Today I sent an email to Centurion advising them that I would not be running the South Downs Way 100 this year.

My training has gone pretty much to plan and I stuck with the programme I wrote myself. It was a good plan, ramping up slowly and giving me a rest week ever 4 weeks to allow the training effects to kick in and giving my body time to recover.

Despite all that, somewhere it went wrong cause as I got to the business end of the training (just 7 weeks to go) my body just could not cope. My knees sound like somebody is grating concrete inside them when I walk around, my hips are permanently in pain and I just seemingly fell apart.

This could be for any number of reasons. Training load too high, pushed too hard, didn’t do enough strength and mobility work, wrong shoes (though I doubt this one), not enough sleep, not enough rest, poor diet, or it could simply be due to the fact that I reached my natural limit.

Either way, I will not be lacing up my trainers and making it to the start line this year.

I do have half a plan in my head to try and run again in 2024, but a lot of things would need to slot in place in order to make that a reality.

The good news in all of this is that withdrawing from this race gives me a chance to concentrate on my other race this year, which previously had a bit of a back seat but has now jumped to the front.

My next blog post will be all about this. In the meantime I will just have to mentally overcome the disappointment of not making the start line, regroup and go from there.

For all those who do make the start, I really hope the race is kind to you and that you make the finish.

TTFN

Snooky