Not running tonight - 11/01/2011

Tonight I should be out at Church Stretton for the Tuesday night headtorcher, but I'm not. The blow of having no car has been considerably softened by the state of my left ankle/heel after the Trig Points race - basically I've trashed it. The Achilles is sore, and also there's tenderness and a little swelling around my ankle joint. I knew it was coming - it hurt last Tuesday. Never mind, a couple of days rest will hopefully sort it. It was better today than yesterday, and I managed to walk to town from the office and back in my lunch break.

This week's plan has therefore changed somewhat. If the ankle is better again tomorrow I'll go out and do three or four miles (flat, possibly some barefooting) on it to see how it reacts. Then, subject to results, I'll do similar (maybe round the Wrekin) on Thursday or Friday.

If everything goes OK I will have a very slow go at the Gill Harris Challenge on Saturday or Sunday morning, with a nice early start. It's not much more than a Stretton Skyline so should be ok. I've updated and posted pictures on the recce I did back in November, here.

I promised an update on my plans, so here goes. The racing plan (approximate) is now in a sidebar to the right of my blog. My key aims are at the top of the blog to keep me focussed. I want to do some of the classic English AL fell races this year, so I've entered the Edale Skyline, the Three Peaks and Wasdale, and will enter Ennerdale and Borrowdale when they open. Part of the aim is to encourage me to get some quality miles in during training so that I can not only survive but enjoy these big tests of stamina. Getting some kind of score in the Lakeland Classic Trophies would be amazing on the fells I grew up around. I also want to build up towards something longer for next year, so I'm going to do the Long Mynd Hike too.

Other targets are to put together decent series in the local races:

• Shropshire Winter will need at least one more decent score from either the LMV or the Cardingmill Canter - I'm on 139% from Brieddens and the Wrecker and would like to finish above 205%;'
• Shropshire Summer is usually four scores from six but can be a bit of a lottery as the scores down the field depend a lot on turnout (if it pees down I'd better get out there!) - I'd like to have the full four counters this year, after I only managed three last;
• The Mercia Champs is three from nice possible races, but I can only really run in four or five because of clashes with the AL's programme, and any score from the LMV will likely be low because it's a English Championship race.

Finally I'd love to attend the British Relays, and possibly run in a Mercia B or C scratch team (I'm not good enough for V40s unless loads of folk can't make it).

This is going to mean a sensible approach to training with a little more emphasis on quality rather than the less organised but nonetheless enjoyable approach I've adopted to date.

Anyway, I've laid down my marker, let's see if I can do any of it!!