The Deer Runner

The Deer Runner

Tuesday 6 May 2014

Double or Quits

I had to force myself to pick up the laptop and blog tonight.  My last long run was the overnight recce of the Cateran on the 10th of April.  Little did I know at the time, this would be my last long run until the race itself.
This will be a five week taper for what has been billed as the toughest ultra race in Scotland.  I use the word race in the loosest of terms, if I make it to the ultra, a finish under the cut off time would be a result for me.

Last Thursday was my first sports massage, an excellent visit which I hoped would sort out the calf muscle and allow a late return to my training program.

Now I must admit, I looked at the bus timetable between Spittal of Glenshee to Blairgowrie for Saturday.
A naive and bloody minded idea to do the 32 mile run once more, crushed when coach looked at me as if I had two heads and said "are you wise?".
Then I had another cracking idea, a ten mile trail run on my braes 'o' gight, what better way to get back on track?  It took the words of a work colleague and fellow runner to advise a flat road run to recover.

So Saturday morning, local Deershire roads it was, ten miles was the intended distance.  Everything was going well until five miles when the familiar tight feeling made it's presence known.  The calf strain was back, cutting the run short and threatening my Cateran entry once more.  I should have known better and eased into the training, shorter than five miles.

So here I am, typing after another physio massage with only ten days till the big race.  Higher miles are out for me now, the target is to start injury free and take it from there.

Mentally I like to start races where the training and miles have gone to plan.  This will be a challenge when I toe the line, the bumpy run up to the race will make me more determined to complete it.

Saturday 8.  Weekly total 8 miles.
 

  

No comments:

Post a Comment