Since April I’ve kept thinking of writing a post about my worries for Race to the Stones, but whenever I started it write it it would just be too negative to share but now I’m only 7 days away I thought I’d compile all those little thoughts into a blog about my training and mental journey since the London Marathon.
April
Although it was only a couple of months ago, the London Marathon and the end of my year of the runs seems like such a distance memory now, and if I’m honest that’s a good thing because after London I was done, mentally and physically spent.
I needed time away from running and adventures but I couldn’t find it as I knew I had to keep myself at least ticking over having won entry into Race to the Stones that was on July 16th – a 100k Ultra marathon through the countryside. I’d been planning on entering the normal way but after so much running I couldn’t mentally bring myself to doing it so I decided to let fate decide by entering an Etixx Sports Nutrition competition and low and behold they liked my story and gave me the place. Half of me was overjoyed and the other half was cursing my luck.
May
When I told people I’d be running 100k they’d ask me “what’s your training plan?!?” But I didn’t really have one besides keep myself ticking over. No way was I going to go above a half marathon so soon after London and I didn’t want to risk the knee with my IT band issues I’d encountered in my last two marathons. I knew going above a marathon would always be unknown territory; nothing I did now would change that.
What didn’t help was that no matter what I seemed to do when ever I went on 10k run my IT band would still cause me pain. It would make me question how on earth am I going to do 10 times that distance? To make my mood worse I’d go on social runs and I’d get chatting to someone, listing off the races I’d done and people would be amazed by my 6 marathons in 12 months. That was until they’d speed off, leaving me at the back of the group and making me feel like a fraud.
I plodded on though. Making sure I did at least one 10k a week and even going as much as half marathon distance on a trip to Brussels. Still though my IT band problems persisted.
Thankfully it was about this time that I spoke with a nutritionist from Etixx – which was part of my prize – and they gave me some helpful tips to improve my energy levels on runs and reminding me of the importance of refuelling little and often. Whereas I’d sometimes go without food on a run for fear of the consequences with my Crohn’s but after trying some of the energy bars they supplied it really did seem to help with no adverse stomach issues.
June
Cycling started to take over as I had a 100 mile event to train for at the end of the July and I thought that putting more effort into strengthening my legs was better than pounding the pavements and getting annoyed at the lack of pace and comfort. The strengthening didn’t seem to be helping though as the pain would still be there whenever I went for a run but it did give me some positivity and at least a distraction from my worries of possibly having to walk the whole 100k.
Mid-June
It was about this time that my worries got put into context when my health hit a speed bump causing me to struggle to catch my breath on 10k runs. I still went running though, no matter the weather forecast, I couldn’t afford to be a fair weather runner now. Running was a struggle but I kept telling myself that runs like this are good for mental memory when I’m deep into the 100k and need to push on through the tiredness and the pain. During these runs I’d been concentrating so much on just keeping going that I didn’t notice that my IT band problem were less of an issue now, finally the cycling seemed to be working.
Today
After all my worries about Race to the Stones, the shocked expressions on friends faces when I told them what I was doing next and the numerous times I told myself I’m not ready and that it might be a 100k walk instead of a run I need to remember.
Just being able to reach the start line will be enough, the remaining 100k will be a privilege and I need to remember that.
Sure it’s not going to be easy but it’s better than not having good enough health to even try and no matter what happens I know I will finish…
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I am running the Race to the Stones as an adventure but also to fundraise for Crohn’s and Colitis UK. If you would like to sponsor me click here. Thank you!
The Chronic Adventurer 