New Shoes, New Routes, New Aches and Pains!

Factoring in the off-road miles.

Well, this is the blog where I should be feeling rather chuffed with myself. This weekend saw the end of 25 weeks of training which means I have well and truly passed the half-way point in my 50 (actually 48 weeks) of training. This should be a good feeling - one where I can tell myself that I have worked really hard to achieve something, despite the many odds of 'my busy life' being against me. In part, of course I feel like this... I'd be mad not to acknowledge the fact that I've reached the hump in terms of my training time. If the truth be known, however, I'm having a week of feeling overwhelmed.

I may have survived the half-way point in terms of time but the real challenges are yet to come. I've still only completed 2 of the scheduled 6 marathons, 2 of the next 4 are off-road and the last is an ultra-race. So many of the first 16 weeks of training were building up to and becoming physically strong enough to cope with the demands of a marathon. My current state of training is about maintaining the momentum, distance and making the transition to factor in more off road running. I had seriously underestimated just how hard this would be and trying to run 20+ milers every 3 weeks as part of my 'training' is now taking its toll on me. I'm seriously struggling to find the time needed to put these distances in and then recover quickly enough to get back on with my life again with legs that are also beginning to command some recovery time. I think that any normal marathon runner would train for and participate in a marathon and then spend the next month or so avoiding running like the plague. For me, this hasn't been the case. Although I've allowed myself some recovery time, the very nature of the my frequency of marathons has meant that the recovery periods are short.

Now that the throws of work have kicked back in, the sleep is also beginning to suffer again.

SO - factoring in the off-road running, severe lack of sleep, sore (sometimes intensely so) legs - especially the Achilles and insufficient recovery time, I'm physically not feeling in a 'good place' this week. BUT it's all self-inflicted and as much as there's a need for this to be addressed, it's my place to address it!

The past week hasn't served me well at all:
10km at Nowton Park on the Monday (11th June)
Thursday saw me run 20.75miles (33.2km) on the treadmill AFTER 9 hours at work, following a 5 hour night's sleep... this felt ok (although I have NEVER ran 3 hours on a treadmill before).
4 miles at Nowton Park on Friday (this was horrid - legs were like lumps of concrete).
I was planning on running 8-9 miles on the Sunday evening but my legs were too sore to even knock out one mile. Instead I went on the stepping machine for 25 minutes and then headed out on my bike for a half-hour burn out.  None of which has been helped by my daughters' hamster dying yesterday.  Two forlorn children; one formal burial and a whole lot of hole digging (for the coffin) has only served to add to the stresses, trials and tribulations of a single, working, running mum's life!

My plans for this week are trying to keep active but also to respect the aches and pains a little.
Monday - 10km run and 35 minute stepping machine.
Tuesday - No exercise (work and girls)
Wednesday - 1 hour of tempo training on the treadmill if the legs allow it. Cross training otherwise.
Thursday - Some gentle exercise - maybe a slow (VERY slow) 4 mile jog
Friday - Bury 5 (if the legs can cope)
Saturday/Sunday - I'm away for the weekend but would quite like to try and squeeze in a 10 mile run (somehow).... although this is very much dependent upon the legs!

If all goes well this week and that my legs are able to recover a little, then I'm really looking to up the off-road miles next week but for now, let my legs get through this week first. To say that I'm nervous about a multi-terrain marathon in under 4 weeks is playing it down a little. I'm excited about it and am telling myself just to enjoy the experience but I would always want to do myself proud.  I know that with my legs feeling the stresses of training as has been the case over the past few days, then this is unlikely to be the case. I will, therefore, allow sense and sensibility to prevail when necessary. (Or am I just telling myself that in order to placate myself?)

Anyway - I have new trainers which I'm hoping aren't contributing towards my niggles. I've changed the terrain a little... I'm hoping this won't contribute towards my niggles. I NEED sleep which really won't help the niggles so intend on getting a couple of earlier nights in.... on that note, at nearly 11pm already, I'm risking falling at the first hurdle!