Unfortunately, it was a very late call that I wouldn’t be able to make the XC, so swapped to a MP session this evening at a similar training points level.
That wind and rain was hideous during that run – I thought it would be a good idea to run a loop to try and keep as much out of the wind as possible – that didn’t work out completely to plan! In the end it just turned out that at the start of every ~1.7km loop, I had about 300m of the most atrocious wind to battle through before the rest of the loop was ok
Firstly, well done for the smart approach to the training. Finding a similar session. And to get out there in those conditions shows great mental strength. As I said before, there will be times you race in tough conditions, not as bad as this, where everyone else will be moaning and making excuses, whilst you’ll find it ok π So whilst at the time it feels awful there are benefits from running in this weather. I remember a chap called Jon Fielden who did Ultras (and a 24 hr track run once), who on a dale where there was a storm with 50mph winds he deliberately headed to the seafront to run into the wind. He loved the challenge, embraced it. I’m not sure we need to follow his lead though. He now lives in Chamonix I think and does his runs up in the mountains and trails.