Week Nine

Saturday - 4 hours at heart rate zone 3 (21 miles)

Sunday - 3 hours 30 minutes (22 miles)

This week, I've discovered I can only do one of these two options: run or socialise.  I chose socialise, and running just didn't happen.  It has coincided with a busy week at placement - actually that's every week! - and I've discovered I really can't have it all.

Monday was a planned day off and I went for drinks with Toby at Oxo.  Tuesday I finished work late and then went to the Nutrition Society pub quiz.  Wednesday I was planning to run, but I was invited for dinner at Nando's with friends from uni and then it was dark and rainy so I abandoned it.  Thursday I finished work late then went for an amazing massage with the lovely Emma on a boat*.  Friday I went for after-work drinks with placement people then drunkenly bought a McDonalds (!) and ate it on the train back to Horsham.  Probably not a typical ultra runner's training diary, eh? 

*Emma is still training as a massage therapist, but she is a total pro and it really was one of the best massages I've ever had.  The boat is amazing and really close to the City.  As soon as her website is up and running I will be totally recommending her services, you won't regret it!

 

On Friday evening I started having doubts about whether I could still run.  It's very unlike me to have an unscheduled day off, let alone two, and I was worried I'd screwed it up entirely.  Objectively I know this isn't the case - I missed some training runs last year too - but in my head I was dreading Saturday's long run and was quite fearful that I'd made a terrible mistake.

Saturday's run was a 4 hour heart rate run.  I'd also planned to trial having savoury snacks instead of gels for the first time.  Ultra runners tend to eat savoury foods as sugar gets too sickly.  Someone once told me that ultras are like a really long picnic with some running inbetween!  I'm planning to have savoury foods in the backwards section of the marathon and then gels in the forward section and as ever it's important to trial everything beforehand. 

I set my alarm for 7.30am and set about making my picnic.  I made crisp sandwiches and cheese sandwiches (on white bread with the crusts cut off for ease of digestion), a bag of pretzels and some roasted cashews.  I loaded up my Camelbak with a litre of electrolytes and strapped on all my kit.

 The run was surprisingly easy.  The pace was slow, often having to stop and walk to stay below HR 135, especially on the uphills.  I headed out on the same route as last week, but decided on a whim to just carry on out into the countryside rather than looping back to Horsham as it was a nice day and I was enjoying the views.  This was a good idea as it just got prettier and prettier.  

I ran past a pub with this sign which made me laugh out loud so I stopped to take a photo:

At the end I checked and I'd managed 21 miles with an average heart rate of 132 - not bad!  Impressively, I had run at almost exactly the same pace as my previous heart rate run, but that one had an average heart rate of 139 and was 9km shorter, so I must be getting fitter.   The savoury snacks were also a raging success - it really did feel like a sort of running picnic, especially as I was snacking on a mini sandwich or a handful of pretzels every 20 minutes or so towards the end.  I was amazed that I never felt that I was running out of energy, it seems that the need to rely on gels is a bit of a myth.  Hmm.

 Today I needed to do another 3.5 hours with Horsham Joggers.  They were only doing 15 miles so I ran to the start point, which adds on an extra 3 miles.  I knew the weather was going to be bad but it was absolutely horrific - torrential rain forecast all morning.  I was soaked before we'd even started...  these photos don't really do it justice...

  One of the great things about Horsham Joggers is that the run organiser drives their car around the course, stopping 2 or 3 times to provide aid stations.  When you arrive, the boot is already open and loaded with snacks and drinks for eager runners to consume before the next leg.  It breaks up the runs and allows you to catch up with the people in front, and is always a welcome sight!  This week the organiser's wife had baked three different types of flapjacks which were all delicious (I know because I tried them all)! 

The weather continued to be unpredictable.  Beautiful sunshine, followed by further torrential downpours.  The rain had also created a few GIANT puddles - this was one of three we had to wade through:

I was running with Nigel (pictured above), who runs at pretty much exactly my speed, and we were both having a good day today and kept up a cracking pace.  I was astonished I was feeling fine after 21 miles yesterday, but it was all good and I'd completed 18 miles in 2:45.  As I still needed to make up another 45 minutes, I ran a longer route home, which unfortunately turned out to be very muddy.  I was on the phone to Toby when I discovered this, so he was treated to a barrage of swearing as my precious new trainers sunk into the wet grass: 

Oh well.  Hopefully it'll come off.  

In the end I managed 22 miles, so a mile further than yesterday in 30 minutes less time!  This was mostly because the heart rate restriction had been lifted, but I also credit having 2 unscheduled days off which gave my muscles some extra recovery time, the massage on Thursday, and perhaps also I'm getting fitter.  Even I'm pretty impressed I ran 43 miles in two consecutive days (only 9 miles short of the ultra distance).  In a few weekends' time I have some even longer back-to-back runs so this has done wonders for my confidence. 

That's all for this week - as ever you can sponsor me here - and hopefully next week will look a bit more normal on the training front!