Well, I said I was going to try and up my mileage a little this winter so I thought I would make the most of the final week of the Christmas holidays and spend a bit more time out on the trails. During December and January I have a rule that I do not run faster than 8 mins/mile, though I think I may have broken that rule a few times during the Tour de Helvellyn race. This principle allows me to build up a good solid base for the rest of the year, reduces the chance of getting injured or fatigued and means that I am chomping at the bit come Febuary, ready to start upping the tempo.
For the first time in a number of years I have run on 7 consecutive days (the "Daveathon"?) and managed to cope without too much distress. This week I have clocked up 71 miles in 11:24 hours which, for those that know me will realise, is a VERY big week. I rounded the week off today with a long trail round Blencathra, nice and steady, out and about for just under 4 hours.
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| Clouds rolling over The Dodds |
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| On Latrigg |
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| Above Glenderaterra |
After a week like that, I know it is vital that I allow some recovery time, so I will drop down to a nice easy week once back at work next week, probably only 4 or 5 sessions and then go up through the gears over the next few weeks heading towards my second race of the season (if I call the Tour de Helvellyn my first?!) which is this little beauty - The Dark Mountains overnight mountain marathon. This is the sort of race you commit to as you are sitting in a pub having a pint of Guinness - will I ever learn? Should be interesting and a really good challenge with all the usual mountain marathon possibilities/eventualities plus the added bonus of doing it in the dark, in January.
Guinness has a lot to answer for!!!
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