1st set back

Last week ended on a positive note with a 2 1/2 hour killer gym session, I felt confident, fit, and ready to get back onto the trails running. This week ended with a total of only 28kms ran and discomfort in my hip joint, my race starts in 8 weeks!

After cruising a 10km run Monday, although feeling abit flat I believed the adventurer was back on track, on awakening Tuesday morning feeling like I’d not slept a wink and with no energy at all I wasnt too sure.

I had 18kms to do that Tuesday morning, which I completed without any hassles, although feeling slightly drained, but once I had finished I was exhausted. I knew something was wrong when I struggled to walk up stairs, I never felt like this after running 55kms,  I had only ran 18 so I knew something was up!

Rest rest and more rest has been my week, I was diagnosed with a small kidney infection which also set off a few other ailments in my body, one resulting in a sharp pain in my hip joint. Not exactly what I had hoped for this week as I was planning to run back to back marathons on the weekend, but I must listen to my body and let it recover. Its turned out to be a testing week, just not the way I had envisaged it to be 7 days ago, all the same its taken mental strength to do absolutely nothing for 6 days, and put my feet up as much as possible. This may sound fantastic to some, but for myself who is preparing for the toughest race on earth and having only 8 weeks until the gun goes off, I hated it!

The hip is getting better now and I feel a lot better since taking time to rest, my plan is to get back running early next week and build from there. I have pushed my body hard since November turning from an injured broken down footballer to endurance athlete, its been a huge change and I’ve achieved amazing things in such a short time,  this reminder is how I will stay positive and focused for the next 8 weeks as I prepare to embark on the biggest adventure I’ve ever had in my life, a top 50 finish in The Marathon des Sables!

“Out of life’s school of war: what does not destroy me, makes me stronger.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

The Adventurer