New training plan

I've had a slow and easy week with training, just trying to get myself back into everything after being ill, but this weekend I started a brand new training plan. For the first time ever, I have back to back long runs incorporated and I was quite looking forward to the challenge of trying a B2B for the first time. I was very surprised when I got the information from Shaun saying I was to do the XL run on Saturday and Sunday was to be a longer run by approximately 50%. I always thought B2B runs were done with the longest run one day and the shorter one the day after. I wondered how I would cope.

So, yesterday saw me starting the new programme with a 2 hour long run wearing a 4KG XL vest. The last time I did an XL run was 3 weeks ago for 1.5 hours and this was the only time I've used 4KG (it was previously 3KG) so I knew it was going to tough going. I found the first half an hour awful, the middle bit OK and the last 3 miles or so tough. Today I was to do 3 hours without weight (still on my 3:3 run/walk or more walking if I needed to).

I slept in and didn't get up until 7.50am so I was not off to a good start. The weather was horrendous with a forecast of 70mph winds and heavy rain. I was out of the door in just under an hour and felt the full brunt of the forecast within the first 1/4 of a mile. I got to just over a mile and fell over in the horrible thick mud, sliding along getting both gloves drenched in soaking wet claggy sludge. I was gutted, and what's more, I again felt out of my depth running on such a horrible surface. It wasn't long before I realised the mud was worse than it had been in Whitby and I was scared I was going to fall over and hurt myself again. I managed my 3:3 run/walk for more than I anticipated (considering the conditions), but it was very very slow (averaging over 14mm overall). The last hour I walked practically all of it and changed to tarmac in the hope I would pull myself together. However the steep hills and painfully cold wind and rain put payed to that and I felt completely miserable as my hands turned to blocks of ice. I took my gloves off after about 2.5 hours but it didn't help.

When I got home, after almost 3 hours out and only 12.5 miles, Graeme had ran me a bath and had sorted out my recovery drink. I stayed in the bath for nearly an hour but at first I couldn't put my hands in the water because it was like putting my hands in water that had just been boiled out of the kettle.

So, it wasn't exactly a nice smooth introduction to B2B runs, but at the end of the day there is a good chance TP100 will be exactly like this, so I just have to zip the man suit up and get on with it. The thing that I AM pleased about from today is that I did loops and it was so tempting to just go home after I fell over, but I kept going as I was determined to do the training properly. Tomorrow is a rest day, but I'm pleased to say that nothing seems to be aching (yet) despite doing 23 miles over 2 days when I haven't done a lot of running for some time. My ankles ached a little bit today trying to keep myself upright in the mud but they seem fine now.