October has been a great month for the training.
It began with an event, the Grin 'n Bear It, covering 17 miles with 5kg in the rucksack and, the next day, a 5 mile run with 3kg in the rucksack. This was my first back-to-back effort and these will become more regular as time moves on. I don't want to do too many of these just yet as, particularly when running with a weighted rucksack, injuries in the legs, back and shoulders are easy to pick up.
The strength gained from completing the Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon on 11 September has given me the expected boost I needed for October so the month has looked as follows:
Week ending Sunday 9 October
Total 29 miles including a 20 mile run home (3h41m) with 3kg: this run home was in a record time.
Week ending 16 October
A week off from running/walking as the previous three week cycle saw me run In Pendle's Shadow (19 miles), Grin 'n Bear It (17 miles, with 5 miles the day after) and the 20 mile run home in record time. Instead I did a handful of core stability, stretching and weights sessions.
Week ending 23 October
Total 35.5 miles including the 25 miler John O'Gaunt's Challenge (2,537 foot of ascent) with 5kg in the rucksack. This was a fantastic event: I felt fresh from having had the previous week off but tired significantly towards the end as the top of my back began to feel the rucksack weight. This event also showed that energy gels don't really do much for me at all.
Week ending 30 October
Total 25 miles including a very stormy 18 mile run around the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides while on holiday. The Montane Minimus waterproof running jacket did a very good job (well, as good a job as you can get with "waterproof" jackets)! I had to cut this run short because a storm that came in over the last hour or so of the run started lifting me off my feet, which was unnerving!
So I achieved the objectives I'd set out for October: introduce a back-to-back run and get used to a weekly long run of 20 miles or more, which was largely achieved in the 3 weeks on/1 week off cycle.
On the kit side of things I'm trialing an off-road shoe for the practical point that doing off-road events in the UK over the winter isn't realistic in road running shoes.
At some point I'll need to make a decision on the footwear for the MdS: a road running shoe (I use the Asics Gel Nimbus, a comfortable neutral gait shoe with lots of cushioning that takes my orthotics very well) or a trail shoe (I'm currently using the Asics Gel Trail Sensor 5: OK on grassy trails but little grip on rocks/stones/slippy mud).
There's no real right or wrong answer on that score: the MdS apparently covers terrain where a road running shoe might be better than an off-road trail shoe, e.g., the salt flats, but equally the reverse applies,
e.g., when running up and over a mountain or a rock-strewn desert plain.
I haven't even started considering all the other MdS kit and food I need to worry about!
The objective for November is maintain the regular weekly long distance while introducing a couple more back-to-back run/walks with an increasing weight in the rucksack. And not getting injured.
