Whats it all about then?  This a very individual thing and if like me you can't exactly explain it then you tend give reasons that people understand.  I just get such a buzz, or good feeling when I'm out on the trails and you get some incredible scenery and sense of well being from being slightly remote and adventurous.  Its great to get away from all the hussle and bussle, and phones and computers etc etc.. Again I still find it hard to pin point exactly why I love it, I just know I do and it makes me feel good and makes me feel alive.  Sounds a bit mushy but its true!

Now that I am back training, obviously not at full pelt yet but definitely back in the game, I am loving being able to do gym work and now starting to plan some runs again.  My main concentration at the moment has been and will be for a bit yet, ankle strengthening.  I really want to get some speed work done so the sooner i feel like I have some confidence in my ankle the sooner I can start pushing myself again.  Its amazing what injury does to your mind, your confidence in your body to complete even the simplist of tasks is shot.  This maybe a self defence mechanism to help you protect the weakend or broken area until its mended or ready to be used again.  Its like your body forcing you to take it easy and not to re-injure the same area by going to hard on it.  At the same time its an incredible thing monitoring how the body copes with injury and fixing it.  Its been a good four weeks for me now and it feels as good as new and ready to go, but because my confidence is low in it I feel the importance to just take it steady and build up so as not to re-injure.  Its tough but patience is key if you want to regain the strength you had before.  Give it time to heal.

On Sunday I made my way to Gargrave in the Yorkshire Dales on the route of The Pennine Way which I am racing on in January.  My goal was to test my ankle by hitting the trails, whether it be a bit of running or mixed with walking I didn't care as it was the terrain that was important to me and whether or not it coped.  I also wanted to experience some more of the route as this will prove vital during the event.  As it was for the second time out of two I got lost within a mile or two.  I didnt realise it at the time as was just ploughing on trying to get some strong walking in before attempting any sort of running.

I managed to workout using the river where I was and then eventually return to the correct path.  My theory now was that as long as I return on the correct route I will still experience it properly.  The lesson here is not just about following the map, as I was doing that just not visulent enough.  No, the lesson was, do your recce's on unknown territory if you get the chance, as I am happy to have made the two errors whilst out on the recce as apposed to making those errors for the first time whilst in the race.  That would spell disaster! Some of the paths if unknown and especially if in adverse whether or during the night would be a nightmare as not always clear to where to go, no directional markers and no path or trodden walk way.   Not obvious anyway.  Its going to be interesting anyway because after 70 odd miles in pitch black, cold and wet, and miserable we are going to experience all of this!!!

Oh dear, what have I done......

Feels great to be back in the gym again.  It feels now like I haven't lost too much training time and I have a chance of getting back to where I was.  I am going to go out on a recce run this Sunday along the Pennine Way which I am excited about and anxious about at the same time.  I really don't want to make my ankle worse again and go back a step so I will be just going very steady, walking most of it with a bit of running when I'm sure of the footing.

Next week I will begin a more structured form of running, including short tempo runs where I am trying to improve my pace, then there will be a medium distance run so 7-10 miles at my average pace and trying to maintain it.  Then finally a longer run at a slower pace with a pack, this will hopefully be more like every two weeks  and on a trail somewhere.  I will also be trying to get in a hill session but this maybe also on the same day as my strength and conditioning session or short run day.  My conditioning sessions are going to continue to work on balance, stability, core and upper body strength with some focus on hamstrings and glutes.  I love getting in to this training mode as I really feel it has to planned and executed to achieve your goals.  Its great when you start seeing the benefits of the training and the end goal is getting nearer and nearer.

My kit is starting to come together now.  The main worry is for the Spine Challenger at the moment as this is nearing, and I still have some major bits of kit to get so its all very exciting but tough  trying to get the quality equipment but at the same time without spending an absolute fortune.  Next up I need to really knuckle down with the kit list, then training plan and then race schedule!

Time to get busy!

Boom! I am off again, gently gently though.  I feel like I have turned the corner, slow build up in the training now to get back on track but without aggrivating my ankle injury.  It has felt great to actually get in the gym and feel like I am making headway.  The swimming has been important too as has given me a mini challenge and a focus away from being injured and stressing about it.

Whats the plan now? Well I have to get my kit in order for the Spine Challenger race as there is a lot of it and it needs to be right.  I hoping my ankle will be strong enough by then to be able to get out and do it.  I am currently sifting my way through endless kit lists and training programs.  What it is doing though is reassuring me that I am on track and my theory on the training I need to do is about right.  I am now starting to feel the excitement for not only the event but the training.  This is important as it is what will get youout on the cold miserable mornings when your bed is the better place.

The bad news is though that I will miss out on the MdS kit run this saturday in Farnham as my ankle is definitely not ok for that training.  It would have been great to run alongside the others and have a bit of a chat.  I feel like I am missing out but there is no point making it worse and I can't travel down there just to say hello.  I will benefit much more from the rest and a light training session.

So whats the main thing I have learnt from this, time!  You have to give injuries time to heal and recover.  Patients, rehab methods and process!  Trust the process.

Its been another tough week with my ankle injury, the highs and lows mentally are a rollercoaster.  I have read up on all the information and think it is somewhere between a grade 1 and grade 2 so sufficient rest is required to start rebuilding the strength in it.  I managed my first session in the gym yesterday after leaving it a week and a half.  This was definitely helped by a massage in the morning that loosened up the surrounding tight and sore muscles.  With the massages and the steel splint ankle support i feel my recover has been quite quick.  The main problem I have is my work as have to be on my feet all day and therefore load bearing and twisting and stretching the joint.  I look at this in a positive way and think it is good for it to be moving and starting that rebuilding work, the downside is it makes it sore and swollen therefore recovery icing and elevation are important.

I am now getting excited about the races that are coming, yes I am stressing about them too but that is mainly about the kit and the navigation side to these challenges.  Kit is the biggest issue as it can get quite expensive and the original idea behind all this was to keep costs down.  I am also excited at the training that is going to be involved, to start with I have the Spine Challenger, one of the coldest and most gruelling 100 milers out there.  So clothing and kit essential but also route knowledge of which I have pretty much none at the moment.  The intention is to go out again a week on Sunday with Rob, hoping that my ankle will firstly be recovered enough for a light session and also that I can complete some mileage even if just walking.

The psychology of everything going on at the moment would make interesting studies!  I have the stress of worrying if I am doing the enough training and the right training.  I am stressing about the kit, not for one race but for two.  To top it off I am now worrying about an injury and if I will have recovered in time to actually do these races!!! eeeek!

Where do you start.......