Thanks for the best wishes. Training as such hasn't happened, in fact not done much at all this year. I had a failed attempt at a non stop Dales Way, but still managed 65 miles in 23 hours, a failed Offa's Dyke Ultra managing 70 miles in 25 hours then carried after a rest with a 38 miles in around 15 hours. A few 25 milers and many 4 and 5 milers. That spread over the last year, not done anything for a couple of weeks, been too busy with work and too knacked to train afterwards.
3/4 stone above my 'fighting' weight and failing at shedding any of it, so going to do the marathon last 7 days diet, that I used to do before road marathons and hopefully get rid of a few pounds.
Injuries have again gone from one to the other without any of them clearing completely, but I won't bore you with them and just hope for the best.
This is most likely going to be my last competitive event, but I will still continue to attempt my own non stoppers like I always have done.
Slowing down, I am, it has taken me a long time to accept that fact, but things are definitely becoming harder and harder as I try to continue being as active as possible.
Don't expect me to be anywhere other than near the back of the field, especially during the early miles of stage one. Hopefully I will be able to use my experience to work my way through. My target for CP1 will be sub 18 hours and if I get to CP2 Hawes inside of 55 hours after having some reasonable sleep, I will be going well. CP1 in more than 19 hours and CP2 Hawes outside of 56 hours and I will be struggling.
Unlike this year I won't be having around 6 pints of Guinness in the Ramblers followed by around 6 bottles of beer back at the YHA the night before, missing my alarm, waking up 15 minutes before the time I was picking the other Chorley lads up, to take them to the start. No time for foot preparation, absolutely dehydrated with a slight hangover! Talk about taking it seriously!