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.
Struggling With The Stones
by Russell Turner - 13:27 on 14 June 2024
Preparation for Race to the Stones is proving a challenge, not helped by the runs I missed while my hurty back recovered from The Great Sofa Mishap. Maybe I’d be struggling even without that; it feels much tougher than last year’s training.
Yesterday’s long run would have been 45k if I’d been able to stick to the training plan. In the event, I aimed for three 10k runs, interspersed with 10-minute pitstops at The Rural Retreat where I’d top up water and electrolytes and eat real food such as would be available on The Big Day. Run/walk ratios were dismissed in favour of a proper ultra effort: walking the hills (even the brief inclines that took more than minimal effort), run/walking the flats, running the downhills.
As further dress rehearsal for TBD, I wore, for the first time, my latest backpack: a natty number from Ultimate Direction. Instead of a water bladder, which would add bulk and weight, I took the two collapsible bottles that came with the vest – and which would have been much more useful if the caps featured extended straws for ease of sucking. UD, of course, don’t appear to sell just the caps (I’ve looked) so I might have to invest in two new appropriately capped bottles, doubtless at great expense.
I didn’t go the whole hog and pack everything I’ll need on TBD – base layer, spare shirt and socks, torch, emergency food, power bank, emergency sunscreen, waterproof top, emergency plasters, sunglasses, night-time hat, etc – adding only an energy bar for halfway into the run and an old phone so I could distract myself from the effort by listening to Simon Mayo’s Confessions podcasts. Highly recommended. I’ll try the full pack next week.
Clever manoeuvring of my schedule meant that yesterday’s run took advantage of a break in the wind and/or rain we’ve enjoyed this month. The day was mild-to-warm, dry and still, so everything was set fair for a good, confidence-boosting, run.
If only. The legs felt heavy from the off but I stuck to my plan of running (walking) up the big hill into the woods where I’d take the first left off the forestry track to reach the main road and home in around 10k. Except my map had failed to show that the turning was hugely overgrown. I took the second left instead and ended up looping back on to the main track, getting home after 15.75k, almost two hours and 227m of ascent.
The 10-minute pit stop became 20 minutes as I changed out of a sweat-soaked shirt – the day had become more humid – wolfed down a pre-prepared cheese sandwich and a caramel wafer and carried out bottle admin. The vest had so far performed well, although a few flappy elastic bits will have to be addressed. That’s what practice is for.
I set out for the second run with little enthusiasm despite knowing I’d only 7 or 8k to do before another pit stop. The day was now warmer and breezier and more than half of the mainly flat route was covered by walking – at a pace that would have seen me finish the 100k in less than 15 hours (plus pit stops). As I’ve put myself in the 15-18hrs estimated finish slot, it’s clear that my pacing is rubbish.
Back home, after 7.5k, my second pit stop turned into the end of the run. I just couldn’t be bothered with more, and the prospect of doing 100k in a month’s time was becoming too daunting to consider. Should I run just the first 50k again? Or not bother at all and become Matchgirl’s support crew?
I changed, ate, drank and pondered the future but didn’t shower – maybe I knew I’d finish the 30k, especially after a pep talk from Matchgirl. So it was that after a 2:23 pit stop I set out again to cover the final few kilometres, more run than walked (albeit on a flat route), ending at 31k. It was a tough day.
Today I feel stiffer than I did after running the virtual marathon (unless its pains have faded from memory, which they tend to do, or we’d never run another one). Matchgirl is out running a silly distance on the Great Glen Way, certainly at a much more sensible and sustainable pace than I’ve managed. I’d run with her, except she’s convinced she’d hold me back, so next week (all being well) I’ll meet up with Anne, a Black Isle Runner in training for the St Cuthbert’s Way Ultra, from Melrose to Lindisfarne, the week after RTTS.
Her training plan is much more hard core than mine. Last week she ran 26 miles; this week it was 31; next week she’s got 37 miles (60k!) to do (I won’t join her for all of it), plus cycling and walking. The running is all at a sensible pace. She also fears she’ll hold me back, but that could be what I need.
That will be my final pre-taper long run. Then it will be decision time.
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