My training has ramped up a gear as there are only 4 weeks left until I leave the UK to spend 10 weeks in Chamonix running, riding, hiking and swimming in the Alps. Last year I arrived with adductor tendinitis which is not something I’d ever care to repeat, so this year I have been gradually increasing my training to try to avoid injury.
As you will know from my previous post, I have been to see a running coach and we have totally ripped up my previous running style for a much more efficient, body friendly one. At 43, I have to look after my body as I want to be running into a ripe old age, not bent over with bad feet and a bad back! It’s been hard to change my running style but an invaluable tool has been video. It turns out that what I think I’m doing is nothing like what I am actually doing! I thoroughly recommend getting a friend to video you as it’s a great insight. I made a rookie mistake of trying out my new style for the first time on my long run – stupid, stupid girl. I came back from that run with a nice new hip injury! Learning from that mistake and after a week of rest, I cut down the length of my runs whilst I got to grips with the new technique. That meant only running for 20 minutes at a time and gradually building it back up. Today, I ran 5.5k in 35 mins without any hip pain and I’m pleased with that. I can now build on that distance over the next 4 weeks and will hopefully arrive in France in better condition than last year!
Yesterday, we also christened the mountain bikes for their first off-road ride of the year. We tried to do it last weekend, got everything loaded on the car, all the gear on but the car wouldn’t start. Yesterday, £350 worse off – we managed to do it. Whilst I’ve not been riding my mountain bike at all this year I have been riding Matilda to work and back for 6 months (4 miles a day) and it must have helped as I didn’t feel too out of shape. I’m sure my heart will feel like it’s pounding through my ribs at the first site of an Alp from the saddle but at least I have a base level of bike fitness to start with. My bike has had some modifications over the winter including shorter crank arms to stop me grinding into rocks etc. I’m hoping to be more graceful on the bike this year as I’m a bit of a clutz on it normally!
Swimming and hiking are the other two passions in the alps – neither of which I’ve done over the winter. I do have a spangly new Adidas bikini for swimming though and am looking forward to trying it out in the open air pool in Chamonix. It’s amazing there because when you do backstroke you can see Mt Blanc just like in the picture above but closer – stunning! I still have some bits and bobs to buy before we set off – new running socks, a swimming cap and a new water bottle but hopefully all the big purchases have been done now and I can get on with the exciting prospect of toughening up for the mountains.
