5 Weeks To Go

Well it has been 10 or so days since the race and on the plus side my knee is much better. I rested for 3 full days and then I started out again running distances from 10-15km most days without any trouble. I didn't do any downhill running for a week (except one rapid 36mins descent from Le Signal that I still don't know how I went so fast for the 1100m) after the race and just resorted to getting the lifts down after doing some awesome mainly flat runs up at around 2000m at Brevent/Flegere and over at the Plan Aiguille areas and still managing to get up to 3700m once a week to help those red blood cells. Really missing my climbing this summer but I knew running would kind of take over so here is hoping the end of August and all of September is good weather so I can catch up on getting routes done.

Heading to Flegere

Looking back on the 80km and I am so happy to have finished it and in a pretty decent time. I was worried before about this race as I thought it was too soon in summer to hit 80km and 6000m of climbing but as it turned out it wasn't and it all went very very well apart from the knee of course. It really does amaze me how my legs were not heavy or sore or had any cramp at all over the entire race , it wasn't so long ago (May 2011) I ran a 70km in Scotland and the last 10km were utter torture and my legs were in agony and I could hardly walk never mind run. My nutrition was spot on as well and I am pretty confident in my selection of gels , bars , proper food and drinks for Leadville. Also my clothing works well so none of that will be changing although recently the soles of my feet have been getting a little sore in my shoes. I also wear compression calf supports when racing and they seem to work also. I generally never wear them training but on race day I stick them on and they seem to do the job at keeping my calf’s fresh and not cramping. Now I don't know if this is science working or psychologically my brain is telling me they work but whatever it is it does the job so I will be sticking with them.

Lunch

My only slight worry at the moment is my right shin. It is a very strange feeling. It is not painful at all but when I stretch my leg a certain way there is a slight pulling sensation on the front of my shin. Nothing at all like the Tendinitis that I got a couple years back and to be honest I don't feel it on flats but sometimes on ups and downs it appears. Like I said it is not sore but I can feel something there that shouldn't be. I am still taking it easy at the moment and resting more than I should be in hope that this goes away.

Finishing the 80k. So happy.

It is now a month until I travel to the states. I will be hitting the running hard in the next few days for another couple of weeks doing distances from 10km to 40km and maybe a 50km once. Then from the first week in Aug I will ease off and just go running short distances to keep the legs ticking over. I won't get any fitter in the last week or two before the race.

 

I am just happy to have got half of the Leadville distance out of the way. I am starting to believe now that 100 miles is within my grasp but there are so many factors that could stop it from happening. If I can manage to stay injury free and don't have a major issue with the altitude during the race and make the cut off times then I know I have the mental strength to be able to get to the finish line. It is then all down to my two legs to see if they have it in them to keep moving. The worst thing I or anybody for that matter can do in an Ultra is get 2 hours in and think Oh My God I am 2 hours in and I have 80% of the race still to do and my legs are a bit heavy. It always takes me a good couple of hours to really stretch my legs out and get properly into an Ultra. I have become better and better at not looking too far ahead anymore. I just take it checkpoint by checkpoint. There is no point in looking way ahead. Just look to the next checkpoint. During Leadville on the first 50 miles I will be looking at each 10 mile checkpoint as a goal and then after it will be pacer to pacer.

Anyway enough Leadville chat for now as there will be much more to come in the next few weeks as I start to panic more. I am off to enjoy the delights of the Chamonix Trails and Sunshine.