Paul’s Blog – Looking Forward

Having blogged earlier today what I’ve been up to over the last few weeks it’s now time to look at the coming weeks in a bit more detail. One thing I didn’t deal with much in the previous blog was my running (for once). Despite seeming to have been a bit here there and everywhere recently I have managed to maintain a reasonable weekly mileage of circa 35 miles a week although that is a fair bit lower than between November & February where it was averaging 50 or so.

In London I managed 3 early morning runs in the 3 days we were there, in Morzine 5 runs in 4 days including two 8K’s dropping the car in for repair & collecting it the same afternoon. In Sheffield two in two days & last week my five runs including good asks of 16 & 22 mile runs in 3 days which helped me to my first 50 mile week in almost two months. These two runs were the start of my final prep for my Reach Out for Nepal charity run in mid-May. A good start after my travels but I need to up the ante this week & next.

Today (20th April) I had planned to submit my Pakistan VISA application this morning among several other paperwork thingies & then go for a big Mountain run this afternoon. However a couple of hours after arriving at the Cafe I realised that despite remembering to pack my ‘mountain back-up clothing’ I had forgotten to put my running bag & hydration bottles in the car so have decided to delay the run until tomorrow thereby allowing me to catch up with Judy, Maggie & Alwyn who called into the Cafe as well as sit down & write this blog thereby freeing up the rest of the week for running.

A fly in the ointment is that last week I received an email telling me I was in this coming Saturday’s Goldrush race in my local CyB (a result of my having entered the subsequently cancelled 2020 race). I had tried to enter this race in March only to be told it was full, plonker for not realising I was already in it!! So what do I do focus on the Goldrush or ROFN, only one ‘sensible’ option, the ROFN run has to take priority so it’s a long run tomorrow, possibly back it up with a shorter long run on Friday before then possibly doing the Dolgellau Park Run on Saturday at 9:00am & then take an easy jog around the Goldrush at 1:00pm on the basis that if I can do that it’ll stand me in great stead for ROFN, that’s a kind of theory at least. I’ll aim to keep you posted on my training for ROFN & please remember that any support runners on the 13th & 14th May will be gratefully appreciated as ever.

Late May appears to have little let-up with me due to race a 10K in Ashton Court near Bristol (21st May) which my niece, Beth, has also entered. With my hopeful ROFN exploits the week before I’ll probably just run with Beth rather than race it allowing me to enjoy a jog in the park which was the stomping ground of my childhood back in the 70’s.

28th May sees me racing the Welsh 1,000 metre Peaks Race but my body & need to protect it/let it recover for GII may dictate a late withdrawal despite it being a firm favourite in my calendar. Either way good luck to Warren Renkel the new race Organiser we at the Cafe are happy to be supporting you.

That leaves me with a 12 day recovery period before GII which I can use for packing & hopefully some quiet convalescing to fully accept & appreciate what lies install for me in the Karakorum. Kit has almost been fully sourced just leaving me to acquire a fool proof automatic camera, an array of books to keep me going for 50 days (some of which will see me simply acclimatising in Base Camp & Advanced Base Camp i.e. reading a lot). The final item needed is more Factor 50 sun cream, another lesson recently re-learnt in the Alps!!

Some have suggested I do a podcast (is that the term the young’uns use) of the Expedition but I’d rather live the basic experience without this external demand on my thoughts & then maybe bore those of you with my reflections in the Autumn with a possible evening at the Cafe.

GII has (if you include the aborted trip to Cho Oyu in 2018) been almost 4 years in the making & almost 5 years after my test climb on Pik Lenin. It’s been a long wait but finally it’s almost here, just a run or two to negotiate first whilst trying to put on weight for the expedition at the same time, an oxymoron if ever there was one. Still no rest for a Moron:)

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