Before

I wrote this the morning before The Crash. Afterwards with my pounding head, battered body, general feelings of misery and bad side effects of antibiotics and codine I really didn’t feel finishing it up. Now I’m starting to starting to feel myself again I can look back, polish it up and share it!

23rd August 2016
This morning when my alarm went off for an early morning training session I opened my bleary eyes I noticed it wasn’t quite light outside. Disbelief had me grouching at my phone even more than normal. Summer is on her way out.

The shorter days, the cold nip in the air mornings and evenings, the winding down of work, the UTMB racing weekend in Cham all heralds the end of summer, causing me to pause and reflect.

As I wander to work warming myself in the first rays of sunlight I look back at the summer, take stock of now and start to formulate adventures that can be squeezed in before the snow comes.

Now feels pretty good! I’m feeling strong and ready to race.

I haven’t done it all by myself! – At the end of last Summer I realised I needed to do some kind of strength, balance, core training. Over winter I tried to work it out on my own, by Spring I realised that I needed some help. So I called Charley at the Mountain Foundry!

The first time I met Charley was in a bar dressed up as a witch (it was Halloween!) after one to many drinks! Thankfully this first impression hadn’t put him off training me and its been awesome doing so over the summer. He has been making me push, pull, lift, throw, sprint, jump, hop, crawl, press, swing, squat, push up, skip, lunge! He has loads of patience and happily answers my millions of questions, the most common being why?!

My body has changed a fair bit, it’s flatter, firmer and I have more muscle definition than I’ve ever had before. I’m at my lightest without looking unhealthy. I’m stronger, more robust, have better form, more power (very noticeable on the bike and swimming) I’m getting faster, I sweat sooner. Regular running partners have complimented on my improved form and descents. Maybe most importantly I feel good! More aware of my body, how it moves, what it needs.

Maybe I’ve been a little too focused on the strength training and haven’t run enough, but my race in 10 days will reveal all! I’m so excited and nervous and excited!

Thanks to Charley for the photo!