Training for the 2009 MdS - 10

Well, it's been a long time since I last posted here.  In the meantime, a lot has happened - too much, one might say.

First of all, and most importantly in terms of running, I finally did my first full marathon - in Füssen, southern Germany at the end of July, and it went off far better than I expected.  Having been plagued with yet another injury (this time, a torn calf muscle), I wasn't able to get in much training at all, but it went off fine.  I managed it in a time of 4:02:05, which is not bad for an old codger on his very first marathon.

Back in Chur after Füssen, I felt really strong with no aches or pains whatsoever.  Within three days, I was out running again, but then did something stupid - two very strenuous hiking/running days in the mountains above Chur, which caused my left tibia to ache like crazy.  I thought nothing of it, and two days later, decided on a 50-km run/hike from Liechtenstein back to Chur.  I had hardly achieved 10 km when my leg announced, that it was not going to work anymore, and let out a massive burst of pain.  I ended up almost crawling to the road, from where I caught the bus, and train, back to Chur.  I finally ended up at my sports doctor, and he confirmed by greatest fear - a tibial stress fracture - this is a thin break in the bone, caused by over-use, and makes sense because a marathon causes micro-trauma to the muscles and bones, even if one feels really good afterwards.  A period of recovery is essential - I had totally ignored that and, not only did I not allow recovery, but I did some extreme training, and the result was not surprising.

Since then, I've had to cancel my participation on marathons in Berlin, Lucerne and Locarno, and have been able to do nothing else than bike and swim, plus gym; and later, as the break started to heal, a fair amount of mountain hiking, but no running whatsoever.  I did keep myself fit, and feel, at the moment, fitter than I have ever been in my life, but my running per se will certainly have taken a knock back.

Anyway, I have just been to my sports doctor again, and he is convinced, I can finally start running again from today, but only small distances - no more than 5 km at a time, twice a week, slowly increasing.  I'm very happy at last, because the last four months have been filled with frustration for me, and there have been times when I have almost given up the whole lot and packed it in.

On 6th December, I'm taking part on my first ultra-marathon - 78 km through the Brecon Beacons in Wales (http://www.beaconsultra.com/ ). Of course, not having been able to train properly, I won't be able to run much - probably just the first few kilometres which are flat and alongside a canal, after which the terrain is pretty hilly.  Fortunately, though, I've been doing a lot of hiking lately in the mountains around Chur, and this will aid me greatly in the Beacons.  Vicky is going to be doing it with me, and we'll keep together all the way.  The event is a double route - i.e. twice around, and we'll see how things go by the end of the first round.  Should we tackle the second loop, we're going to be doing it in the dark, so head torches will be the order of the day.  Vicky and a few others from the forum have been out to Brecon in the last month or so, and apparently parts of the route are very stony/rocky - not the best conditions for night events, but still.  Back here in Chur, I've been doing some night hiking as well, to get used to it, and really enjoy it, despite the incredibly sense of isolation one feels.

Back to Brecon: I fly over to London 3rd December, and will be away a full week, spending time in London, Hampshire and Wales.  It's going to be very exciting, and I can hardly wait for it.

Regarding to 2009 MdS - all is go for it, I'm fully registered and paid-up, and am looking forward to it with immense elation.  The hardest part, of course, is going to be training here in Switzerland in winter for an event that will be taking place in the desert at temperatures of up to about 48°C!!!!!  Could be fun.

I am frantically organising kit lists, food lists, and so on for both Brecon and the MdS - it's a huge amount of work, although very interesting, I must.  Of course, there is a lot of contradictory information "out there", and it's hard to know which to follow.  The most important learning will take place on both events themselves.  Learning by doing, although a certain amount of prior knowledge is salient.  The plan is, that I am going to do the MdS in 2011 again with Vicky, so what we learn in 2009 will stand us in good stead for '11.

Now that I am really back into my training, I shall try and keep this blog current.