Week 34: Quadriceps and race plans

The first run of the week was a family run around the local reservoir.  The kids ran well and didn't complain, so there is hope that they can come with us more often.  After one circuit of 3.5 km I climbed into the hills and then back down to return home.  The next day I went for a 6 hour walk in the mountains with 1000m of altitude.  My knees suffered a lot especially on the descent.  This is a bit worrying as my run in August has a cumulative descent of 4000m.
I researched some quadricep exercises on the internet in the hope that the root cause of my knee problems is weak quadriceps.  It seems that squats and lunges are the best exercises, so I will try and do some every morning and evening in the hope that things get better before the big race.
On my next run I strapped my left knee (the weaker of the two) to see if this would help.  I did a relatively short run, 10km but pushed myself to run a little faster.   The strapping seemed to help.
At the weekend, I watched and listened to commentary of the London Marathon.  One 88 year old lady advised comfortable shoes and clothes, with a slow as possible start and building up from there.  I am sure that this is true as sometimes I start fast and suffer later, then other times I start slowly and manage to finish faster and with less pain.  There was also an interview with a sport psychologist, she explained that runners need a race plan.  So I started looking at the profile of my race in August, trying to estimate where I will be at certain moments, based on distance and altitude.  The race starts at 10 am and the race book suggests 6 hours to finish the 47km.  I think I will aim for 7- 8 hours based on my performances so far and the terrain.  However I plan to recon sections of the race this summer so should have a better idea later.

Week 33: Just keep slogging away.

It is the school holidays so the kids are under my feet.  My daughter had an aerobic training session at the beginning of the week, so I took the opportunity to go for a 10km run in the mountains.  My knees and legs felt sore but as I warmed up things got easier.  I ran comfortably and was able to run quite fast and managed 10 kilometres.  I still prefer running through the trees away from any tarmac and traffic noise.
"Run" does seem to me to be a big word for what is actually a combination of fast uphill walking and then jogging along ridges and downhill.  Despite reading, and being told it is normal to walk on uphill sections, I still feel guilty and a failure when I slow to a walk on slopes.
After an intensive gym session midweek, I forced myself out for a run.  I wasn't motivated at all despite the good weather.  I pounded around the local reservoir and decided that, as I was only going to do one circuit, I would run as fast as I could.  I finished feeling quite pleased with myself as I managed an average pace of 5:35 min/km, and a best pace of 4:32min/km.
My last run of the week was a 15 km circuit through the mountains.  The first part climbs steeply 400m before dropping down into a small valley and then climbing again up the other side of the valley before dropping back to the valley floor.  Again it felt very tough but I was presently surprised to find that my performance was not too bad.
I think my principle problem today could be my mental state.  I find it very hard to motivate myself to go out for a run, despite the pleasure I feel when a run is finished.  During the run I tend to have negative thoughts about how slow I am and how much it is hurting.  Although I do occasionally manage to think about other things, and this is when I usually run better.  Finally at the end I worry about how short the run was, even if my times and performance seem to be getting better.  I suppose it is all a case of confidence and patience, a good life lesson for me.

Week 32: Hydration

Very stiff, sore knees and aching muscles at the back of my leg again.  I am a bit perplexed as I warm up and stretch after my exercise sessions, but I'm experiencing pain the next day.  So I hit the Internet and asked Google if poor hydration could be a cause.  My research revealed that this is indeed the case. Apart from the washing out of built up toxins, which I already knew about, it seems water helps to lubricate joints.  The experts seem to disagree on the quantity necessary but 2 litres per day seems about right, more if doing strenuous exercise.  So this week I have been drinking two glasses of water with my morning coffee and fruit juice.  Drinking coffee is bad for hydration but can help with muscle pain, so if you are drinking coffee you need more water.  Then I try to drink a litre of water during the morning, a bottle on my desk helps, sipping through the day.  At lunch two glasses of water, and then a pot of herbal tea in the afternoon.  My favourite at the moment is Maté, used by the Incas in the Andes.  Finally I drink two or more glasses of water during dinner.  This is a normal day.  When I exercise I take regular sips of water in addition.  It seems to be working the aches and pains are better, although I do seem to be going to the toilet more often.  Apparently an indicator of good hydration is clear urine.  There is only one danger and that is over hydration.  It is possible to drink too much but at 2-3 litres a day I don't think I am there yet.

A bit of a lazy, rest week with only one gym session and as the weather wasn't great a session on the running machine.  I still don't love it but I managed an hour this time, varying speed and incline.  At the end of the week I went for another long walk in the mountains.

Week 31: Just enjoying the trial

Thank god that weekend is over.  Between setting up the village fete, helping at my son's rugby tournament, and discovering someone had stolen one of my beehives, I had little time to myself.  I finally managed to get to the gym on Monday and work out my frustrations.  Tuesday I went for a very unsatisfactory and short run.  Maybe it was better than nothing.  Luckily the next day the weather was great and I went for another run that was much better.  I didn't worry about length, pace or time and just ran.  I wasn't entirely satisfied as I had to walk a fair amount, but when I got back and analysed the run I was no worse than usual.  Maybe that is the key to my problems at the moment.  I need to relax and just go with the flow.  If I worry too much I am going to lose the pleasure of just running.
At the end of the week I went off for a long run and decided to ignore my watch.  I chose to do one of the routes at the local trail station.  I chose the "Sentier de Fer", which follows a historical path that was formerly used to carry iron ore from mines in the mountains to smelters in the valley.  I did the course in reverse.  The first section rose gradually to the village of Pinsot, where there is a hydroelectric installation.  I ran and walked at a fast pace.  After Pinsot the path rises steeply in zigzags and I found it hard work.  I got lost in the vestiges of the iron mines for 10 minutes or so.  The path is a little complicated as there are a multitude of panels directing tourists in loops around the historical site.  The path culminates at 1000m and levels off on forestry roads for about a kilometre or so.  As I dropped down the other side of the ridge I was surprised by the drop in temperature and the clouds pushing up from the valley floor.  Nevertheless I was running well.  I veered off the set course towards St Pierre (my village).  By the time I arrived at the bottom, I had finished 16 kilometres and gone up and down 920 metres.  I decided to walk the final 2 kilometres home to stretch my legs and warm down.
My run times were in line with past performances so not thinking too much is obviously the right solution.  On Sunday I did a long walk to prepare for my mountain guide qualification.  There was still a lot of snow so I was in snowshoes.  The walk followed part of the trail race route that I will run in August so it was a good reconnaissance for that, as well as counting toward my physical preparation.   It was an interesting walk along an old moraine up to a pass at 2000m, and in the menacing shadow of the north face of a mountain.  I managed the walk in 4 hours instead of the 6.5 hours noted in the guidebook.