100 miles more

Another 100 miles in a week of training, straight off the back of the previous one. Knackered!

Celebrating the end of my 2nd 100 mile week on Stanage Edge

Fitting in 100 miles (5-11 March - this update isn't very up to date) with 2 day trips to London for work in the middle of the week was always going to pose some challenges, as was doing that kind of mileage straight after the previous week of 101 miles, but it's now done. The crux session of the week was a 41.5 mile trip out on Saturday going from home round Redmires to Stanage, all the way along to Strines, down to Ladybower, round the reservoirs and then back up to Strines and along Stanage, dropping down into Burbage and then home via Houndkirk and Ringinglow - if you don't know it, look it up on a map, it's a long way!

Having had 4 seasons thrown at me in one day, and being close to running out of water at 28 miles (a cheeky duck into someone's garden to replenish from an outside tap) and bonking along Stanage at about 34 miles all added to the effort, but I was pleased to be home in 9 hours 15 minutes. To put that in perspective, that's faster than the High Peak 40 last September, despite being 1.5 miles further, whilst carrying a 10.5kg pack, and off the back of 150 miles in the previous 12 days. I can't grumble at that really.

Due to Rich having a foot injury in the week, it meant that our planned trip to camp in the Peak District didn't quite materialise, and that I would be running the 40 miler alone. Instead I sought to replicate race conditions as much as possible by using race rations alone from Friday morning until Sunday afternoon and camping in the garden using only equipment I'd have on the MdS. It worked well, combining being able to see the family with managing my body through a tough weekend of training. Some valuable lessons stored away in there for the race.

Trying to replicate race conditions, by making the tent crowded!

On the following day I felt a bit sluggish but surprisingly ok and helped along by Rich who was bounding along like an over-excited kid having had an easy week of training due to his foot, I managed another 15 miles in a reasonable time (faster per mile than the previous day) and in pretty good shape. I was still glad to see it end though.

And so that concludes the "proper" training for the race. From here on in it's tapering and kit preparations. Oh, and a baby arriving imminently.