Wolf Run training

With the Wolf Run approaching, I could do with extending the cross country run Ant and I do. Whilst we do normally do 6.5km, the Wolf Run is 10km, with obstacles. So a longer distance would come in handy. During the week Ant had suggested a longer version of the route we normally do that should be about the same 10km as the Wolf Run.

Today came around, and Alex was also around for a run out so the three of us went out together. As the two masochists were together, they found a route that was even longer! Oh yay, just what I was looking to do!! But being a mug, I agreed to it and off we went. I wasn't really looking forward to this, as I've only ever gone so far on the roads and that is hard enough work! This is the relevant section of Ant's map that I am now considering burning.

The run started on our usual route, and included the first of the big hills. I must be getting better at this, as I got to the top without having to put in as much effort as I usually need to. But my ankle was getting a little grumpy as the ground was quite hard, and muddy tracks aren't renowned for being flat. We carried on following the same tracks until we got to the field before the ploughed one. So that was something to be thankful for at least. But we were now into horse fields, which tend to be heavily rutted. This section was tough on my ankle, as there's just about no flat ground to run on. Eventually, we came across a flattened track left by a tractor and I've never been so glad to see one! At the end of this large field, we joined the local section of the MacMillan Way, a rather apt bit of track.

As today was fairly mild, I was only wearing a base layer and my hi-vis top. Alex only had a short sleeved running shirt on,and I was starting to get too hot. It's been a while since I've been hot enough to run in a single layer, and certainly never in just my compression top! As such, Ant decided to take a photo. For once, I don't object to this photo, as black really is slimming!

From here, it's a long, hard slog uphill to Eydon. The first half of this bit just keeps on getting steeper, and is all mud. This was the hardest running I have done so far I think. So hard in fact that I was on the very edge of hyperventilating at one point! I've not had that happen to me for years, so I must have been pushing myself today. The main worry at this point was that Ant was carrying my inhaler, and had buggered off up the hill ahead of me. I knew he wouldn't be coming back any time soon, and as my lungs had given up, I couldn't even shout for him either!! After a short battle of wills with my breathing, I got things back under control enough to get back on my way up the hill. This might sound stupid, but if I had let my breathing completely return to normal I would have struggled to get going again on the steep hill.

Finally, thankfully, I reached the flat of the top of the hill. Only to find Ant with his phone propped on the gate taking photos of me. This was the first point that my shoes started to give me hotspots and the beginnings of blisters. Whilst there is no good point for this to happen, we were now as far from home as we were going to be so there was nothing to be done except carry on.

We were now in Eydon, albeit briefly, and then soon running round the grounds of Eydon Hall. This meant a bit of an easing off of effort as there is a long section of gradual downhill. Not that my feet noticed, as the hotspots weren't getting any better as the tracks were still quite hard. I half way wish I'd put my road shoes on! The trail runs fairly flat from here to near the edge of Culworth, with a few little rises and one larger one into the village proper. This is the point I had expected to turn right and head back for home as I was near the end of my endurance now, with my feet hurting and heavy legs. I was just glad that the tracks were in arable fields, as it meant they were nice and flat.

But no, when we hit the road, Ant and Alex went left and away from the finish line. Ok I thought, we're going up to the church to make a complete mile up or something and I can live with that. Right up to the point where they carried on away from the village and down another track, which I happen to know does not loop back into the village any time soon. Right about now, if they'd been within reach, a slap may well have been administered!!

I was now struggling to keep going if I'm honest. The blisters on my feet had kind of become my point of focus, and I was having trouble thinking past them. The sloping field we were in wasn't helping, as my feet were pushing even more against the sides of my shoes. I was also slowing to a walk/slow jog at regular intervals too, as I was knackered. The last hill into the village had taken more out of me than I realised. But once across this field, it was flat and level from here to home, even if it was on the road which would make my feet hurt. I was also getting quite annoyed at Ant for telling me to dig deep and give one last push!

So when the two bastards didn't take the road home, I very nearly did anyway. Ant knows me well, and knows that my competitive side will just about always surface so I had to follow them. After a short road section, there were a few fields I guessed we'd be running over so I knew my feet wouldn't fall off just yet. I was quite pleased to see Alex go past the turn we needed so I got a brief moment of joy when I called him a slacker for falling behind as we took the right path! Childish? Absolutely, but it helped!

As we crossed the last field, I had hoped that we'd be going back down the main road but I know Ant well too. And I knew full well that we'd be going the long way home. I was sorely tempted to cut things short and head back down the path by the pub, but Ant kept telling me that there was one last bloody push to go and we'd be done. I do believe I even threatened to hit him if I ever hear him say that phrase again! So there was a last loop down the track we set out on and back through the village football field to finally meet the main road and the short run back to Ants.

Overall, I am mainly tired after today! I am also really happy with managing to finish, as I doubted that I would manage the massive increase in distance over our usual run. But we ran further than I had expected at the start by some good distance and for a lot longer than I have ever been out for too. Using the running mapper I do gives an equivalent flat distance in the same time of of 15.4km, so 1km more. But that assumes a hilly road, and doesn't take into account the effort needed for the cross country side of things. I ache less than I had thought I would, but I'm willing to bet that will alter in the morning! It's also no surprise to discover that the elevation changes look so steep on the chart, mainly because they are! If I can keep up this level of training over the next few weeks without breaking myself, I am a lot more hopeful of how I will manage the Wolf Run.