Having been doing the Long-week / Easy-week alternating with training, it was time for the long week. All about getting time on my feet this week and have to say, despite feeling remarkably good during the most part of it, afterwards I felt blitzed.
So here's how it set up:
9am breakfast coffee a-la Maffetone (probably around 350 calories total). And that was it bar 14 almonds after 15km in and a Gregg's petrol station coffee.
The weather was cold, and the wind chill, I was reliably informed by Graham who was out there with me, took the temperature down to around -3. And that wind was cold. After 5 1/2 hours it does get through your layers.
That said I got through a decent amount of running in the first third, but this was more about strengthening my feet, ankles and hips for the relentless grind that awaits.
What I noticed...
1. Running felt comfortable for the periods I did it. The Hoka Speedgoat mids I use are an extraordinary shoe. I did, however, get a little rubbing towards the end on one of my feet around the little toe. Given I did 4/5 of a marathon with my custom orthotics in (made of pretty hard plastic), I was surprised how well my feet felt.
2. I had really consistent energy. We had a 10 minute stop at 15km but without sitting down at all managed to crack on and the energy stayed the same.
3. Did my Wim Hof breathing before I set off but it was difficult to tell how that helped. I'll carry it on though
4. I was aware of the headache and shoulder cramp though at the end, which tells me I was a little dehydrated and definitely need to up my electrolyte levels.
5. I only got cold when I stopped moving, but my wind-proof Gore-Tex jacket did what it said on the tin.
6. I slept like sh!t afterwards. Stiffened up in my back quite significantly through the evening and night and tossed an turned, leaving me feeling not very rested at all this morning.
7. My Achilles tendonitis is a little sore today, and my ankle has stiffened up. This is a signal to take a day or two off and let it recover.
8. Training in sh!tty conditions builds resilience. It gets you used to discomfort, mixed in with a little misery. It helps immensely though to go through it with a friend. You need those gallows humour moments when your training partner is doing his best to get home before he sh!ts his pants.
All in all though an almost fully fasted session that took in 30km, 49,000 steps, 4000 calories, and surprisingly I wasn't hungry by the end of it. Turns out I only ended up eating dinner that day, after not eating a meal since dinner the night before. Hopefully that should be another pound or so from the cement bag.
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