7 weeks on from my first ever DNF at the Cateran Trail Race I find myself just 4 sleeps away from the Clyde Stride Race from Glasgow to New Lanark, and I couldn’t be in a better place physically and importantly mentally going into this race.  So what’s changed?
Truth be told I knew heading into the Cateran race that I did not quite have the miles in the bank, I had been carrying a series of niggling injuries to my peroneus and tibialis which were forefront in my mind, but I still felt that I could finish the race, but losing control of my electrolyte balance put paid to any thoughts of actually finishing.
The first thing that I did after getting home from the Spittal of Glenshee was to get up at stupid o’clock and run up Glen Tanar from Aboyne,  there was a monkey on my shoulder that I needed to shed.  The last 7 weeks have seen a whole series of progressive increments in distance interspersed with recovery weeks, with several back to back long run sessions and several back to back double run days also.  Pace has been consistently good, and there has been plenty of hillwork too with a 22 mile monster on Lochnagar, countless hill rep sessions on the Tarland Way,  and a good run up onto the Mounth from Glen Tanar in the sun this last weekend.
Simply put, I’m in the  best shape that I have beeb in since I started running ultras, carrying less weight, running faster, running longer, and injury free.  I am a bundle of energy today, absolutely bouncing off the walls.  Saturday cannot come soon enough for me, which is something that I will need to manage to ensure that I stay in control of electrolyte balance and core temperature at the weekend.
Please consider looking at my just giving page http://www.justgiving.com/ultrarunningmonkey, I am raising money for my k9 friends at Mrs Murrays in Aberdeen in order to keep them in Chappie for a wee while.  Just think of big sad puppy eyes….
Here’s to a good run.  Cheers!