Reflecting on the Week - 5th April

Distance: 42 km
Time: —
Elevation: 1423 m
Max HR: 183 bpm

This week had a very literal kick up the backside. I slipped on the ice on day one and landed square on my lower back and butt. That set the tone: the glutes were working overtime from the start. Add in lots of skinning uphill on skis, running the alpine roads and then skiing with the kids in the afternoons, and it turned into a big, slightly chaotic training block.

The standout was “The ratchet”, a 20 km road-and-climb special with 664 m of elevation and a max heart rate of 183. It was one of those solid efforts to finish the week. Up and down the road to the ski station, 4km, 3km, 2km and then 1km - in each direction. The slight altitude and incline made this a very solid effort. I was particularly pleased to get this session completed after a hard week.

This week’s theme is training, and it felt like a good reminder that training is not just running. The backcountry ski days, especially the 836 m of climbing on skins, were pure strength and engine work. Slow, steady, heart rate under control, feeling that uphill drag in the legs. It is a very different movement pattern, but it hits the same systems that have to cope at Badwater when things get unpleasant and the pace drops.

By the time I drove back home my glutes were cooked. The Osteo had a good poke and confirmed it is just overload, not damage, which is a relief. So I am listening, backing off a bit and letting things settle. Training only counts if I arrive at the start line in one piece, and this week was a useful nudge in that direction.

The view from the top. The mountains are stunning.