The training weekend
I've just spent a wonderful and very insightful weekend at Brathay Hall, meeting Aly and the fantastic support crew plus my fellow 10in10ers. I even brought a selection of delicious Ark Caterers pies to share!
We shared a pretty intense 48 hours to learn what our ten days in May will be like with plenty of information on support, nutrition, training, fundraising, conditioning, food, mental preparation, and most importantly we saw first hand some of the amazing work Brathay does for young people.
On the Saturday morning we all had a chance to run as much of the course as we wanted with the support team out on the road. I enjoyed running with Sean, Jonathan and Richard for much of the route and managed a full lap of the lake, setting off steady and sneaking in an elusive negative split over the 26.2 miles.
There was of course time set aside to socialise and get to know one another, and I have to say that even on a short break, the legendary "Brathay Bubble" effect was clearly in evidence. There's a tremendous team of runners, supporters and physios, everyone striving towards a common goal of completing 10 marathons in 10 days – it's sure to be one hell of a ride!
We were treated to copious amounts of food – something we have to acclimatise to during the main event as we need to shovel in around 6,000 calories each day to keep going! – and stayed in the plush B&B accommodation. During the 10in10 we'll all be together in the more simple and secluded Shackleton Lodge sharing bunk-bedded rooms, although there'll still be no end of food on offer to keep us ticking over.
One of the really key messages was how important stretching and flexibility work are, not only to minimise injury potential, but also maximise our running efficiency. Like most of the guys and girls there, I rarely if ever stretch and as a result am incredibly unbendy. This is one area I'm determined to rectify even though it's sure to hurt.
So filled with knowledge and more than a little trepidation, now's the time to really set to and push on with training, fundraising and of course flexibility exercises. May is sure to come around all too soon....
We shared a pretty intense 48 hours to learn what our ten days in May will be like with plenty of information on support, nutrition, training, fundraising, conditioning, food, mental preparation, and most importantly we saw first hand some of the amazing work Brathay does for young people.
On the Saturday morning we all had a chance to run as much of the course as we wanted with the support team out on the road. I enjoyed running with Sean, Jonathan and Richard for much of the route and managed a full lap of the lake, setting off steady and sneaking in an elusive negative split over the 26.2 miles.
There was of course time set aside to socialise and get to know one another, and I have to say that even on a short break, the legendary "Brathay Bubble" effect was clearly in evidence. There's a tremendous team of runners, supporters and physios, everyone striving towards a common goal of completing 10 marathons in 10 days – it's sure to be one hell of a ride!
We were treated to copious amounts of food – something we have to acclimatise to during the main event as we need to shovel in around 6,000 calories each day to keep going! – and stayed in the plush B&B accommodation. During the 10in10 we'll all be together in the more simple and secluded Shackleton Lodge sharing bunk-bedded rooms, although there'll still be no end of food on offer to keep us ticking over.
One of the really key messages was how important stretching and flexibility work are, not only to minimise injury potential, but also maximise our running efficiency. Like most of the guys and girls there, I rarely if ever stretch and as a result am incredibly unbendy. This is one area I'm determined to rectify even though it's sure to hurt.
So filled with knowledge and more than a little trepidation, now's the time to really set to and push on with training, fundraising and of course flexibility exercises. May is sure to come around all too soon....
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