With 2 days to go, I am hopeful. My ankle has been steadily improving and although it is probably a bit silly to run a marathon I need to do it, I need to know that I can still run a reasonable distance if I am going to keep with the planned 100 in August.
We are heading up tomorrow morning so packing has started tonight and the picture below may look like a bit overkill (I hope I don’t end up needing a compass!) but the plan for this marathon is to run it Ultra Equipped, in fact the only thing I don’t have with me is the headtorch, back up light and maps.
Getting my kit ready for the Trail Marathon Wales
The place we are staying has WiFi if I remember correctly so hopefully I will be able to upload some pictures that night. The forecast is for heavy rain so my new Montane jacket is going to get a thorough test.
Continuing from my semi successful run last week I added a further run to my continued rehab this week, running Wednesday evening. It was only 2.3 miles but the terrain wasn’t straightforward road, it was across a “cycle” path which is in a pretty poor state of repair so in some places had a distinct hard packed trail feel to it.
What I gained from this run was the knowledge that I am not 100% recovered but it is getting there, I did get some soreness in the ankle which eased off uphill and worsened on the decent but it wasn’t an acute pain, just an overall ache. I also noticed my right calf getting tight which is possibly me compensating for the left ankle and landing a bit heaver on the right side, not sure though I will need to monitor that.
A Marathon in just over a week! Probably not the most sensible things to do, but I am not going to have another DNS (even if it does mean a DNF instead). On the plus side I am hoping to get a load of photos and really take in the views on the Trail Marathon Wales, it’s all about enjoying it this year and as long as I get to mile 21 under the cut off (5 ½ hours I think) I am happy, I could finish last and it genuinely wouldn’t bother me.
I went for my first run today since my injury, my ankle isn’t 100% that’s for sure as there was some discomfort and what felt like tightness, but no acute pain and so far no additional swelling.
I ran just under 3 miles at an average pace of 08:07/mi which I was pretty pleased with, I didn’t run with my GPS or phone as I didn’t want to think about pace at all, I just planned a route, set my watch and away I went. I am not going to push it and leave it a few days before anymore running, but I am feeling more positive.
I hadn’t realised how much I missed running until today!
Well I am still not running, my ankle although improved doesn’t feel up to the task of running yet. I am hoping that another week and I will be able to go out for a short run, I don’t want to risk anything with the TMW so close so if I have to leave it right to the last-minute then so be it.
The weeks training
Fortunately I am still cycling and as the running has reduced I have ramped up the intensity a bit. Monday being a bank holiday I decided to go out a short 9.92 mile ride (this was a recovery ride from the 2 sessions I had over the weekend, a 14 mile and 8 mile). Tuesday I wasn’t actually going to ride but a friend at work convinced me to join in on a TT in the local area.
This was my first competitive road cycle and I was a little apprehensive as I know I am not the quickest rider out there. It was organised by BEC cycling club (http://www.beccyclingclub.co.uk/) and had a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. After everyone arrived at the meeting point we headed to the start and I had the pleasure of being released second. The start of the route was an uphill which immediately sapped the strength in my legs, my thoughts at that point being “If I am hurting now………”. Fortunately the gradient became more forgiving and a downhill followed. Pushing myself as best I could I maintained a fairly good pace (for me) and the I continued along the course pushing on the uphill and trying to maximise the downhills.
Despite my efforts I did get overtaken by three riders who set off after me, but came in at a reasonable 37:05 (which wasn’t last place)
The stats from the BEC TT along with the route map
The rest of the week consisted of my commutes to and from work and another training ride at a quicker pace on the Saturday.
Despite all the cycling, I still don’t think it is something I would take up seriously, I love running too much. Cycling you can’t let your mind wander, just letting yourself get in the zone and I miss that, that’s the aspect of running I love the most. But it is serving its purpose, I am keeping my fitness up and hopefully will be able to complete the marathon in 20 days time.
With just over 2 weeks since I rolled my ankle I am now walking unaided, albeit with some Kinesiology tape strapping it up and cycling again. Running is not on the cards yet but I am hopeful that I will be able to get some running in prior to the Trail Marathon Wales on the 22nd June.
Regarding the TMW, I am going into it in the mind-set of “it’s a training run” to the point where I will be using my SJ pack (still need to review it!!) along with the majority of my NDW100 min kit list, simply to test equipment, test hydration and all the things I was hoping to achieve on the NDW50. Also, I want to enjoy the views and the atmosphere, time is not a concern (although under any appropriate cut-offs is a must) and I plan on taking my camera to get some snaps while on the run.
So if you are running the TMW and see a guy kitted out like he is running a 100 miles, that’s me
UltraPlodder.com 