I’m writing this with 6 weeks to go before Endure 24 and I was hoping to tell you how I’d got on at the Fox Ultra last month. Unfortunately, I couldn’t race as I broke my little toe! This has really set me back and means April was actually 2 runs less than March and 20 miles less distance! Luckily for me it was just my little toe and I’m back training and feeling pretty much ok again.
So how did this horrific and frankly life threatening injury occur? Was I saving an old lady from certain death? Rescuing an injured animal from a mountainside? Nope. I tripped over my son’s high chair. That’s it. Ho hum.
Anyway, following the advice of one of my friends (‘strap it up and get moving you pussy’) I took a week off running and then just cracked on! Here are the results:
I still managed 88 miles in the month including one awesome off-road 15.5-mile jaunt along the North Downs Way. But no ultra distance and actually I still haven’t gone above 20 miles yet.
Shit.
Starting to get a bit nervous now.
Starting to make excuses.
Then I listened to a pod cast from a guy called David Goggins. This guy is VERY American and has some cheesy ideas such as the ‘accountability mirror’ but if you can get past that he’s a fascinating bloke and really worth listening to.
He ran a 100-mile race with 2 broken feet in under 24 hours. 2 broken feet! So back to my little toe…
Goggins has this rule called the 40% rule which means that when you think you are really done you are only 40% done. Ok so maybe I’m not done yet. Now I wouldn’t say that Goggins inspired me in the way someone like Dean Karnazes can (check out our interview with Dean here But he did make me realise that it was all in my head and I just needed to get off my ass and run.
I listened to that pod cast on 30 April. Since then I have run 10 miles a day for the last 3 days and I’m aiming for my first 20 mile plus training run on Sunday. Screw you 100 miles I’m coming for you!
A quick note on nutrition – I was really struggling with lethargy after any 10m plus runs which was all down to nutrition. Do what works for you and try and take a balance of opinions (there are a lot of nutrition preachers out there!) For me I fixed the problem with electrolyte tabs, salami, bananas and peanut m&ms. Also, the absolute best recovery drinks for me are the cheap milk shakes you get from service stations! There will be nutritionists screaming in anger right now but it works for me!
2 April – 3.24 in 30 93kg
5 April – 10 in 91 Tm inc 91.8kg
7 April – 6.61 in 60 Tm inc 93.2kg
8 April – oh no toe
14 April – 2.83 in 30 Tm inc 95.3kg
15 April – 10 in 89:55 Tm inc 94.1kg
17 April – 5 in 46 Tm inc 94.6kg
?-12 month in month
18 April 10 in 93 Tm inc (-6) 94.1kg
19 April 4.1 in 35 (-14.3)
20 April 4.1 in 34 (-10.2)
22 April 15.5 in 150 (+2) 94kg
26 April 2 in 18 (+0.5)
27 April 5 in 49:45 (-6.5)
28 April 10 in 89:48 (+3.5)