Muhammad Ali famously once said that "the fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road long before I dance under the lights" and I suppose there are similarities between boxing and endurance events. The planning and training is more gruelling than the actual event plus the trepidation just before the start when you doubt whether you have done enough training.
With that in mind I decided to get a head start with my initial training to build a solid base for the inevitable pounding of the streets from the Autumn onwards. The first week (2nd Jan - 8th Jan) was interrupted slightly by a wedding in Ireland and a winter golf tournament but, in hindsight, I think it enabled me to back into the swing of things; walking before I could run. Besides, two days in Ireland on a Guinness diet and winning the closest to the pin at golf more than compensated for missing a few training sessions.
Three runs and one cycle later I clocked in at 11.5 miles running and 34.5 miles cycling for the week. I also learnt the value of bike maintenance as, by not regularly oiling my chain, the chain is rusted and I might have worn a few of the cogs. I am sure this will be cemented when I get the bill from Evans Cycles.
By the end of the first week I have also made the first of my key decisions relating to the essential equipment list; what rucksack to take with me on the event. As mentioned on my first blog each runner is self-sufficient on the MdS which means they carry everything minus the tent they sleep in and water for subsequent days. The old adage that the bigger the bag the more you pack seems more pertinent on the MdS as running 156 miles is tough enough without carrying luxury items and the kitchen sink on your back. However, I have decided to get the 30 litre rucksack over its 15 litre and 20 litre cousins.
I suppose the key points that tipped the decision the 30l side were: anecdotes that previous competitors have packed their 15l bag to the brim and didn't have room to squeeze in the mandatory emergency flare that is presented on the start line so had to jettison other items; as an eater it would be wise to pack more than the minimum requirement of 2,000 calories per day to keep me going in the latter miles of the race; and I don't want to be in the middle of the Sahara wishing I had packed something. Still, that being said when I do a trial run of packing the rucksack I want to keep as close 20Kg as possible.
As it seems most competitors on the MdS forums favour the RaidLight rucksacks and I am going to be sheep on this one and will buy their front and back packs as described in the following links http://www.likeys.com/acatalog/info_5.html and http://www.apex-sports.co.uk/details/443-RaidLight-Equilibre-R-Light-Frontpack. The front pack will avoid a repeat of my bladder breaking at the Breacon Ultra last year which, if repeated in the MdS, would be a disaster as I don't know if there are many running shops in the Sahara where I can buy a replacement water bladder... This also seems to be the theme on the forums.
Week two (9th Jan - 15th Jan) involved starting the weekly increases to my training duration and intensity. I ended up spending 10 hours training consisting of 30 miles of running and 9k of swimming with a mammoth continuous 5k swim on Saturday. My logic is that more cross training will reduce the monotony of repeating endless runs and will also help with my fund raising. As a consequence of choosing to run the MdS for Mencap I am now committed to raise £9,500 for the cause. Thankfully, I have already raised £2,000 and will be contributing a further £2,000 myself to cover the costs to send me out to the Sahara, so this only leaves an additional £5,500 to raise in the remaining 16 months. I also think that I should be in good physical condition to post some respectable lifetime bests.
I have selected four events to keep me focused in 2012: Half-Ironman, Paris Marathon, London Triathlon and 10k swim. I am aiming to break 7 hours for the Half-Ironman, 3:30 for the Marathon, sub-2:30 for the London Triathlon and complete the 10k swim in 4 hours. Anyway, the first event is 12 weeks away so I have more time to get stronger and quicker with improved stamina.
In the next blog I will be focusing on two more bits of training accessories that are being procured (Cycle Turbo Training and Training watch) plus accounts from my first fundraiser of 2012 (a Pub Quiz at the Doggett Coat and Badge) will have occurred to get me closer to the £9,500 target.
TTFN
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