May

[Sweder]

On the basis that it's generally a good idea to get back on the horse as soon as possible I decided to take to the hills for a midday sweat-fest. Legs heavy with lactic acid took a while to cajole into any sort of coherent movement but after an uncomfortable mile everything was pretty much up and, er . . . running.

Surprisingly few ailments to report after yesterdays' hardcore flogging. Sore quads are de rigeur after a hilly half and mine didn't dissapoint. The heat issue simmered in my sun-drenched head as I chugged along. The cloud sat high but a good deal thinner than yesterday, allowing the sun to beam a little stronger. The gentlest of cooling breezes took the edge off and I cursed it for arriving 24 hours late. As the beads on my forehead turned to rivulets and then a steady torrent it occured to me that my coolant problem may be one of intake. OK, I sweat like a fat man wrapped in clingfilm trapped in a sauna but so what? Surely it's only a matter of hydration?

Hydration should be a bigger part of my long-term strategy. It takes days to hydrate properly for a race. A few hurridly-gulped glasses of water an hour before the off will only lie in your belly and make you feel queazy. A good pre-race strategy coupled with precise on-the-hoof sipping could make all the difference.

I shall experiment. Next purchase; a double-Nathan water carrier a la Moyleman. Next hot Snake we get I'll try short sharp feeds on the run and see where that gets me.