Only my second post and it's maybe because I've been getting my head down and pushing on with training. Going back a year ago and there is no way I'd have foreseen I'd be running 5 times a week a year ago, and averaging approx 50 miles every week. I was struggling my way around a local 5km and everything would ache afterwards.
I'm not sure if I've been lucky with injuries, or I've started to understand the process and patience behind it all. You can't just go from zero to Ultra marathon. There is a slow building up and by building, the body gets used to knocks and aches. It's not to say things don't hurt/ache when I'm running now, but I can manage most of it and run through the rest of it. It's about being more mentally prepared to feel niggles and to deal with setbacks.
Now the last couple of weeks have presented me with a couple of those setbacks, and they are minor in the scheme of things - but the learning is how devastating a tired body can make small setbacks.
The jelly baby fiasco
On an easy long run (20 miles) I was onto the home stretch and tucked into my small wrapped bag of 10-12 jelly babies. A welcome snack compared to the gels on offer especially as the energy level starts to drop. I snuffled a couple down and held the bag in my hand as I kept running. As I came to a steep incline I saw the opportunity to take another few, opened my hand and saw a solitary baby staring back at me. The others had jumped to safety through a small hole in the bottom of the bag. I'd left a jelly baby trail over the last few hundred metres. Now the reality is I was maybe 6 miles from home, I'm in good shape
and I had some electrolyte drink left that would prop me up enough but it hit me hard. With a fatigued body I felt like snapping right there. I didn't, but if I ever see those jelly babies again I'll eat them out of spite.
2. Chocolate ankles
I've managed to run 2500km in the last year. A miracle compared to previous years when I would maybe have ran 20km at best. I always get started into running and then very quickly take a hit and give up. My ankle (right one typically) is notoriously weak (made of chocolate) and loves a good sprain.
On the end of a really promising week which I'd just logged my highest mileage (about 90kms) and then ran a high intensity session where I was keeping up with the fastest at the running club I was feeling good, but fatigued. My body needed a rest but I went out on programme and was enjoying the 15km I had planned. Sadly, as I got to the literal half way point on the run, I turned a sharp hairpin, rolled my ankle and years of doubt hit me instantly - it was over. My lucky run finished. My ankle instantly felt weak and I was 8km from home. I chose to push on, get home, and managed to pretty much run through the niggle - I could feel it start to affect other muscles as I compensated.
I was both pleased with my perseverance and frustrated - only 4 weeks to my first ultra race.
Now I've rested up for 4-5 days and everything feels a little bit better. I'm recharged having rested when I'd have normally racked up back to back runs over the weekend and my ankle, although weak, feels a lot better. I'll start again tomorrow and rebuild - I'm in this for the long haul.