Blue touch paper
“Don’t believe every worried thought you have. Worried thoughts are notoriously inaccurate.” – Renee Jain
11th April – Days to go on 100 days dry: 2. Days until the Dartmoor Way: 35
With only 5 weeks to go (as of today) until the first day of the Dartmoor 108, I confess I am a little nervous.
Logistically we are all set. I need to get a couple of pairs of lightweight trousers and bits and pieces, the accommodation is all set, my fitness is the best it has been for literally decades, all in all, I should have nothing to worry about.
But the scale of the challenge is now weighing on my mind. Having done nothing of this size before, naturally I am starting to worry. There is a real temptation to just drive forward and train every day, but this way lies madness. I have learned so much over the last 3 months on this journey, it is quite incredible to start something new and absorb the collected wisdom of so many people who make this way of life their own.
There’s also a lot of crap out there, which I realised when I started to pay attention to the barrage of information that my social media dashboards presented me with. I am not setting myself up as an expert in any way, but it has been fascinating to see how much I have learned and developed over the last 12 weeks or so.
So, what’s changed? I am now running four times a week, up to an hour for the runs that are laughingly called ‘Long, easy runs.’ My endurance is off the charts, and hill climbs no longer wipe me out to the point where I need 10 minutes gulping huge lungful’s of air to recover. My weight, visceral fat, and BMI have all dropped to less concerning levels, although my %ile body fat is still too high. The Cardiogram tracker has finally conceded defeat and is reporting healthy scores. (Reading back to this previous post, I may have over-reacted somewhat, but I was new to this and blamed the tracker for all of my emotional turmoil!). I have a resting heart rate that is lower than 91% of other users in my age range and gender that use the app and take more steps daily than 76% of the same group. Comparisons are odious, but benchmarking in this way at least lets me know that I am heading in the right direction.
With all of this positivity in mind am I in good shape for the Dartmoor challenge? I think so, the proof of this particular pudding will most definitely be in the eating, or walking.
So, without wishing this adventure away, my mind is now looking forward to the next challenges. One walking and one running. This year, Silverstone 10k and Bristol Half Marathon, and for next, I have just signed up for the Brighton Marathon, which I am running with #littleDacombe. That will be epic, I just need to think of a walking challenge to complete.
Also, if you’ve been keeping track, my self imposed alcohol drought ends this week. I have a cheeky Rioja lined up to celebrate with the other half on Thursday. So that’ll be nice.
“I can certainly see that you know your wine. Most of the guests who sat here wouldn’t know the difference between Bordeaux and Claret.” Basil Fawlty, Fawlty Towers
