The last two months have been full of action, with two races and a lot of travel. The good thing was that training continued without any major roadblocks.
The first week of January was race week. I ran the Matheran 30K on January 10th, and it went well. I controlled my pace and finished in good condition. Controlling the pace wasn’t just an option—it was a necessity because of two reasons –
1) I had just recovered from a recurring fever, and
2) My first big race of the year, the Burj 50K (3,200m D+), was exactly two weeks later on January 24th.
In the following week, I did some quality sessions, nothing stupid though.
One long tempo in Z3.
One Fartlek session on the rolling road.
One easy, long-effort hike of about four hours to get an idea of the race route.
Easy run and light strength training on remaining days.
I took it very easy during race week and toed the start line at The Burj fully recovered, with a revised target of 8:15–8:20 hours. However, the race went better than expected. Read the race report here.
This race laid the foundation for my A-race in April: The Buddha Trails 30K. I took an easy recovery week and resumed training from the first week of February.
The February Fun
February, the fifth month of my training block, began with a trip to my hometown. I attended several weddings and family functions. Luckily, early planning saved my month, I managed to stay consistent with both mileage and strength workouts. I should probably apply the same level of planning to my everyday family life too. Check out my Strava for the details.
I had planned to run the TUM 35K race on February 22nd. However, I made sure not to waste time tapering for it and treated it as a hard long run at the end of my fifth-month peak week. The race went well, though I must admit I pushed a little extra toward the end. No regrets, though—I enjoyed every step and finished strong, and fully spent.
I travelled for work the very next day but recovered well. Spent the last weekend of February with my family at the beach and started the sixth and final month of training on March 2nd. Satisfaction level: 100%.
Some Stats
I managed to train consistently through all eight weeks over the past two months. Covered 444 KMs and logged 55 hours of training. It’s certainly less than ideal, but far better than nothing.
My overall base fitness has dipped a bit, but the good thing is that my body feels recovered, and I have four weeks ahead with (hopefully) no roadblocks in sight.
That’s all for 4th and 5th month, see you after the race now. Wish me luck.
