After the two training sessions this weekend I realise I have made an error on my whw profile page. The word "below" should be inserted before "average" on the first sentence.
Unusual mild weather through the week lured me into a false sense of spring. Rain, wind and fog greeted New Deer on Saturday and with 20 miles on the cards I had to look out the full winter kit. When the weather is bad I like to just get out and do the milage, first - it toughens me up and second - I don't know what the conditions will be like on race day.
The route on Saturday is mostly road, going through Knaven and contuing for a couple of miles, turn right and its up and downhill but mostly down till I cross the river Ythan. Turn right and follow the road to Methlick where I join a forest track leading to the braes of gight. From there its mostly uphill back to my house.
Dressed more like a hill walker than a runner I head off with the wind and rain in my face. I have podcast numbers 6 and 7 on my mp3 player which helps to pass the time in the miserable conditions. I listen to the Marco and Thomas article and have a chuckle to myself, I can hear the Garmin bleep their milage pace a good two and a half minutes quicker than my pace. By the time I reach the river Ythan I have laughed out loud at the article by Andy Cole. I turn towards Methlick and its Fiona Rennies turn. I have read most of the race reports on the website, but not all and not this one. I almost tripped over when this race report was read out. Podcasts 6 and 7 were a rollercoaster ride for me and its diffucult to see where this can be improved. This is one runner who appreciates the time and effort that must go into making the podcasts.
I reached Methlick after 15 miles and didn't feel quite right. All I took on this run was a Caramel bar and bottle of electrolyte. I underestimated the distance and did not take enough food or drink. I have done this training programme twice before and after a couple of months a certain mental toughness is acheived, the kind where I can step out the door and not be phased by hours of running. I thought this was the case yesterday but how wrong I was. A chocolate Yazoo was purchased from the shop and guzzled in one go. I started out for the Braes but things were not quit right, a queezy feeling came over me and I had no energy. I filled my water bottle at a stream and pushed on for home, nothing left in the tank, walk and jog, walk and jog. Two miles from home and the GPS watch says 20 miles completed. I switched it off in disgust and walked the rest, analysing what went wrong. I think I hit the wall, on a training run! I ignored my need of decent nutrition and hydration on long runs and paid the price. A caramel bar, chocolate milkshake, bottle of electrolyte and stream water just wasn't enough.
Today I went back to the Braes for a 6 mile session. Did I learn my lesson from yesterday? Two packets of mini cheddars before I left and no water taken. Drank out of the same stream as yesterday. The answer is no.
Saturday 20.17 miles 3.47.15 Sunday 6.84 miles 1.19.21 Weekly total 44 miles
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