I love training when its like it has been for the past few weeks.  My motivation is sky high and I'm bubbling over with enthusiasm for the process of achieving my goals.  My desire to complete the Hardmoors 160 next and to go on to achieve equally as daunting challenges grows and grows.  I'm not in it to be elite, I just want to be able to complete the challenges and do these extraordinary things.  My main focus at the moment is base level fitness (so a good level of gym conditioning work) and regular varying runs.  I'm incorporating hill training straight away this time as I want to monitor the progress over a longer period of time as this is an area I want to get stronger at.

The challenges haven't changed since I started doing this kind of endurance races its just I realise that for me to achieve more and better I have to improve me.  To improve ones self is being able to recognise strengths and weakness, and work on strengths by continuing the development and to build on the weaknesses.  Also trying different methods of training and focusing on different aspects helps.  More recce runs of the sections in the race where I know I will initially struggle plus training over the ground where the race is will help with confidence on the day.

One of the keys to success in these events for me personally is your team.  In my case, my amazing partner Sarah.  Sarah has been with me on a few long races now and she has now become an essential part of my long ultra runs.  I am able to relax in the knowledge that she's at the next rendezvous knowing what I need. Although I've been doing all this for a few years now I still feel I have a lot to learn not just about the running but about myself and what it takes to get the best out of my body.

Never stop trying to learn more!

I love it when a plan comes together!

This must be what Hannibal in the A-Team felt like when he started forming a plan.  If you remember, not so long ago I DNF'd  in the Hardmoors 160.  Well it now doesn't seem so far off my next attempt.  Yes its next year in fact about 18 months, but I feel like I'm planning for it now.  I am currently training for the Hardmoors 55 in March with a plan of trying to get a fast time (for me) of around 13-14 hours so that I can take that forward to the Hardmoors 110.  The plan for the 110 is to really push myself on the first half from Filey to Saltburn which is where I need to gain some confidence as this is where I came unstuck last May.

My training for the 55 and 110 is going to include speed work, hill training, and mileage.  This should put me in good stead for the Lakeland 100.  I need to get a few recce's done for the later part of the LL100 which will be the night section.  I really want to finish this race and tick it off as its one of the big races on my 'to do' list.

The summer will be used as my chance to go and do some training runs on the 160 route, and again this will predominantly the first section from Sutton Bank to Helmsley, then Helmsley to the Cleveland Way, then Ravenscar to Saltburn.  If I can get some confidence here and work on where I need to push harder and be able to do it in a good time I can then go in to the 160 feeling good.

So, what will I do for the speed work.  I intend to use short out and back routes around where I live starting with 2 miles and building upwards to 10 really trying to run at a pace where I will literally burn out.  Hill work I am trying to use the same Hill in a consistent training format as in this time I did 4 and a bit miles but 4 times up the hill.  So each time I do the session which in theory I want to do it once a week, I will try to increase the hill reps by 1 each time. So finally for the mileage I intend to increase my overall weekly distance to begin with its a 10 week plan and it will progress from there depending on the dates of races.  I don't want to overdo the mileage but I do want to increase it compared to what I've done so far.  If I combine it with my recce's then that should cover it.  These will be combined with my gym work with Jake trying to keep improving my strength and conditioning.

That's the plan anyway!

I'm sure it will change ha ha