A month ago I took stock of my health and training 3 month ahead of the Squamish 50 mile race which I am scheduled to complete. You can check out the original post here.
These were my stated goals from the post a month back, plus a brief update how I did on working towards them since then:
Get together with friends for training when possible / return to more structured long runs
Despite my odd schedule I managed to have company on all for of my long runs / adventures I had during the last month. I finally managed to get out for a Squamish orientation run, ran a reverse Knee Knacker with four friends and did some peak bagging on two occasions. These outings plus some weekday runs with my regular school day running buddies Ryan and Brian made all the difference in my mood and my attitude. |
| Reverse Knee Knacker with the best company. Training for the legs. Nourishment for the spirit. |
Put a spring back into my stride and get my energy levels back up
This point clearly ties in with the fact that I had felt somewhat sluggish due to low blood iron levels. After getting my blood iron levels retested at the beginning of the month (and seeing next to no improvement), I started supplementing iron three weeks ago. I tested low for iron earlier in the year and was determined to make some adjustments to my diet to help my iron levels recover without the use of supplements. In the end my big ambitions led only to minor adjustments and therefore negligible results. I finally start feeling like my old self again after twice daily supplementation for about 3 weeks. On todays run I found myself eager to push the pace on several sections and generally feeling great. You can have a look at the original post on my iron deficiency here.Lose about 4 kg of weight
0.5 down 3.5 to go. Must run more and / or eat smarter.Have fun
I did that. I am starting to look forward to the challenge that is running a 50 mile race again rather than dreading it. It seems the best strategy is to relax, have fun, get together with friends, go on adventures and enjoy the process. You get good results and training doesn't feel like a chore.Maintain a good run/life/family balance
I think I do, although I never quite dare to get my wife to confirm that for me.Get out, have fun and race hard,
Marc