took over. Admittedly, it’s not been majorly deep here, but it has been icy and slippery and slushy. I haven’t wanted to risk it. It’s now been a few days and there’s not been much running. Finally, the other night, I ventured outside and found some bit of road where the snow had melted. I didn’t run far, but it was a very welcome run. It felt good to get out there. In my downtime, I’ve been doing some weights, squats and lunges...not quite the same, but you’ve got to keep it up somehow :o)
