I am now, thankfully, starting to feel some strength and stamina returning. My weight is also coming down - 1Kg lost in a week. Superb slow 10K training run on Saturday in the rain. One of those sessions when running seems so natural and I just enjoy the surroundings. I am sneaking extra training time by incorporating exercise into my normal daily routine by cycling to work, a round trip of 20Km.
Talking to other long distance runners they are agreed on one thing, when I finish the 10 in 10 challenge I will be wrecked. This conforms with my previous ultra-running experiences! Success comes as much from managing injuries as it does from fitness. So why do it? The Brathay Hall Trust newsletter reminded me. Over 8000 children helped last year alone. I am sure I can go through a couple of weeks of pain to help another 8000 children.

As planned I got a run in after work last night - 6Km in 34 minutes. I don't know if it is good or bad but I certainly felt as though I had exercised at the end of the session - a marathon at 42Km still seems like a very long way. I took the opportunity to try out waterproof socks as the heavy rain had left the ground wet with standing water. Disappointingly my feet were wet with sweat at the end of the run so I think blisters would be a problem with longer sessions.

The time has come to get my head around the 10 in 10 challenge. 262 miles in 10 days. After this weekends runs that seems like a very long way. After taking a couple of months off running I feel so unfit. Familiar stiffness in my legs after two 5Km runs reminded me of that. As in the past my focus must return to a reasonable training programme to get back in ultra condition. So with yesterday being a rest day it is back out on the trail tonight.