Where do I go from here??????????

A DNF in the Hardmoors 60, is this a negative to dwell on and become down beat about and think I'm not actually meant for all this!

OR

A DNF in the Hardmoors 60, is an opportunity!  It might not necessarily be a positive thing in itself but it can be used positively to go on and achieve future goals!

This is great psychology, I love it!  What happens to a person can either be a negative experience or a positive opportunity.  This means, like with the HM 60,  a negative mind set would allow this to make them feel beaten, unworthy, fragile, not up to future challenges, not capable, and a failure.  A positive response to this, would be to take the DNF and make it a base to start from.  Something to learn from, build on, and be successful from!

The things I take in to consideration are, I didn't train that well so therefore I managed 57 miles on barely any training with the longest run being 16.5 miles.  I underestimated the event, and I think a little complacency due to previous successes took place.

What have I learnt?

It doesn't matter what the event, you need to train appropriately!  Give the event the respect it deserves, treat it as your toughest longest event to date.  Do a full kit check, and plan each aspect of it so can look back in the future and compare.

My current training is all base level work.. This involves general fitness with nothing specific.  I am concentrating on steady warm up on bike with maybe pushing it with a 20-30 min bike workout.  I will then do some dumb bells for arms, this will be followed by squats, lunges and jumping lunges.  I like doing old school exercises such as press-ups, sit ups and burpees.  After 2 weeks I'm really starting to feel the benefits, fitter, quicker and leaner.  Getting ready for some running I love it feel great.  I'm getting excited about the long distance stuff but want to concentrate on gym, short runs and speed!


Hardmoors 160 - 7.5 months to go!

Hardmoors 60 (to be or not to be?)

So my first attempt at the Hardmoors 60!  It wasn't the ending I had hoped for but all is not lost.  In losses or failures we find truths and answers.  I knew going into this event I hadn't trained enough, I'm no leading race challenging whippet, but I can usually slog it out and get myself over the line in time.  On this occasion it wasn't to be, I had trained enough and my body wasn't prepared for the extreme levels I put it through.  Physically I think I was strong enough I would just have liked to have had more running in my legs and more training where your body has to go through the mill a bit.  The positives are all there though, in my journey to the 160 next May have now started with a 57 mile training with no side effects or injuries.  I have remembered what it is going to take to achieve this monumental feat.  Am I defeated by my 'DNF' no, deflated a little but not defeated, if anything I'm inspired, challenged and have the desire to improve.  I'm happy with not necessarily being the best at this sport, I like having something where I can just do what I can and that's enough.  I am always trying to get better at it, and after a long summer off post MdS I am relatively happy with how I did.  Obviously I hate not completing and I found it very difficult to accept at the time as my inner self just wanted to carry on to prove I could do it, but where's the benefit from that, sometimes you have to let go.  The difference between a 64 mile training run and a 57 mile training is nothing really as they are  both ridiculous distances and therefore its a win win situation!

So how do I move forward from here?  Easily!  I need to have some regular runs, some scheduled trail runs or/and ultra's and build my endurance up towards the date of the 160.  I'm determined to complete it so the preparation is important to my success.  I still don't want it to take over my life as I have other priorites now but if I can get the right training in and enough of it with some reccies then the game is on.  I need a bit of new kit but not much, might also look into a handheld gpx device which will minimise any navigational errors.  If anything my DNF on Saturday has done exactly what was intended, its given me a bit of a kick up the bum and reminded me to respect the distance and course.  Its brutal, and punishing, and will take every last bit out of you to get round it.  I can not afford to underestimate the size of this challenge, everything I have done up till now only counts in experience and knowledge, it does not allow you any freebies.  Its accepting the hardwork that lies ahead and then putting it in.

A lot of time has past but I've been super busy with work and holidays.  The clock is ticking for Hardmoors 60 on the 16th Sept so just under two weeks to go eeeek!  Hows my training going? Badly!  I have done some but no where near enough but the idea is that this race gives me a kick in the backside and reminds me that these races are ridiculously hard.  This the beginning really of the HM160 training plan so its all starting to get very real.  Current small targets are, keep up base level fitness, hill training, lose half stone by Christmas followed by another half stone after Christmas, stop or reduce drinking (it does help!) and start increasing long run distance.  So quite a few chunks to go at there but all necessary to achieving my new goal. I'd like to do the Spine Challenger in Jan again but not sure if the budget will allow for it.

So its time to knuckle down to this challenge, I wish I had a couple of extra weeks for the 60 but hey ho that's life.  I feel I have been training so not completely off it but I haven't done enough strength work or distance.  So whats the plan over the next week and a half?  I want to get out for a few runs, short distance and a couple of 10 milers with hills, I want to do a bit of gym work this week but nothing killer like and do some stretching.

I need to find a 30-40 miler for October as part of my training so I will begin looking now.  This is now all about mind set and discipline.  Its about getting out there and training when I don't want to as I know those runs are sometimes the most beneficial.  Its about confidence and belief, its not that I'm doubting myself anymore its just the reality of knowing what's coming.  So believing in what I know I can do but putting the hard work in to make it less difficult than I know it will be.  Its the pain game!

Sunday I have Hardmoors Rosedale half marathon to drag myself round.  I am quite pleased with how my gentle build up in training has been going, with focus been on base level fitness and short runs just to keep away from any re-occurring injuries or niggles.  I managed to keep up some momentum last week getting out form my normal 3.5 miler as my consistent go to run, this means basically if I have a bit of space in my day and I know I need to get out for a run then this is the one I do.  This with a couple of visits to the gym gave me some good preparation for nice 2.5-3 miler with Sarah on Thursday up in the Howardian hills.  She says 'nice little 2.5-3 miles' and something along the lines of 'there's only one really slope' ha ha oh yeah really!  So off we went nice steady pace, although I was told I was going a bit quick, but the first half mile was up hill and I was starting to feel it already so was now starting worry if I was going to last this run out.  Up some more hills and through some woods it was great, and great to do a different route too.  I was loving this run apart from nearly dying, it was great!  Then we approached a corner followed by a road that looked almost vertical, I was just thinking oh my lord I am actually going to die up this.  Sarah on the other hand hadn't changed pace, hadn't moaned, not even a mention of this brute of an incline in front of us, all I could do was get on with it!  So just passed half way up my lungs pumping away like a pair of bellows, my heart beating so hard I was choking on it and sweat leaking out of me like a wet sponge being squeezed lol!  I was nearly at the top before I needed to increase my pace otherwise I wasn't going to get there, Sarah was going at same pace with zero expression on her face except pure determination.  I reached the top, almost convulsing and hands on my knee's sucking up as much air as the planet would allow.  Then Sarah, after what felt like a two second break, said come on lets go.  Are you having a laugh lol!  Nice run back with a sprint finish to kill me off.  So what she thought was 2.5 miles actually turned out to be 4 miles ha ha!  Great fun, and a well earned beer I can tell you.

So all this work at the moment is to prepare me for the Hardmoors 60 in September and eventually the Hardmoors 160 next may which is going to be a massive challenge so I need to stay fit and strong and gradually build up the momentum.  With all this in mind and Rosedale this Sunday, I headed back out on the Wolds with Pete yesterday for a very steady 10.5 miles.  It took 2hrs 15mins which actually I was quite pleased with, I felt good especially with all the inclines and sections that sometimes I really struggle on that wasn't the case yesterday.  My legs feel it a bit today but that's good as I know I have done relevant training now over the last few weeks and that stamina is building nicely.  More strength and flexibility work needed now though, it never ends!

So what have I learnt over the last couple of weeks, push your limits every training session or every run because this will help you achieve your goal.  It will be hard as it won't be comfortable as your stretching your comfort zone to achieve these great things. 

Small targets, big goals!!!

So after my horrendous run last Tuesday that felt ridiculously tough I managed to head out again the day after!  I was determined that I could do better and it wasn't going to be as horrible an experience as the previous day.  This then turned into another run the day after putting me in a very positive mindset for the upcoming trail half-marathon at Rosedale on the Yorkshire Moors.  I have definitely turned a corner now my drive is back, my life in general is on the up due to a certain person so all is good.  So the next question is, how to maintain desire and motivation?

A great little slogan I like to use, not just in my training, but on the tennis court too and generally in life it can be applied is' small targets, big goals!'   This allows you to set lots of mini targets, bench marks that all lead towards you achieving your main goal.  So for me in this journey I have started, my goal is to find out what the greatest distance I can cover in one go is so all my mini targets are small events like half marathons building up the distance therefore developing the training in a progressive manner and staged so as to not be overwhelmed by the huge distance of the end goal. So my current end goal is the Hardmoors 160 so my progressions are Rosedale Half, Hardmoors 60, White Rose 100, possibly New Years Day 30, possibly Northumberland 35, Hardmoors 55 then I'm there.  What this allows me to do is set smaller training periods to build different things such as to start with its regain and build base level fitness, then it will be to do some speed work, then more core training and flexibility, strength work all of these at the same time as increasing mileage in training.  So bite size manageable chunks!  Small targets-Big goals!!!

I like this it says a lot to me, as it should you.  You have to keep believing in yourself, it is the key!  Remember 'Believe to achieve'!!  No great words said or motivating phrase, you just have to believe in yourself, don't question it, don't doubt it, just put everything you have into it and only believe in the desired outcome.  Deep thoughts there but how true!   Happy Thursday friends :)

How to start again!

Isn't it amazing that sometimes your desire to train or train hard is determined by mood.  How you're feeling either on the day or at that time.  Training can be done because of your current mood either because your flying high or because your down in dumps. Currently for me, I'm up there in the clouds flying pretty high at the moment so my desire to train is back and strong.

So I feel inspired again, I am excited about my next major challenge which is a bit away yet but I need to have the target to build up to.  Like I said in one of the last few posts I'm looking to do a few shorter runs to build up some stamina and strength again then onto the Hardmoors 60 in September.  What is your major challenge I hear you ask??????  Well after not much thought as it was easy really I'm going to have a crack at the Hardmoors 160 next May.  Wahoo yes 160 miles in one go, I can't believe that this is how far I have come in my Journey.  To do a 100 mile race in November as a training run lol for the 160.  Who does that!!! Ha Ha love it!

I have a good 10 months of training which is great, my main focus will be to stay injury free and build base level fitness first with short runs.  I will incorporate strength training, flexibility training and pool work.  I'm actually excited about all this just by writing it down lol!  I scare myself sometimes ha ha!

So that's the plan.  What have I been doing at the moment, well pretty little in honesty but my pretty little is very different to others, I'm no machine, I know where I am in the grand scale of things I'm no elite athlete I am just an ordinary bloke trying to stay fit and healthy.  I think my body just needed a rest so I have done a few light sessions in the gym and a few short runs as in 3.5 miles just to tick over.  As I am a tennis coach I am on my feet and staying fit every day plus I have been playing tennis quite a bit over the last 2 months so its not all been sitting on my bum doing nothing when I say I've done very little.  I managed to get out for a run yesterday which is my first in about 2 or 3 weeks and about my 3rd or 4th in a couple of months, which is pretty minimal which tells me I needed a rest.  My run yesterday was enlightening, yes I mean that, this so because even though I'd built up to running 50 miles then 70 then the 110 and on to the MdS, my run yesterday was rubbish.  Great, but rubbish!!!  I felt awful, slow like a slug, like I was running through treacle with a fridge on my back.  I was slow, yes yes slower than normal then shall I say. Normally I guess this is what puts some people off because they think that's how it will always be, but I now know better.  I know that this is the test, this is now your challenge, the battle has begun, its 'the will' battle.  Through experience I know that each time from now it will be easier as long as I keep going at it and be consistent.  I know that this is the test, that defines your mental strength, 'give in now and achieve nothing' or 'fight back, train, and go on to achieve your dreams'.  Quite heavy for an early morning blog post but like I say I'm inspired.  So do I give up because it was so rubbish and horrible yesterday making me feel like I haven't done any of the things I have OR do I fight back and train, get strong, and re-build!  Yes you guessed right, I've just found my first challenge on the journey to Hardmoors 160.  How to start again!!!!!

It hasn't been quite how I intended, my training has been minimal, not through lack of motivation but through lack of confidence in my body.  I have just taken some time out to allow the little niggles and injuries to clear up which I think I am now about there.  I am definitely mentally ready to get back out there now, I miss the trails and the challenges.  I need to sign up to something that I can get my teeth into as the challenge of distance, great as it is, requires a lot of time and dedication.  So I am looking for some shorter distances to get myself back to it.  I want to work on some things firstly need to get my weight down again and secondly my speed over the shorter distances.  I am also wanting to improve my strength in my legs and endurance capabilities.  Best get back in the gym once this pesky cold has gone!

So its time to put the effort in and start getting some results!