Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
Longer, Higher
by Russell Turner - 11:55 on 01 June 2023
There’s been little to report for a while: the runs have taken place with no drama, although I’m still waiting to feel like a powerful ultrarunner. Maybe next time. It’s also been quiet because Week 14 was a step-back week which featured a mere two 10ks and one 5k. Easy peasy.
Week 15 is now over, ending with the first of three increasingly challenging long runs. My training plan demanded 35k, which I sensibly intended to do in three chunks of 10-15-10k with pit stops back home. But come the day (yesterday), not only did I run the same Military Road route through Millbuie Wood I’d covered during my 20k long run, I went further just to see where the road ended. That meant my first chunk was more than 26k with 369m of ascent. At least I had the wit to take a couple of proper walk breaks.
In almost three-and-a-half hours I saw a deer, a girl on a pony, a couple of dog walkers, a couple of walkers and half a dozen cyclists. And lots of trees. Busy it’s not.
A real out and back.
The good news was that Tailwind, High5 and Zero all did their job; the less good news was that a mild start had turned into a warm day so by the time I returned to The Rural Retreat I was somewhat lacking in energy. Despite that, after a change of shirt and buff I tottered off to complete the final 8.5k needed, although at a much restrained pace and an ascent of only 31m.
That brought the day’s climb to a record 400m (1,312 feet) – around a third of the climb I’ll face on race day. Fortunately, the route’s longest continuous climb is half what I’ve been doing in Millbuie so I should be well prepared. The gradients are another matter.
Today I’d planned to be out and about distributing the new Chatterbox. Instead, I’ll take a proper athlete’s rest day and do it tomorrow, although I might take a short walk to loosen heavy legs. Otherwise, apart from some expected Achilles ache, all feels well with the exception of a sore spot caused by my chest HR strap. There’s always something.
Next week’s long run is 45k, which I’ll do in sensible chunks. I hope. May’s distance total was 125 miles of running plus five of walking – another record. Real ultrarunners do that in a week so I’ve still got a long way to go (not that I intend to go there). June’s training plan distance is only 114 running miles, so the taper has almost begun.
Five weeks and two days to the Race to the Stones. Maybe I’ll stick to 5k races in future.
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