An Idiot's Guide to Ultra Training........Part 1

I'm training for an ultra, my first. The ultra in question is the Highland Fling. Being the dedicated athlete that I am (choke, cough....) in true "top athlete" style, I devised myself a training programme. You could argue that any well-intended top athlete get themselves a coach but nah, not me I'm a dedicated self-motivated individual who doesn't like to follow the conventional rules. However, in typical idiot style, I've done nothing more with the schedule than ignore the reminders it keeps emailing me. It's a trick I learned while marathon training last year, eventually giving my schedule the dubious title of "make it up as you go along". Genius eh? It was a tactic similarly adopted at pre-marathon races. Never mind sensible pacing, the idot's guide schedule said just leg it and try and keep it going. See? Who needs a coach?

So the schedule is in the virtual bin and yet again I've opted for the make-it-up-as-you-go-along version. Thus far it entails missing out on WHW training days, pulling out of the Devil's Burden and indulging in stress by the bucket load. There are elements of sensibleness pencilled in for purely entertainment value, however, namely Carnethy 5 (yes, I'm deluded) and for the sake of tradition, good cakes and Smokies fishcakes it's back to Arbroath for the Smokies 10.

Currently then, weather permitting (I'm joking...) it's a case of run what you can, when you can and at no particular speed. It's run when you don't want to but know you should and run twice a day whenever possible, which isn't often I have to admit.

Budding coaches beware, this is the DIY schedule of the future.