Training Update - June

Well, the Gobi March is fast approaching (around 6 weeks to go) and safe to say that training has not gone completely to plan.  I have been suffering with a knee issue which I have still not got to the bottom of as yet.  The physio initially diagnosed Tendonitis and prescribed strength and stretching exercises.  6 months later the problem has actually worsened albeit I have not helped by not resting!

My training volume is around half of where I wanted it to be, with around 60k a week rather than the 100+ I had planned at this stage.  Cardio-wise I feel fine but the knee has really reduced my confidence particularly over the longer distances and affects my form which leads to pain in other areas (hip and glutes).  

Really trying to get to the root cause and so this week I have gone for an MRI which hopefully will shed some light on the situation.  Both the doctor and the physio seem to pointing toward a cortisone injection a couple of weeks before the race which should significantly reduce the pain and inflammation.

On a more positive note, my kit is really coming together.  I learned a lot from the Marathon des Sable a few years ago and my pack weight will be close to 7kg (excluding water) at the start of the race.  Food as always is the trickiest part, I will update my equipment and planned rations on the equipment page in the next couple of days.  Going lighter will really help reduce the load on the knees particularly over the more technical terrain.

Building up the training

It's only just over four months until we will be on the start line of the 2018 Gobi March.  I remember when I initially signed up, the date seemed an age away.  Now the date is approaching at an alarming rate!

The year so far has been incredibly busy with a lot of travel for work and family visiting us, my training volume is nowhere near where I had planned it to be so far.  I was intending on being up at around 80km a week about to start adding weight on my back.  I find myself at just under 50km a week but I will still start to add the weight in order to get my strength up and practice the technique.

Along with the lack of volume, my left knee is proving pretty problematic with the physio diagnosing tendonitis.  I'm my own worst enemy in the cause of this, lack of stretching, foam rolling, and strength training will have contributed to this.  I don't really have a choice but to push through the pain and start to stretch and strengthen in tandem.  The pain is bearable but really noticeable, particularly after a long run.

The excitement of the Gobi March is starting to build and I will soon be starting the final planning which is one of my favourite bits.  I remember the prep for the Marathon des Sables and trying to save fractions of a gram off every piece of kit!  Nutrition is still a bit of a question mark but I'm speaking to a few people about their experiences and getting some really good advice.

This is a bit of a punctation point in the build-up.  Hard work really starts now, I'm hoping for some big gains. Every kilometre in the bank will make the race easier, at least that's the idea!