Having been through Covid, I decided this year I would make my 'A' race very achievable. I have a few carry through event entries left for autumn (mostly via Lakeland Trails) and with the unpredictability of life/ my job I didn't fancy my chances of training for an autumn marathon. So instead I have opted to train for a the half version of the Peakskyline. The Peakskyline is a real aspirational ultra (just- its 28 miles) based out of Buxton that takes in some of the most stunning peaks of the surrounding Peak District: Shuttlingsloe, the Roaches, Ramshaw Rocks, Shining Tor. It has very strict cut offs and is not designed as a first ultra; the organiser is very unapologetic that he wants to keep it a bit elite. But to compensate there is a 'Half' version starts on the same route then cuts a rather large corner to take on Shining Tor before coming bac. Its still a little over 14 miles, and 2,700 ish ft of elevation, so it isn't a small undertaking, but its a bit more realistic given my present fitness status (that is overweight, over stressed and underwhelming performance wise).
Over a spring of lockdown, I had tried to keep my basal fitness reasonable with one longer run a week (10-12 miles, local, mostly road and canals), a bike session each week (thank goodness for Zwift), one tempo run most weeks and some sessions such as hills or speed work where I could. The latter are hard to motivate myself to do as hard as I should and I have defnitely lost speed. I missed club track sessions and even since they have started back, have struggled to make as many as I would like.
In June I started working with a coach (see post) and she has helped me bring aa bit more structure and focus to my sessions. The first step was to start bringing in a bit more elevation to my longer runs, and over two months we have really built this up. I have started to go to the Pennine Moors or Peak District those weeks I can to do my long run, as well as the return of blacksheep midweek sessions (though these are often easier pace as I lead the 'lambs' group). The hot weather brought about a few challenges and I had to postpone my longest run, but most weeks I got out for a longer run with elevation. It was really nice to get out; I had missed it and my confidence in my ability to go do these things had just fallen. Somehow being told to go out and do made me actually do!
Another thing it is easier to be told to do than decide to do is go 'easy' pace. I have started taking the dog for a few of my easy runs and the pace is usually appallingly slow, but I try not to let this bother me.
Things I would have liked to include in my training but just didn't happen include getting out to recce the course, and a few more tempo or track sessions. I have worked a lot of shifts recently, and the return of the traffic as the world goes back to the office makes mornings and evenings that much more difficult. I haven't made a Tuesday clubrun in months and am prepared that I might not get back to these for a while. Where I can I have tried to replace this with a run with my local trainnig buddy who makes me work my pace, but this doensn't always work out. Also, my partner has stopped walking the dog (alongside a few other chores), so I am having to do nearly all of that which eats in to my time and energy. A recce would have been nice but my partner just ignores the dog for the hours I am out and going to Buxton to run takes time. Hopefully I can get the dog up to longer runs over the coming months which will help.
I am excited about the route. Despite not reccing it, I do know sections of it, and Shining Tor always feels a triumph, even if the weather is against us!
Let's see how Saturday goes first. With the real chance I will be last, I may never want to run again!
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