The Jitters

The alarm went off at five on Tuesday morning. There was no way I was getting out of a warm bed to run eight miles before work, the wind driven rain and hail was beating off the bedroom window. This meant all weekday training would be done during the evenings, so once again I carried my running kit to work. The bad weather cleared away by evening, I stopped off at Methlick on the way home from work and ran the Braes of Gight. It was a beautiful night, the run went well where I had another encounter with a Deer, this time a young buck. As the light was fading I bacame aware of something ahead by the side of the forest track. With his back towards me he had no idea I was there, somehow not hearing my footfalls approaching. I quietly stood about 10 feet away watching him graze before he finally looked up and got the fright of his life. Jumping and leaping away he began barking in alarm before finding higher ground and watching me run past. This is the sort of experience that makes me love running in the countryside.

Mile splits were done around Dyce after work on Wednesday. I'm not going to list the times any more as they are nothing special, I just can't keep a "fast" pace, preferring to just plod on until the session is completed.

Tonight was Kirkhill Forest again. After heavy rain lately the going was very slippery, even with trail shoes. It was an average run, starting off feeling a bit tired but finishing okay.

My focus is now turning towards the Fling, a race in which I have been a bit blazay. Treating it as a mere training run before the whw in June, I have not paid it a lot of attention until now. It deserves far more respect, something I have not given it since signing up, probably due to focusing on the whw race in June.
It is now on my radar and my thoughts are going back to 2010 where this was my first ultra race. I had a good run until Beinglas Farm where my right knee packed up, something which has become a habit during ultra races. I completed the race but with a time I know I can better.

I now wonder if I have done enough training, enough miles, enough hill work. This is the pre race jitters and they have arrived early. I need to settle myself down, not do anything stupid, focus on the Fling and get myself to the start line in as best possible shape I can, both physically and mentally.

Tues 8 miles  Wed 7 miles  Thurs 6 miles.