01/10/2024
Pre Race Prep
1. Shake out run round Lake Jasna ๐โโ๏ธ
2. Time for reflection ๐ฆ
3. Pre race dip in Lake Bled ๐โโ๏ธ
4. Beautiful Lake Bled ๐ธ๐ฎ
5. Early starts made easier by the views ๐
6. Pre 80km nerves with team Sale Harriers ๐ฌ
7. from the Lake District to Slovenia ๐งข
8. Calm before the storm in Kranjska Gora ๐
Race previewโฆ
After a top 10 at Lakeland 50 I had 8 weeks until Julian alps. With a 10 days rest and 10 days taper either side of that, it left me with 5 weeks to try and tune up.
Looking at the numbers, I didnโt exceed 80km/week throughout that mini training block. This is modest by anyoneโs standard, never mind a build for an ultra.
In there I had some good sessions in the hills including kinder scout reps, the BlenQuatre (4 ascents of Blencathra) and a failed attempt at the fishers tea round.
Travelling abroad for a race comes with specific challenges. You definitely have to be more mindful of how you get your fuel, hydration and sleep, particularly on travel days.
I was also aware of activity levels before the run. I remember running in Bruges Marathon and doing 20,000+ steps the day before the race. Needless to say I bonked pretty hard the day after. This time we had a little tourist trip to lake Bled after a few Km Shake out run up to the beautiful lake jasnaโฆ then ate, napped, and ate some more.
Due to poor weather in the week leading up to the race, a route change was put in place meaning we wouldnโt experience going over the highest passes, reducing the overall elevation to around 3,250m over 80km. I had mixed feelings about this.
I was greeted by a 4.45am alarm on the day of the race, ate a cold tupperware of overnight oats and it was go time!
I had 2 main goals for the race after some poor fuelling and getting pretty down on myself during Lakeland 50.
1) fuel every 30 minutes ๐
2) Have fun ๐
Iโd also set a goal time of around 8 hours 30 minutesโฆ.