Well it's almost a year since I started training for this. I was accepted into the MDS 2008 at the end of January 2006, starting my blog on the 25th Jan.
Last year I took part in long distance walks, ran 10K's, a half marathon and of course I achieved my main objective, which was to complete a marathon. Despite injury (which is still plauging me today) I finished the New York Marathon in 4:10. If I had been fully fit I would have knocked at least 20 minutes off that.
So all my milestones reached for last year. Where now?
I've built my next years plan. Well, 8 months of it to be precise, as I want to see where I am in August before deciding on the rest.
This year is all about tailoring my training to prepare for the multi day event in the desert in 15 months. Firstly, I have added an extra gym session in, instead of a run. I will use that session to cross train. I need to built up my strength, especially my back and stomach so that I am able to run 6 marathons with 12 kilo pack, day after day.
I will be alernating between swimming and a ski machine each week for half of the session, and then some targetted strength work for the other half. I will still be maintaining my overall strength workout as well as this. Swimming is particulary important for me as all the injury problems I have had in the last 12 months can be traced to my back. I'm still suffering hip pain now, despite taking the last month off. I'm going to be building up my hip abductors, doing plenty of ITB stretching and having a couple of physio sessions in the next couple of weeks to see to that (fingers crossed).
The rest of the sessions in the week are a mixture of running and run/walk sessions with a increasing pack weight each week. I say run/walk because this is exactly how I will perform in the desert. I will alternate between running and walking due to the excessive heat of up to 120C. I'm not superman and I know I won't be running all day every day. That said, I'm certainly not going to be walking it all either. I'm looking for a good balance. I noticed last year that my feet are more prone to hot spots and blisters when walking. I read many competitors in the MDS experience foot trauma, many of whom never normally get a blister. I'm convinced that the walking places a significant part, as well as the heat.
For the first few months I will take 2 days off training a week. Last year I worked off a base of 400 hours over the year. I've increased by 10% to 440, although I may revise that upwards later in the year. Like last year I'm starting with 4 months of base fitness training. Building on my base of last year, and strengthening my body for the more intensive training later in the year.
My objective this year is to accomplish a major distance event each month. I intend to use the Long Distance Walkers Association events for these. Typically these events are all over 20 miles, with several thousand feet of ascent. I'm aiming to complete one of these events on the 3rd or 4th week of each 4 week cycle. One slight twist is that although this is the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) the event are open to runners. Last year I walked the events. This year I will be entering each event as a runner, pack laden, and completing the course as quickly as I can using a mixture of running and walking (emphasis on running).
My first event is later this month, starting from Kendal in the Lake district, a 23 mile event.
I'm also planning of buying some ultralite carbon walking poles and learning to use them. I'll make a decision of their use for the MDS later in the year. I'm also looking to plan myself a week long run/walking holiday, camping. I want to try and walk about 30 miles a day for a week, and cook and eat the kind of foods I will in the MDS. It will also get me used to waking up after not a very comfortable nights sleep on the floor and having to do another ultra! That will be later in the year, during summer.
So here it is, training plan 2007 month 1. Speak to you in a week.
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