16 Months

So quite a lot of stuff has happened in the 16 months since I last blogged.
You will be glad to know I am not going to list everything here.
But since this year’s WHW is only 4 months away I thought I best get my excuses in early.

December saw me run 300 miles and the first 3 weeks of January 270 miles, I had run every day since around mid November, Most of Decembers running was in snow wearing crampons and a lot of Januarys was on the road, both things I am not that used to, But the thing that I did that goes against almost everything I normally do was wear boots every day for work through all the bad weather.

Now I had a niggle on the back of my heal for a while but I had no idea what it was, so then I run 30 miles on the cateran trail and by the end I am hurting bad, the next morning I can’t walk,
A visit to the Physio and one Achilles is chronic and one is acute, oops. (My first Achilles injury since I started running 29 years ago) And although it’s a combination of things that caused it, I am sure the boots are the main culprit, going from barefoot and minimal shoes to boots was just stupid.

Physio says since it’s me no point in telling me to completely rest but Ice dunk after runs and cut my distance and quantity of runs right back, After 4 weeks left Achilles seems ok but the right is still not fixed so I have decided I can’t wait any longer I need a complete break from running to get fixed it time for the important races of the season.
I have been hitting the gym hard to keep me from going nuts and have dragged the Cyclo X bike out of the shed done 4 rides so far and really enjoying it.

I really don’t know what I will do this season now, I had been thinking sub 10 Fling and perhaps a sub 21 WHW but then we had also been thinking Fling then up to Fort bill next day then 2 days on up the great glen to Inverness, For the WHW we had also been thinking about stringing Kintyre, Cowal, WHW, Great glen way together but now everything is up in the air.

One thing is for sure I will be at UTMB and want to do Sub 35 hours and this has to be my main focus.

The D33 is in less than 3 weeks and with 180 entries is looking to be a great race; I am looking forward to seeing loads of folks have a good day out.

It’s a perfect day for running but I have been out on the bike and I will resist.