My first stop-over on the Road to Brighton or an excuse to get really really muddy? The adult in me says statement number one but the runner and muddy masochist in me says most definitely number two.

I’ve been more obsessive compulsive than usual with training recently, a brief read of last week’s training summary will sum it up so I won’t repeat myself but let’s just say that I have begun to address the areas where I thought I was lacking with the result….. Now. Maybe it’s night shift, maybe it’s 12 miles of cycling I did in the rain – probably it’s a case of training paranoia and some enthusiastic over-exertion at the gym on Monday which means I have entered my ‘oh shit what is that muscle and why does it hurt’ phase – a training phase that I will probably be in until the middle of April next year.

So my dilemma this week is do I treat Turbo X like a road race and taper or do I accept that this is a hilly, muddy, sandy, boggy, watery (and I quote at this point) ’10 or so mile’ fitness test on unforgiving terrain designed to push the British Army to its limits. The few reviews of this event that I have found indicate that after the first couple of miles it pretty much comes down to two things:

• Stamina
• Lactic Threshold

I know my Stamina is pretty good and that I can handle 10 miles cross country. I also know (thanks to my sprint sessions on the indoor rower and extensive bike time on my various commutes to and from work) that my LT is pretty high too. Turbo X is a grueling 10 miles of the toughest terrain one can experience in the South of England with one mile (the Turbo mile) highlighted as so particularly challenging that they have decided to make it a challenge within the challenge – a speed challenge – insane! but Mr Competitive cannot resist. If I can run the turbo mile sub 8 I will be happy.

So, I will continue my marathon training as normal this week – although I will take it a little easy on myself and exchange my 3 mile race pace run on Thursday with a 4 – 5 mile easy pace run, I’m also going to do ParkRun on Saturday – because I can – that sort of mileage will keep me on track for my weekly and monthly running targets without sabotaging my efforts for Sunday.

I am expecting to emerge from the course on Sunday looking like Swamp Thing or the creature from the mud lagoon so stay tuned for my race report and, hopefully, some amusing before and after photos.