23 November 2009

the plan....

so, here's the idea. i'm going to attempt to train, specifically for one race. that's right, no more aimless pavement pounding, no more 'oh, i'll run tomorrow, today is biking weather'. no longer will i turn up to races with my fingers crossed and more stubbornness than fitness.

the event, the west highland way race. the plan, i've got 30 weeks to get my legs to agree to run the 95 miles from Milngavie to Fort William. this time i'm feeling focused, i've got pieces of map on the bedside table, cutoffs memorised, a willing support crew (jane and vikki), a new pair of trainers, but most importantly a training schedule.

i only work 3 days a week (4 every 4th week), which is good for getting longs days out. but fitting in a proper rest day has proved difficult. my shifts are 12.5 hrs and most of the time i'm on my feet and probably walk an average of 7m and a lot of stairs (always quicker than the lifts!). having a rest day whilst at work is a bit counter productive. so, i'm working in 3 week blocks. 10 nice little bite sized chunks, with a complete sitting on my ass, radio listening, cake eating, rest day every 2 weeks.

the other issue is my shifts don't follow a pattern but i am given my rota about 3/4 weeks in advance. it's a bit problematic but with organisation i should be able to do all the sessions. even if not always in the ideal order.

my aim is to do all long runs back to back. when the mileage increases, to get at least one of them properly off road. the terrain of the whw is more trail than fell, so i'm not too worried about trying to get miles of bog hopping in. but all of the pavement pounding will be on the hilliest roads i can find. the other crucial session will be the weekly speed work. it's likely that i'll be on my for this and i'm already predicting that this session will be my weakness.

on days off i'll try and double up some sessions but you never know, i might feel like doing the easy run after work! the session marked run/mtb is a bit vague but will either be a steady run of 4-8m or a ride. i think singlespeeding has a lot in common with running-that's my excuse and i'm sticking to it!

the other big change is diet. this doesn't mean that the cakes will stop. just that they'll hopefully last a little longer. eating and drinking well on days off is going to be really important and something i don't currently do very well. i might introduce a weekly weigh-in and am thinking about keeping a food diary.

i'm probably a bit premature 'announcing' this, as my entry is yet to be confirmed (i do have a 'plan b', just in case)...but i'm working on the premise that the more i tell folk the more real it is. and the more likely i am to stick with the program. virtual kicks up the ass are welcome!

it's going to be hard. my legs feel like lead just typing this. it's going to be cold and damp, most of the runs will lonely affairs with car fumes and street lamps. i'll have to turn down spring biking bivvys, impromptu trips to the pub and get myself organised. but the payoff will be huge. a journey from the lowlands in the south, via lochs, moorland and munro vistas, to the heart of the highlands. the route, i already know. the scenery, wild and beautiful. how i'm going to cope, that's the unknown, that's where the adventure is. and so the journey begins.

30 comments:

ultra collie said...

loving your goal and plan
and see you have the fling as a training run..we might just get to say hello after all!
i think you'll find you'll eat more cake though ;)

ultra collie said...

sorry one more thing..have you not considered the cateran trail 55m on 15 may..perfect distance and timing before whw..come on ;)

trio said...

Great plan, publishing your schedule means we can hassle you! I would go as far as posting on sunday evening the plan for the week ahead and then you'll feel guilty about not doing things as we can all round on you!!!

The event looks amazing!!! In fact its made me look at the WHW but with the view of riding/walking it. I am not mad enough to run it!

No idea how to make you do speed sessions, can you let me know when you work that out. I need to do stuff like that, but my daydreaming makes it hard. I have the mental strength to go long but not hard!

Good luck, let us know when you get in!

Red Bike said...

95miles!!!!!! - WTF!!

If this was anybody else I would have thought they'd missed the decimal point out of that distance.

I've gone from feeling lazy to feeling like a complete couch potatto.

Red Bike said...

I was so shocked I forgot to wish you the best of luck!

Julbags said...

Woo! I want to keep speed/hill rep sessions going so we can push each other on that. I tend to give up on them easily too.

Having walked it I think its a big goal but you've got to go for it! Let me know if you intend doing any recce's of parts of the route.

kate said...

uc- like i said, i've got a good feeling about 2010 ;) i'll shout at you if you shout at me!! will definitely see you guys at the fling. will have a look at cateran but it's the weekend that would be my nan's birthday-think i want to do something for her. but maybe ;)


trio- thanks for your thoughts amy. i'll definitely need all the support/ass kicking i can get. fingers crossed!

red- thank you :) just hope i can stick to the plan....

julbags- yeh, it it a long way! we backpacked it earlier this year-i'm still having loch lomond flashbacks!! will keep you posted :)

Julbags said...

That stretch along Loch Lomond, I know exactly what you mean!

Joe Newton said...

Kate - this sounds very exciting. Your blog has single-handedly got me thinking that I will enter some kind of event in 2010, to give me something to aim for and a sense of achievement. I wish you all the luck in the world and look forward to reading about your progress.

Unlike you I always found interval/fartlek training easier than the big long days out. When I used to race bikes we had a super short, twisty, criterion-style course on a local industrial estate. Each lap we'd sprint the 'finishing straight'. More fun if you have people to do it with!

starfish264 said...

Oh my goodness, Kate, you don't do things by half do you!!! What an epic mission, but having seen some of the stuff you've done this year "unprepared", I have faith that you'll hit this one out the park if you choose to! Looking forward to feeling completely inferior reading about your training for this one! lol

Oh well - at least with all the calories you'll be burning over the winter, there'll be extra capacity for cake :o)

Shelly said...

An excellent challenge to pick and definitely do-able if you can bank that full training plan :)

Bizarrely, I'm wondering how many toe nails will make it ;)

jumbly said...

Yay! The plan is out in the open. With my flexible schedule I should be able to keep you company on some of those long off road runs, we can meet in The Peaks, then I can practice my support crew routine. My new mantra....... run Kate, run! It's all gonna be epic!

I think a food diary is a good idea. I suspect once the mileage starts to ramp up it will really help with you making sure you eat enough of the right stuff. The Anita Bean Sport Nutrition book is good, you can borrow mine if you don't have it already.

trio said...

Oh and bivvy trips are fine, the rest of us can ride and you can run them! Sorted!

Food diary sounds good, in the back on my mind to do one, but I end up just getting mad at myself and my lack of willpower!

M&J said...

Good lord, that's a biggie! (I'm considering entering the Kielder 100 and wondering if I can make it on a bike!).

~ That plan was worth waiting for~

Looking forward to following your progress.

Good on yer, Kate.

trio said...

Go for it Jo, kielder is great, hard but great!

kate said...

thunder- i bet there are some fantastic events in your neck of the woods. glad to hear my ramblings have gotten in your head ;)

starfish- since reading your blog i've been so impressed with your determination and approach to achieving your goal. i just hope i can muster up even half of your effort :)

shelly- i'll be keeping a toe nail log as well ;)

jumbly- anita bean, is that her really name. that's hilarious!!!!! will need to sort some long runs out :)

trio- have started the food diary, bloody hell, i eat a lot of rubbish!! i like the bivvy run idea :)

jo- thanks! you should definitely enter k100-good to hear that you're getting back to fitness

trio said...

Going to make the food diary public? I do three ok days then eat ten chocolate bars or something!

Ben said...

Brilliant idea and putting it out in the open so early that is well ... brave.
I am looking forward to seeing how your training goes, it will be good motivation for me. Are you planning to do circuit/cross training as part of your build up? Going at a speed that means you can still eat is the thing I find hard over 30 miles let alone 95! Good luck

sally in norfolk said...

I have walked the west highland way ... took us 6 days i think ... its a great walk but I cannot imagine what a challenge to run it would be ... good luck with your training :-)

Julbags said...

Forced myself out the door in the wind tonight....hill rep session done!

6 reps of a not really quite long enough tarmac hill, only 1:30 to get up but as not done hill reps for ages a good starter.

Over to you.

The Sunday Adventure Club said...

brilliant, glad you've got your entry in, you'll love it. The atmosphere of the whw race is like no other. See you at the Fling!

Hayfella said...

I've looked at the route. I've checked your schedule.I think I'll have a little sit down now.
I'm rooting for you!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kate

I've been reading your blog - it's great to read something so inspirational. I run or bike the first section of the west highland way pretty much every week during the winter and I've wondered what it would be like to just keep going...

Chas said...

Wow! What a plan! Me and Clare are looking forward to following your progress. GOOD LUCK!

kate said...

trio- probably not. don't want to display my true mentalness!

ben- brave-i'm hoping to scare myself into sticking with the plan! will probably bike once a week and try and do a bit of bouldering but mainly just concentrate on building up the mileage. what are your plans?

sally- it's a great route. i'm just thinking about it in small stages at the moment ;)

julbags- nice one :) doing my speed on sun. guess i have to now, thanks ;)

ritchie- fingers crossed ;)

hayfella- cheers! it's kinda working already, i won't let you down ;)

elizabeth- hi there, just had a look at your blog...congratulations on finishing the ar world champs :) ....real racing!

chas- thanks. hoping that i can stick with it. have you guys any plans for next year? maybe some long runs in the peaks?

trio said...

I'm hoping your food disary might make me feel better, more likely me realise how bad I am!

kate said...

trio- i can assure you it wouldn't. maybe i should show...

trio said...

You have no idea how much I eat kate! Maybe I need the food diary I can easily eat a whole choclate cake!

Ben said...

My plans - well Grizzy at the beginning of March 20 miles of mud, and then Across Wales in Sept. The only other thing on the calendar is seconding a friend doing the Devies to Westminster kayak race - all I have to do is drive the car, fed him and make sure he doen't give up!!

kate said...

ben- i've been tempted by the across wales, the ldwa one. seems to fill up really quickly-good luck! hope you're practicing the "pain is just weakness leaving the body" speech for your support duties ;)