I won't lie, but I'm pretty tired right now. Two high intensity sessions a week and back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back days have just kicked in. Add to this that I've been doing at least 1x 36 hour water fast per week for the last 3 weeks, and adding mileage steadily, and I can feel the cumulative effects of fatigue right now. I want to go to bed.
I'm also pretty busy at work. The busiest I've been in about 6 months, made worse by getting everything squared away before I go on holiday for two weeks in a few days time (where I will be running, of course). This is also on top of the end of the school year for my kids which is a build up of events, tension in the house to get everything done and an upside down schedule of my son's final week in primary school (secondary school transition days, leavers balls, leavers assemblies, and the like). My wife and I have been under the hammer through July, and it's starting to catch up with everyone.
I want to stay in bed. ...But I can't. Business needs delivering, kids and wife need supporting, and miles need running. 'Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.' I love this quote and it's so true. Rather than see all this as a siege of energy draining, I've chosen to see it as resilience building for the task to come. I'll have 6 back to back long days (8-12 hours). There will be all the weather (quite literally for late September in the Outer Hebrides), and I will have to be on the go from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to bed. This is all training! And it helps to think this way.
The miles are starting to add up now. 46Km (inc 16 High intensity KM)
55Km (inc 16 High Intensity KM)
45km (inc 17 High Intensity KM)
so far
When I look at last weekend and the following 10 days (including the coming weekend) I will have run 80km with two high intensity runs in there, and only one rest day.
All with the aim to take 2 or 3 days off at the start of my holiday next week as I will be running each day for most of it to keep things ticking over.
Running in 35-40C heat each day is going to be rough as f*ck, but it's only an hour a day and I have the airconditioned gym and treadmill there if things get too much.
What I am really pleased about, though, is that the effects of this training block are starting to show through.
What I am noticing
Power improvement
My legs are getting stronger for sure. On High intensity efforts my maximum running power outputs have increased about 25% over the last 6 weeks. This strength is really important in helping me become more bullet-proof from injury and pain when I am highly fatigued, as well as speeding my recovery times of day after day trail ultras.
Hearty Rate Improvement
My zone 2 pace (my fat-for-fuel easy heart rate pace) has risen on flat trail/road to the target pace I had in mind - 8 min per KM sees me at a 130 bpm heart rate, and doesn't feel hard after an hour. This is huge for me! I won't be running at this for the 300km, but would like to have an average run pace of 7km/h at around 120-124 bpm Heart Rate for an ultra distance run by the time I'm doing the challenge. I'm already getting close to it with my 22km long run at the weekend on tired legs clocking in at 124bpm HR as an average.
This will mean better recovery each day, and less exhaustion. It also means that my energy management should be better than it's ever been if I can stay in zone 1 or 2 for most of each day. It seems like the work I've been doing is really starting to pay off on this front.
Injury Reaction
Another huge step forward is in the injury reaction. My ankle and Achilles in my left leg are improving. They are still having to be closely managed, but I can now run every day, when only 7 months ago I couldn't run at all! I'm careful to warm up on every run and the time it takes when running before it starts to hurt is becoming much longer.
Recovery Improvement Another critical part of what I wanted was to be able to bounce back quickly each day on the challenge. The back to back days are yielding some positive results. I can go at a zone 5 high intensity session on one day, then run the next, and the next (another Zone 4/5 session), and the next and the next. All without any serious pain issues and feeling fairly fresh most days. This ability to go day after day, again and again is the area I was most concerned about when targeting this challenge. I'll be honest, it's the piece that was genuinely worrying me. Having seen this kind of improvement in only a few weeks of hard work is giving me a much more positive outlook. I'm now starting to get excited about this, rather than dreading a suffer-fest of epic proportions after the second day out of the 6.
I know it will be incredibly difficult at times, but at least I get to enjoy it knowing there'll be longer stretches that I can feel a lot better than I would have felt otherwise. Harder & Longer to hit my Max HR
My Fitness has improved. That ability to hit my Max HR takes longer and higher intensity than a month ago. I find it difficult to have enough in my legs on hill repeat day to hit over 170bpm. I have to push incredibly hard to get there compared to when I started Hill sessions only 6 weeks ago.
Running Economy on the up All of the above has led to a big improvement in running economy. Effort to move at an easy running pace (for me that's only 7.5-8 KMH but that's huge) is so much easier than it's been since I started. My cadence is improving meaning less contact time with the ground. My jogging form is lighter (meaning less impact forces battering myself with each step), and running at easy pace feels more like cruising rather than forcing it.
Mentally
I'm in a good place. I can see the path ahead and my body is starting to feel like it will get me through every one of the 300km that await in 8 weeks' time.
I'm starting to feel excited rather than filled with trepidation. All I can do is to get to that start line in the best shape I can be in, and then work the plan I build about how to approach it.
The outcome will then take care of itself. My job right now is to do as much of the right things to get me to that start line.
Weight Management/Body Composition
Weight is dropping. The 36 hour fasting has taken me down to the 95kg level with 7 weeks left before I ramp up the calories. If I can not do too much damage while on an all-inclusive holiday, then it's possible I can make 90kg or close to it. I've noticed that I am adding more muscle to my legs and glutes through the hill and higher intensity work, and that my waist is the flattest it's been in years. This bodes well as my body composition is changing for the positive. I will always be a heavy runner, but I'm ok with that as long I am a powerful one with a big engine. I just need to make smart choices while I am on holiday to avoid undoing the progress I've made so far.
Overall
Having spent the winter & Spring rehabilitating the injuries as well as putting in a big aerobic base, I know my fat adaptations are in a really good place (fat-for-fuel). This means I don't need to worry about my ability to use my stored energy on ultra distance efforts as long as I stay within my Zone 2 limits.
The miles are going back into my legs, and even with a shambles of a 100k failure in May and ankle hammering in June, this summer training block has been very effective. I've had the consistency I was after and have built the strength and speed as well as raising the pace of my Zone 2 heart rate noticeably.
I have 5 more weeks of this block left. That is no time at all! It's going to be heavy going, and I have to work throughout my 2 week family holiday to ensure I keep hold of the gains I've made so far. That'll be the tricky part... not over indulging in food and drink, while still running frequently and with a couple of higher intensity days each week in scorching heat. Once I've done that then it's two big volume weeks that await me to pre-exhaust my legs once again before throwing down a 50K ultra to cap off the peak volume section of this block and lead me into the taper period. It's not long left, and will be keeping a watchful eye on energy, fatigue and injury risk in what is going to be a challenging month in August.
Next up - Testing
I'm already thinking about fuelling and recovery strategies for the challenge and have some tests lined up for the peak volume stage of this final block: - Recovery (testing protein, electrolytes and food) that will help reduce inflammation and speed recovery
- Pre-run fuelling (what I eat for breakfast)
- On-the-trail fuelling
- Kit testing
- Foot care and preparation
I need to make sure my stomach is ready with my race day fuelling and recovery approach. I am limited in how much I can take with me, so what I take needs to work well and be easy and convenient to carry and use. I also need to start ensuring I have all the kit I need to meet the demands of the Scottish Highland weather in autumn. Sun, wind, rain can be wild on these islands.
Lastly, footwear, footcare and on-the-go rehab is key. Wet, boggy, muddy, stony, rocky, hilly, sandy, tarmac conditions expose my feet to every condition they can be put through. I have to avoid maceration of my feet, blisters, sores, chafing, etc for as long as possible. Getting my feet in the best shape possible for me is also a priority as it is a major reason for DNF's in multi-stage events.
I'll be testing what I've learned so far, and working out which strategy works best for me to leave as little to chance as I can. I also need to make sure I can execute my admin as quickly and easily as possible as my mind will be scrambled after a few days into the challenge.
There's still a huge amount of work to do. Wish me luck.
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Thanks for reading......
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