Running Roundup # 10

Last Saturday was my biggest test of my fitness as I took on the Fission 20/20. This is actually two races using the same course, one race is 20km and the other is 20 miles, hence the 20/20, and I was competing in the 20 mile event.

I managed to grab a lift there with a few of the girls from Lliswerry Runners, and as we drove along the country lanes to the start at Berkeley Power Station, we could see that there were some huge puddles in the roads from the previous days heavy rain, and one of them was just before the start line.

After the race briefing we proceeded to the start line and we all had to negotiate that puddle somehow. Some removed their trainers and socks and paddled through, but most of us took to the verge and made our way in single file.

Now, the organisers could see what was happening, and so they could have delayed the start by 5 minutes to ensure that everyone had got to the start line OK, but no, they started the race at 9 AM and I was then 3 minutes late crossing the line, and our times were on gun time for the start and chip time to finish. Oh well.

So off I went and I had previously decided not to keep to a minutes per mile pace, but to go by my heart rate instead, which is what I have done for my last few long runs, where I have tried to keep my heart rate to a maximum of 145 bpm, this way my pace would be fine without me huffing and puffing for over 3 hours.

The route was a big loop, which for the 20 milers we had to run two laps of, and it was on the return leg of each loop where the biggest puddles were, and most of the puddles were over ankle deep, apart from one which by the time I came to it the second time around, the reen next to the road had burst its banks and the water came to just below my knees. And of course with every puddle, my trainers would fill with cold water and then it would take a little while for my feet to warm up again.

Teej & Trudy splashing about in the puddle

I had no dramas, nothing out of the ordinary or unexpected happened, apart from those puddles, and I completed the race with an enormous sense of satisfaction and now feeling more confident about completing my marathon, even though it is a further 6 miles. I only have to tell myself at that point that it is only a Tuesday evening club run and to keep turning my legs over for another hour ish.

I did have a bit of a scare towards the end of last week with what felt like a slight muscle strain, but it didn't affect me at all during this run, and on Sunday it felt fine also, but on Monday morning I was feeling it. Fortunately I had a massage booked for Monday evening with Daniela, and it was feeling significantly better the next morning, but I have decided to rest it this week totally and not run, which won't do me any harm at this stage of my training I'm sure. But I'm running in the Weston Super Half on Sunday and so I need to be right for that.

Just 4 weeks to go to Manchester now and counting 😲