Training for the uphill

A year ago, I was on the west coast of Denmark, running along stormy seas as I completed my first 100k race. After my fastest ever 50k in about five hours, I struggled with the remaining 50k against the cold northerly winds, ultimately finishing in 14 hours and 26 minutes.

As I head down to Spain in six weeks’ time, I will trade the flat sand dunes of the North Sea coast for the Sierra de Grazalema which is famous for its unique fir trees, limestone caverns, and snowy peaks up to 1,650 meters. After a few weeks with lower running volumes, my morning run brought me above 80 km this week, a volume that I hope to sustain until the end of February. Still, I am uncertain if I am really prepared for what awaits me in Andalusia. With the race starting at 10 am, and the elites finishing in around ten hours, I can expect to spend many hours running in the dark so I have invested in a backup Smini Fly headlamp from Silva and also a new textbook on mountain running.