Up and Down week…….

After a fantastic previous week I was ready to follow on with an even bigger one, unfortunately due to the weather, and a small niggle in my knee my 165km (100mile) week wasn’t to be.

It started ok with a decent run on Tuesday to dust off some cobwebs from having 2 days rest, a quick and cheeky 14kms was done, and I felt great. Waking up Wednesday morning I felt a little twinge behind my left knee, I suspected my popliteus muscle  (I did learn 1 or 2 things at University), which was later confirmed by Mo my physio. I still managed to get out and complete 38kms with everything going ok, just a slight sensation in behind the knee, with 3kms to go  it really tightened up, I was doing the truffle shuffle struggling to finish my run off. I slowed down just to be safe and eventually got home.

I was extremely gutted that my “massive” week had now ended with a minor injury, how did that happen….. But these things do happen from the amount of kilometres im running, and having 12kgs strapped to me doesnt make it any easy either! I spent Thursday trying to focus on the postives, resting, and preparing for my next move, I had to stay strong mentally, focussed on the end goal, and postive it was only going to be a minor setback.

“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”

Author Unknown

Friday swung by and I was allowed to complete a bike ride indoors, an all out 30km ride, surprisingly my knee felt fine, and with that session completed a smile shone across my face knowing that I could atleast kill myself on a bike if need be. For those who are interested I completed the 30kms in 44:50min, and didnt fall off once!

I was in good spirits until I heard the news for Saturdays session, 2 hours straight on the Xtrainer, well this session is as much of a mental test as it is a physical one, I geared up with some tunes, a couple of gels, my secret electrolyte drink and headed off on my 2 hours of “pleasurable enjoyment” on the Xtrainer!

After completeing 2 hours on a Xtrainer you realise exactly how slow time goes, and if I can stand 2 hours on that machine, then I can stand 2 hours at the end of each stage in the desert when im feeling like death warmed up, I definately won this battle!

Sunday bought more surprises, I was told to complete the same session as Saturday, I asked again on the phone to Mo if he could repeat what he just said as I thought he said same session, he did say same session!!! This was going to be a real test, we made a compromise, 1 hour on bike, 1 hour on Xtrainer, he was happy and that was that.

After 30mins on the xtrainer in a private gym all on my lonesome I thought maybe I could do 75mins on each machine and get an extra 30mins out of the session, I knuckled down, sung a few songs (some of hurstmans favourites) and got it done.

Well here I was thinking I completed a cracking 2 1/2 hours in the gym, by myself, on machines, but when i told Mo, well he wasnt impressed, we discussed a 2 hour session and I went and broke the golden rule, I DID WHAT I WANTED TO DO RATHER THEN WHAT I WAS TOLD TO DO!

Not exactly the mammoth week I was looking forward to, but still a decent week with a few solid sessions, knee is feeling better and I’m looking forward to more running this coming week.

Luke the Adventurer