Ups and downs of training

It's been a mixed week for training.  Some nice runs, but I am feeling weary. Running too much without enough rest?


I have been running at least 5 miles a day, partly for 5x50, and partly just to keep my distance up. But this week my routine was a bit disrupted by the busyness of life and a weekend of Duke of Edinburgh Award training on Exmoor.

Beacon Hill Inversion

A couple of my runs have been short and sharp, with more hills than usual, all of which must be a good things.

Early Wednesday morning found me slogging up the steep approach to Beacon Hill in Hampshire, on my way to work. I drive past Beacon Hill several times a week, and have long intended to include it in my training routine, but had never got round to it until that morning. I have to say that I had underestimated how steep and long the approach path is, and I was soon walking rather than running, unable to manage the sustained climb. I'd noticed a lot of fresh MudClaw prints on the way up, and realised that someone had been up and down at least twice before me that morning. I take my hat off to whoever it was!

It was thick fog at the bottom, but I broke out into glorious sunshine and birdsong and solitude as I reached the hill fort at the top. I ran a few laps of the fort to make up a 3 mile run, and then ran back down the steep muddy slope to the car, and arrived at work sweaty and smiling an hour later.

On Exmoor I had one good day of running. As a Leader I had a team of young people to supervise and monitor on their 3 day practice expedition. After the initial mist had cleared it was a beautiful day, and I left the team to find their own way across Exmoor, while I nipped round to the other side to meet them. Off with the walking boots and on with the running boots and my leader pack (with my own gear and extra safety equipment for the team) and I was off up a beautiful valley and onto the moor, looking for my team. I ran about 8 miles over a few hours, immersing myself in the gorgeous wildness and the sights and sounds of spring.

At one point I realised that I was just running, without remembering when I'd started, and it just felt like a natural way to be travelling in the wild.  Maybe all the training is paying off!

The next day though, I felt tired after running a few miles across the open moorland. Is the perpetual daily running getting to me?  Am I doing too much? Maybe.

Spirits were restored last night when I ran 12 miles after work.  All pretty flat, but it felt natural and easy (apart from a bit of a niggle in my right calf.)

So a mixed week. Some good runs, but a general feeling of getting tired.  I have decided that I shall ease off the 5 miles a day, and just do the 5km that 5x50 demands, and save my effort for some longer weekend runs.

Six weeks to go. It's getting close!