Sunday 8 March 2015

Sticking to the plan

Training for an endurance event isn't easy as it takes time and sometimes life or work gets in the way.  This week I was away at a conference from Wed - Friday and it involved long days.  So my only mid-week run was on a treadmill (how boring) for an hour.  But I did have a good yoga session and swim session before I went so I didn't feel too guilty.
The main miles are done at the weekend and although I have a half ironman approaching and have done no cycling, I'll get there, I need to concentrate on my "A race" in June - the 100 mile run.  The weather forecast on Saturday was horrendous - heavy rain and 49 mph wind.  So there was only one place to run - Chatelherault.  The trees would provide cover but may become dangerous as the forest is littered with recently felled trees.  I ran with a couple of friends who were looking for an evenly paced run as part of their Ironman training and were happy to work with me as I tried to keep my heart rate down - you get fitter that way.  By the end of three laps I was soaked and very muddy so was hosed down and told to strip before getting in the house!
I spent a painful evening nursing my plantar fasciitis, rolling it and applying a stretch through a special boot.  When I woke in the morning I was still hobbling and nursed the foot further before going out for 2 laps.  I was delighted to be accompanied on the 2nd lap by my coach Gen who has been in Canada for the last few years and back home for a while.  She was pleased with how I was running which gave me a real lift in confidence and assuming I can "nurse" the foot along, well let's not tempt fate.  But I achieved the goal I had set for the weekend and am sticking to my plan.  Slowly does it and I need to increase my running and cycling during the week.  It feels great to have stretching targets - realistic ones don't do it for me!