Training Log Archive: kPa

The first 30k I felt pretty good. If anything, I went out slower than similar races. I had some minor stomach issues right at the beginning, probably adrenaline related. I made a wrong turn at around 40k and lost 5-10 minutes - frustrating at the time but now irrelevant. I then started to feel a bit nauseous on the long climb up to the col at 52k. I think it was around this time I started to feel I little drained and breathing really heavy. I took on loads of soup and bread at the CP but made little difference and I’d been on top of nutrition up until this time anyway. On the long descent after this I was stumbling all over the place. I had a fall cut my knees, elbow, hands (and subsequently spent the race fending off medics at all CPs!). It was around 65k that I accepted my goals would have to be readjusted. I felt I had nothing in my legs (I mean, worse than at the end of an 100 miler) and couldn’t run downhill either. From then on I had long stops at all the aid stations for hot food etc and decided I just wanted to get to the finish, and perhaps enjoy myself a little and take in the scenery.
My heavy breathing gradually got worse as the race went on. It seemed to be worse the higher I was, but was still very much a thing at the low points. By the last long climb at 95k I had to keep stopping to eat as I couldn’t swallow and coordinate by breathing whilst moving. I was really painfully slow. At the 100k CP I stopped for around 30mins and even had a lie down. I felt marginally better after this but I still walked a margority of the final 10k to the finish.
I’m kind of pleased that I toughed it out but a little concerned that I don’t know why it was so terrible....

Spent half the day driving around, sussing out the route. I think i’ve got my head around it now. Quick jog on the course in the Misurina area.

Very easy jog/hike out and back along LUT route from Passo Giau. Quite technical and lots of patches of snow.

I wasn’t quite sure how to log this. Basically a big long via ferrata (with some easy hiking either side). The time includes numerous stops and clearly moving very slowly and not really exerting myself. We made it to 2915m (about 300m short of the summit) then had to take an escape route because there was a lot of snow on the route. I felt the altitude a fair bit I think.

Easy run (with a little hiking) on a section of the LUT route. Very dry and lots of loose rock, which I imagine is how a lot of the route will be. I actually felt the altitude less running uphill than I thought I was going to. All good.

Travel day to the Dolomites

Ran with Matt around some lake near the wedding venue. Some roads but mainly overgrown, rooty trails and fields. Not easy, but not quite moderate either (it just so happened that the window of opportunity for a run came just after an enormous breakfast). Legs fine, perhaps feeling the hours of standing around (and dancing) a little.