This Saturday is looming fast, where two friends and I will step once more into the breach and tackle a 100km ultra across the UK's Peak District.
I won't labour the training issues I've had in my training & preparation as there are plenty of posts on this over the last 6 months. What I will say is that I need to have a battle mentality to get through it.
I'm going in pretty undertrained. This means it will hurt... a lot. I have one mission: Finish. The time will be what it will be. Conditions are looking very good. We've had a hot and dry couple of weeks to dry out the ground, and the temperature looks to be cooling down this week. Possibly perfect at a sensible 17C and cloudy with the chance of a couple of light showers.
If this turns out the be accurate then it's ideal weather.
I'm also largely injury free. Achilles is under control and my hip and knee are ok, though I'm watching a few niggle issues on both. This also bodes well as normally I arrive at these things with an out of control tendonitis of some sort.
This means I can actually enjoy the first 15-20Km before pain inevitably raises it's head. At least, that's the plan.
've deliberately kept a very loose plan for pace in my head. I know where my comfort levels are and will hold to those as much as possible. I'll jog some and walk some in the first half. Mostly because the two guys I'm with have much longer legs so it will do me no favours trying to match stride or walking pace. I also know I'll get twitchy and want to mix it up with running and walking.
I'll be carrying plenty of calories and keeping rest stops to the shortest times I can without feeling rushed. Basically I'll be doing what I can to not linger. If I stop too long I'll seize up so want to keep moving, even if very slowly. That said, depending on issues on the trail will dictate how long I need to deal with them.
What happens after 50Km, God only knows. Fueling, hydration, terrain, blisters, injury, etc will all play their part on the day. I know enough to deal with them as they do. I will also go to the well to know that my legs can remember getting through day after day ultras across horrible terrain. Muscle memory is a thing and I'm counting on that to see me through.
As for target finish times, it might be 24 hours, it might be 27 hours. I have no idea. That'll be down to how I feel on the day.
What I do know is next up is it's time to execute. Let go of the outcome, lean into what unfolds and keep putting one foot in front of the next. Let's get this done.
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