Not training to be skinny

With the Ultra Trail Mount Moodie 80km event coming up at the end of January my training has been pretty reasonable. Not phenomenal... but then I've never been into mega distance in training. I've had a good and steady and consistent November and December and I'm feeling good and running comfortably.

Two weeks ago, just before New Year, it was cooking hot one afternoon when I went out running with my regular weekly running buddy Jason. I've got two regular running buddies - Jason and Rob (different days). Rob has been out for a few weeks with a broken big toe (ow!). Jason and I ended up doing more of a run-walk (perhaps more walk than run) in the heat, which he doesn't favour much.

With an early dinner invitation from my uncle that evening and with a need for more, more, more running, I decided to run to my uncle's house, which is pretty much bang on 11 kilometres from me.

At 15h30, about half an hour after getting back from my outing with Jason, it was still cooking but I figured that I could do with some training in the heat, which I don't mind at all. The ultra, which starts on Long Tom Pass and cruises around the Sabie area, is sure to be hot and humid.

I donned my hydration pack and set off for my uncle's house at a comfortable pace despite the heat. n A cool shower, tasty dinner and warm company made the run even more memorable.

This was one of those occasions where a 'runner's high' was inevitable. For me, there's something appealing about running from one place to another - not just a loop route, which is what I most often run from home.

I'm out in Parys again and tomorrow (Sunday) I've got my eye on a big loop (this one is all tar), which I've wanted to run for weeks. Now is a good time for it. I'm hoping that it will be close to 20km. It should be hard work (rolling terrain, hot conditions and some of the day spent kayaking - if the weather holds) but I'm looking forward to it.

Afterall...