This time next week I’ll be in Arran. Probably nervous. Probably wishing I’d trained more. Probably checking everyone else out and deciding they look fitter and more capable of me. And wondering if I’ll be last! But I’ll also be feeling excited. Enjoying the energy the atmosphere and being secretly proud of myself for putting myself through something that has taken me well out of my comfort zone. I have a last run tomorrow. Mostly to practice running with poles - which I definitely have left too late. Then I’m going into full recovery mode. No formal workouts, just keeping everything moving. Stretching, mobility, foam rolling, and the massage gun. I want my muscles to feel Loose and supple - whereas right now my legs are pretty heavy. Food wise I’ll be eating my normal diet until 24 hours before and then I’ll be doing a mini carb load. I don’t need to go mad and don’t want to be bloated. On the run itself I’ll be dosing with carbs every 30 mins from the start. I plan to run/walk and will use the walking strategically to allow me to eat some proper food later on. Tim will Meet me at the half way feed station with a protein shake as I’ll be breaking down muscle by then. So that’s my plan. And then I’ve got an exciting new training phase for the summer which I’ll share more about soon. Whilst I’ve enjoyed training for this, the longer runs have felt hard on my body and I’m noticeably weaker in the gym. I’ve also got more body fat. Probably from the change in body composition (muscle breakdown), fewer strength sessions to prioritise recovery for longer runs, and the extra stress of long runs. So I’ve got some rebuilding to do to get my muscle:fat ratio higher again. What about you? If you’re close to your big run, how have you found the training. How are you feeling about it as you get closer? I’d love to know more about what other people are doing this month.

I’m lucky enough to have a nice river close to my house so that’s a regular route for me. I’m behind on my strength training this week so I’m heading to the gym shortly too. Tell me in the comments what your plans are - I’d love to see your photos too!

Let me know where you are in the comments.

I’m off to London today, on the 5:15 train and won’t be home til about 10:30pm. I know this will throw my training this week. How do you manage your training around work?

Mine’s planned for Sunday. Saturday is always a day for shopping and getting straight at home - and getting a dinner ready to come back to after being out running. Which day are you out?