Week 1 – Base Training
w/c 20.05.2019
Recommended mileage: 20 miles
Actual mileage: 43.1 miles
Well, the first week of training didn’t necessarily go to plan so not the best start !?! In exceeding my recommended mileage and not doing any strength work (which I’ve no doubt will be the hardest regime to stick to) is not the way forward and something I need to focus on to ensure I don’t overdo it and get myself injured as the mileage increases!
I’d also come off the back of a 50 mile bike sportive in Milton Keynes and a 20 mile walk for the Hathersage Hurtle race a week before so I was suffering from heavy legs and went into the week a little too determined and stubborn to get some miles in.
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Crossing the finish line at the Hathersage Hurtle 20 mile walk with Ruth, my wife and Naomi, my sister-in-law |
Monday saw me do a short, sharp hills session, just over 5k ‘around the block’. I’m lucky that I live on a hill and there are a couple of hilly side roads which makes three laps of hilly 5k right on the doorstep – beneficial for those evenings when free time is of an issue. Plus with 13,400ft of elevation to overcome, hills need to be my new best friend!
Tuesday and Wednesday were steady solo runs, 5 miles for each and are so called ‘boring miles’ which I’ve no doubt help long term but aren’t at all exciting!
Thursday was club run with Kings Heath Running Club – a social, chatty run of 10k along the canals in Birmingham. I used to live in Birmingham and although it’s a good 25/30 minute drive away now, I have met some great like-minded people at club and I always think the commute there and back on a Thursday evening is worth it and it’s great to run in a group.
I hadn’t planned to run on Friday evening (it’s good to be home occasionally!) but another running group I run with; Wild Stiles Trail Running had organised a 6 mile trail run in Dodford, which is less than a mile away from my house so it was rude not too! Anyway, that was an enjoyable trail run through woods, fields and stables – until I electrocuted myself on a fence. Twice. But we won’t talk about that!
By far the toughest run of the week was on Saturday. I’d agreed to meet a couple of friends and run 18 miles / 4500 ft up the Malvern Hills – which made my decision to run the night before even more stupid! It was a struggle. A real struggle which led to me writing the following post on the club website:
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The after effects of the Malvern Hills! |
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Tough run but amazing views |
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9 miles out, 9 miles back. Up and over every hill |
Oh I think I ran by those electric fences during the Bumble Bimble today! Good resilience here.
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Thanks Liz. Yes, you might have done, the Bumble Bimble route is on my doorstep and I run it regulaly. My wife ran it yesterday, tough course, well done.
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