Post Hardmoors 30 run yesterday with Pistol Pete and the youngster Freddie 'Tigger' B-C.  After spending my morning working on the tennis court then racing around some chores at home I managed to get to the club for a run with these boys.  Which was great, always good to get out in a small group and mix your training up.  It was Freddies debut or should I say 'Tiggers' due to his energy levels and youthfulness bounding down the path holding up every now and again for us to catch up, or at least that's how it felt ha ha!  It was meant to be from my perspective to be a recovery run and to test the vulnerable areas that have been bothering me recently.  So short distance but keeping it comfortable so as not aggravate anything.  Apart from the continual moaning on my part and the conversation orientating around where I'm injured or struggling and how I'm trying to overcome my decrepidness it was a very enjoyable run lol!  Freddie didn't really get a word in as Pete and I had that much going on he couldn't say much.

My next bit of this weeks training moved me into the gym.  Not sure if this is now to develop new aspects of my training or rehabilitating the old areas and injuries.  We are focusing now on my weaknesses which are causing me problems before developing other areas to move on.  So alongside my training I am backing it up with better diet and as much as it pains me 'dry January'! Yes it has eventually come to this.

One of the best aspects of all this training and challenges is the kit.  Constant changes and improvements and different ideas.  Love looking for new kit, and unfortunately I have stumbled across a problem, it doesn't matter what kit I get I seem to always find something else that's better and does more for you (except run unfortunately).  Better technologies, better materials, more comfort and better aesthetics.  It doesn't change how I run or how fast I am but it does feel great getting new stuff ha ha !

What's next?

Keeping injury free and being consistent with short runs and gym work.

A year has past and my journey is well on the way now.  Things booked in and plans been made for completion of this first part of my challenge which was to run 100 miles.  I managed to crawl out of bed on New Years Day for the second year running and attempt a Hardmoors run.    Any day where you find yourself having to get up at a ridiculous time is hard enough, but on New Years Day that's a special kind of madness.  Luckily for me there were quite a few of us heading out from Fylingdales Village Hall.  It was the coldest morning for a while as had to scrape the ice from the windscreen and get the car heated up.  The roads were gleaming with treacherous black ice ready to catch you out if you were still a bit sleepy.  There was a crispness about the air and with a hint of sun rising in the east it looked to be a great morning for a run.
That wasn't to be ha ha!  Whitby and Robinhoods bay were deep mud!  We set off down the Cinder track heading to Whitby Abbey which, really, is a nice run its easy on the foot with a steady incline before the descent in to Whitby itself.  This is where it lures you in, it really starts at the foot of the Abbey and the beginning of the stairway of pain 'You have to run the steps!' the race description said, well I couldn't stop laughing all morning ha ha.....ha ha ha....ha ha ha ha!  Funny guy I thought!  I managed to get to the top holding a lung in each hand it felt like and gasping for some crisp sea air, the Marshal at the top didn't look worried in fact he asked me if I was doing the 15 or the 30, if I was doing the 15 I would have been doing bloody well since they'd only set off 20 mins beforehand so I took this as a complement to my fresh athletic look lol!  Round the corner we went and there it was, the mud bath!  It stayed like that for the majority of the course apart from when you come out of the village hall and head off towards Ravenscar as this is back on the Cinder Track.  The mud in places was 2 to 3 inches deep and no where to run either side, so the only option most of the time was to just go through it and hope for the best.


 I felt ok after the first section which was about 13 miles, it was the second section that seemed to break me physically and mentally, I allowed myself to start doubting my ability and reasoning for being there.  Looking back now I know the mental training side of this challenge is equal to the physical conditioning because once doubt gets into your thoughts its tough to break away from and bounce back.  I didn't just doubt myself for that run I doubted myself for everything I had planned in the future.  Its amazing how this can also soon turn around, after the disappointment I felt I soon started using my failings as positives to how I will overcome this, how I will make sure this won't happen again, which you can't guarantee of course, but I believe there is only failure if no lessons learnt.  I learnt plenty that day!

So Roseberry Topping revisited, 3rd year in a row and loved it just as much as the first. Although the first time was my trail running initiation and it has a lot to answer for ha ha!  Brilliant day, such a beautiful location, with the glistening sparkles of the snow topped Moors and the sun shining down on us to make a glorious day.  If we weren't wading through the mud we were crunching through the icy snow, slipping and sliding our way round, or was that just Darren!

Off we went bright and early on a fresh Sunday morning in December, heading off from David Lloyd's in York.  I picked Darren up and his mate Fabian and we headed off on our mini adventure.  Full of excitement, enthusiasm and a few nerves.  Fabian was slightly apprehensive as it was his first official race and even more so as a Hardmoors event, which maybe sounds tough in its name, but also by the time Darren and myself had built it up and reminisced on various brutal aspects of this run he was nearly white with fear ha ha!  So as normal I was completely convinced I could remember my way to Guisbrough, how hard can it be!  After driving for nearly an hour I was beginning to doubt my navigational knowledge especially when Darren asked if we were supposed to be driving into Middlesborough, ooops!  So we got back on track with a well known device on Darren's phone and managed to get ourselves in to Guisborough,  listening to Darren give a very detailed on route tour description of nearly every street and major building, followed by 'my parents live over there' and 'we used to bike round here'.  At which point Fabian and myself then had to question how we managed to get the journey so wrong ha ha!

After setting off together and enjoying a spectacular day the route took us up some fairly treacherous banks and muddy paths but we had a great time, the camaraderie on these runs is just brilliant whether in first place or last your treated the same, not that I have ever been in first and most definitely have enjoyed most events from the back, but I am making that assumption.  Everyone has such a friendly and encouraging nature and everyone just wants each person to succeed and finish that race whatever there reasons for being there its very much a team effort.  That's how it feels anyway and I liked to believe that is how it is.  We had a few funny moments, well quite a lot actually, there were moments when I couldn't decide what hurt the most my legs from the ascents or my stomach muscles from all the laughing ha ha!  We battled round, all having times of struggle and times of energetic spurts but we all finished together which was good although I did feel I held the other two back slightly but I didn't them racing off into the distance they allowed me to keep catching them up.

The journey home was fun, although I think Fabian was almost asleep by the time we got back and Darren couldn't move ha ha! Me, well I had to go to work, and then I managed a celebratory pint.  Great day, I never get bored of this kind of running, so when someone says to me they get bored or ask 'isn't it boring?'  I say no its amazing because I get days like this to remember for ever!

The disappointment of not being able to get to the start line of any run hurts me plenty, I hate it, its a lost opportunity to do what I love!  I entered a race recently called the Maravan which was a 6 hour run around a caravan park which at first didn't seem that appealing but the more I talked about it the keener I got lol!  I got to the day before and things were not right my heal and calf were not as good as I wanted and as much as I wanted to go and do this I knew it wasn't right. Devastated, pulling out of any race hurts, its like failing but I knew I was right to do it.

I have though, since the Maravan, been out and training.  Its great I love it the buzz was back, I kept it to short but regular runs with gym work.  It was paying off I felt like I was back in the game.  My entry to the Hardmoors Triple Ring Challenge had been accepted, which meant HM110 in April is a go!  In the same week my entry for the Marathon de Sables across the Sahara Desert was accepted and confirmation of place was sent.  So I was on a high, loving it, bouncing around like a kid at Christmas.  This was my dream, this is how it started, this had been the end goal...I am nearly there!

Frostbite 30 was on but this week I have had so much bother with my hip its been agonising, and as normal I have persisted through it and believed right to the end that I will run.  I can't, I can't start the race knowing that once it seizes up I will be in bother.  If i am stuck on the Dales in pain and freezing then I will look back and think how stupid when I have had the warning signs.  I hate it, but I can't go its just about being realistic, its my work and future that I jeopardise and my long term goal of the MdS.

On the bright side I might be OK for Hardmoors Roseberry Topping next Sunday ha ha! Lets get ready for that.

Another couple of weeks have passed and my heel is still niggling me but its much better, manageable I would say.  This being, stretching whenever possible and keeping it regular, foam rolling calves, mobilisation stretches for the ankle as its seems to be affecting it now make it feel a bit tight.  I have also been having regular massages which definitely help as always feels great after them.

Last week I managed to start getting a little consistency in my runs, almost getting out every other day with some gym work in between which helps.  I have started doing some ankle strengthening work, heel raisers, single leg squats and balance board work which all definitely make a difference.  I will be attending my Body Balance class today also as been having some soreness in my hips and IT band area which is making my back twitch a bit so Body Balance helps with that as always feel the benefit after although utterly useless at the time ha ha!

I was meant to be out on Sunday running the 'Maravan' in Cleethorpes which is a marathon running round a caravan park which I thought would be fun, in a weird way!  My body was aching all over and I really didn't feel up to it so I made the decision that by running I would be only making problems worse.  I would rather wait till the 'Frostbite 30' in December then Roseberry Topping again.  This are my end of year goals, so would have been silly to jeopardise them.  Really happy now I am able to get out running and do some training, I felt the difference with losing a bit of weight, it makes you feel better instantly and gives you that boost you need sometimes.  The form is filled in and is being posted today for the HM110 which is scary, I have resisted posting it off up till now as wanted to be sure I am going to be ok to train for it and ultimately complete it.

I hope once I have done it, assuming I do, that I don't lose that desire to want to do more.  I think the real challenge is in keeping motivated therefore challenging yourself further again.  Which is lucky as I have found some great runs and adventures to keep me busy for about the next 20 years ha  ha!

What do you do to keep your motivation?

It's been a while I here you saying!  Yes yes I know but I don't want to seem like I go on and on about the same stuff all the time.  Fresh, exciting, fun, interesting and just a little crazy at times, no that's just me ha ha!  Ok back to it, what have been up to.  Well after my long break in the summer due to injury which to be honest is much better but still slightly there, I have begun  the slow process of starting the training again.  I have eased my way back in to re-introduce my body to my demanding schedule which isn't just the running and gym work its my job of coaching tennis too.

I began a few weeks ago with a few light runs to test the heel and practise running in my new beasts 'The Hoka' trainers.  Now I say practise which means get used to, and I will explain why!  I think in an earlier post I explained about the difference in the shoe and why I was giving them a go, the raised heel, the extra cushioning and support etc etc.  Well that's all well and good but these bad boys are big they make me that much taller, which is ace I love it, but the problem is when I am running.  I set off ok bouncing down the street and suddenly after a short while I scuff my feet repeatedly for some unknown reason and then almost barring a uniquely styled out save, I trip over my own feet!!! Then I remember I'm wearing short ski boots lol!  So then I spend the rest of my run over-lifting my feet as if running on malton lava!   Any way moving along from my daft running technique,  a few runs in and yes I had a marathon to prepare for.  So I had literally given myself two weeks of prep for York Marathon, crazy!  It was  great I didn't set any speed records fast or slow ones but I had a great time and achieved my goal......to be no more injured than when I started.  Mission accomplished and the heel survived.  This was brilliant, I now new I could slowly get back to it and start booking in some more adventures and prepare myself for the Hardmoors 110 next April, oh yes the challenge is back on!!!!!

100 miles and beyond!
What are you going to do today to push your limits!

Its been a good week regarding the previous injury.  This means it feel like it is almost fully recovered although it does just let me know every now and again that its there.  So its important even now that I keep up my routines for stretching and supporting it as much as I can.  Love the feeling of planning the new challenges and what training I will need to do, motivation brings it all together perfectly!

Today brought back another element of my training that I dropped off while the heel was bad due it making it hurt, this is the one and only 'Body Balance' great title, so inappropriate for me lol!  So back to the old habits I met with John who also hasn't been going very much and we had our pre-class routine of stretching, chatting and laughing at how rubbish we were at the class.  I moved in to the studio in like a stealth move so as to reclaim our spots at the back of the class.  It was a new routine but I was equally as bad it as before but feel the benefits, its great for an hours stretching and brilliant for all my faults. It looked like we were trying to stand up whilst someone was rolling millions of marbles underneath us we were that bad! Balancing is one thing but having to then stretch out and bend my arm in a certain direction whilst looking up to the ceiling was not easy at all.  My lack of flexibility restrains me a little some what in the session but hopefully over time that will improve by doing it.  I came out of it and had to rush on to the tennis court as I had a lesson immediately after, but instantly I could feel it in my quads, hips and back so I new it was doing me good.  I hope....

Gentle run tomorrow as still haven't got rid of this cold as have a sore throat now eek! Then hopefully a bit longer on Wednesday, and then a few days rest before marathon day.  I'm going to be a mess, hobbling like Quasimodo dragging my left foot, slumped over as my back will probably be bad and looking like a Zombie no doubt.  Quite excited actually!