Question. Two mountaineers and one rock climber ask you to partake in some rough mountain walk, some easy climb, some quality get together with The Nature. They know the terrain, done all of it before but you have no idea or any experience of where, how and what to expect. What do you do?
Well, you’d say yes, wouldn’t you? I certainly did. Under the moonlight and some beer I’m a woeful negotiator.
All got organised quickly. Gear was supplied, food prepared, routes ‘explained’, start and ‘finish’ times agreed on. I was away where Velebit mountain along Croatia’s Adriatic coast stretch ahead beautifully, did my runs as always and tried to keep up with the marathon training so the idea seemed to complement my cross training schedule on a non running day.
This is not a mountaineering forum so I won’t amuse you with picturesque descriptions of my climb/walk trickery but I’m glad to share how running strength helped me cover 11km in 5 hours (yes, at times it does take minutes to connect a cross between two rocks plonked merely a few metres apart on something that is never going to convert into a golf course). Fair enough, we also took deserved and no-rush rest breaks. And yes, a heavy rucksack can throw you off balance if you’re not focused. And no, sitting on small flat rocks is not a good idea. Disturbing local snake nests while miles away from any help could spoil their play as well as your day.
So. All previous running mileage, all those stretches, good hydration, all that time spent working out and working on strengthening exercises, time spent learning from the forum, all that effort simply paid back. Once you remove heavy exhaustion and associated side effects from your exercise through practice and persistence, you actually enjoy yourself fully and appreciate your fitness, let alone surreal surroundings, smells and sounds.
Did we have some cold beer later? Guess once. Would l do it all again? You bet! Does marathon look easier compared to mountain workouts? Hmmm... I guess I’ll have to find out.
Frequently asked question - What can I do on rest days?
More rest, less training, better run?
Cycling on rest days?
