set backs . . .

I woke up Friday with a slight sore throat, and by Saturday morning it had developed into a full cold. I did go out for a couple of hours walk to go through some steep climbs and while I was pleased with my aerobic performance on the slopes recovery was slow and I had a thumping headache so training is on hold.

I don't think this is much of a problem, as long as I well by next weekend there should be nothing to stop me going ahead. I'm in my taper phase anyway so focusing more on resting than training anyway as nothing is really going to help, either way, this close to the 4th.

Book of the week is 'Fixing Your Feet' by John Vonhof. Its aimed at athletes, walkers and anybody who spends a lot of time on their feet - and I do agree, anybody who thinks a book about blisters is good is really taking things far too seriously.

16 days to go

With only 16 days to go most of the heavy training is behind me and I'm resting more to let my body recover and restore itself. The blisters are still very bad but should be much better after another week or so.

So now it is all about checking the kit, making sure I've got everything and that I'll have enough food/water etc.

I'd like to thank everybody who has sponsored me. I know there are so many demands to everybody from so many different directions and your generosity is fantastic. Thanks.

I'm reading . . .

Fantastic book about a challenge far more extreme than a few miles along the Ridgeway.

The Marathon Des Sables. Seven Days in the Sahara by Mark Hines.

It isn't a great work of literature but gives a really insight into one of the toughest races in the world.

Blisters

Four weeks or so to go . . . .

Training continues although much more slowly. I'm still suffering from blisters on both feet so I'm keeping the mileage down to let the recover. I feels like the last couple of years of running has built up the skin on my feet - which was perfect for running but in all the wrong places for walking. So I've spent the last week investigating blister (and black toe) treatments.

don't read on if you've just eaten

After two long walks I had black toe nails, which is basically a blister under the nail. Where a blister on the heal can grow and the burst there is no where for the pressure to go and they begin to get really paindfully. So following some advice on various sites I tried the following (you've been warned). Heat a paper clip until it is red hot and melt a hold through the nail. It sounds painful but actual didn't hurt at all and gave somewhere for all the blister to drain. The relief was immediate! All I'm left with is a hole in the nail of each foot - but as the nails are likley to drop off is of no real consequence.

For other blisters Fryers Balsm is great. However - if you get it into a blister you know about it. The pain is amazing but quickly goes. When it is left to dry it leaves a surface that plasters stick to and stay in place all day.

I was going to wear my trail running shoes, but as these were causing blisters when I walked I decided to wear walking boots instead. So now I'm the proud owners of a nice clean pair of Salomon Elios Mid GTX boots (http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/productdetail/id_product/31092). They claim these are so comfortable they can be worn straight out of the box - I've not done too many miles in them but so far that seems to be true.

Suddenly there are only 32 days to go. As I've got the opportunity for another long walk on the 13th and 14th June I decided to bring this forward a few days.

The long-range weather forecast is starting to look good so hopefully it will be dry, but not too warm. The 12/13th was going to be ideal as it was a full moon so if it was clear there would be enough light to walk by, but a few days earlier shouldn't make too much of a difference.



Training is going OK but due to work pressures it has been a very light week this week but hopefully I'll get some miles in some time over the long weekend. The training of the last few weeks has left me with some fairly black toes and blisters. For some reason I can run 20+ miles with no blisters but if I walk the same distance, in the same shoes, my feet are really sore. I went along to a local chiropodist this week to see what was going on - it seems that my walking gait is not too efficient but when I start to run most of the issues seem to go away. I think this explains the blisters, black toes and why it some times feels easier to run than it does to walk.