The early part of the training program was heavily focused on making modifications to running form and correcting postural imbalances, rather than building distance. (In plain English I was running with the form of a duck and the grace of an elephant). The logic of correcting these imbalances being, that poor running form, which one can get away with when running a marathon or 50k, one won't get away with when running 1,000 miles plus - one will just get injured. Thus it was important to try and correct these things before building scale.
So, whilst I probably still run like an elephant, with help from Craig we have addressed some of these postural imbalances via a series of stretching and strengthening gym routines.
Without building scale, in the first half of 2024, I tired to stay "marathon fit" with a handful of trail marathons and shorter ultras including Endurance Life Northumberland Marathon, John Muir Ultra, Endurance Life Pembrokeshire Marathon, Consiton Marathon, Hamsterley Forrest Ultra & Ochil Ultra. These proved to be useful points of focus in the early part of the training.
Having focussed on form until around August 2024, I was keen to do a multi-day run and so in September I decided to have a go at running the West Highland Way over 3 days, mirroring the same 3 days we will do on Run Brit [Run Brit Days 25, 26 & 27]. This is a very modest achievement given, every year many folk race it in one go as part of the annual West Highland Way Race.
Anyhow, you can find a short summary of that trip here:
This was a very useful trip and I enjoyed the journeying aspect of it, as well as testing myself in some pretty mixed conditions. However, I could not get away from thinking that this was merely the equivalent of half a week of Run Britannia. I felt I had to try and do a week-long event to see how that felt.
In conversation with Craig (early October) we concluded that if I was to get a week-long event in, then I needed to do it fairly soon, to avoid the winter. A multi-day event in winter conditions would just be inviting injury and at the other side of winter I didn't want a multi-day event too close to the actual Run Brit event.
So after much Googling, head scratching and dialogue with my ever supportive wife, I decided to attempt three week-long events, each providing a slightly different challenge:
(1) The November Nightmare:
(7 marathons in 7 days, based in Ironbridge near Telford). The opportunity to run 183 miles in a fairly safe setting and test assorted permutations of kit and see how the body held up. If there were any injuries or issues, it would be no hassle to skip a day.
(2) Running Wales:
Only a week and a half after the November Nightmare, and a real test of running solo, unsupported for 185 hilly miles. This proved to be quite challenging due to the weather and heavy snow on the final two days of the trip.
Full details: Running Wales
(3) Ultra X Tanzania & Kili Marathon:
A 220km five-day stage race, a rest day then a marathon (170 miles total). Opportunity to test running in extreme heat, at altitude and the idea of "going again" after a rest day.
Full details: Ultra X Tanzania
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Aside from these big weeks I did a number of single and two-day runs on the Run Brit route including:
- Carlisle to Lockerbie (Day 20 Recce) - 28 miles - 9 October '24
- Lockerbie to Abington (Day 21 Recce) - 33 miles - 3 April '25
- Abington to Motherwell (Day 23 Recce) - 29 miles - 2 April '25
- Motherwell to Milngavie (Day 24 recce) - 29 miles - 20 March '25
- Plus a 44 mile run from Peebles to Jedburgh to simulate the distance & elevation of Day 7, the longest day of Run Brit - 26 March '25
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