What to do when your training plan starts in 11 weeks?

I'm planning for a big run in August this year. The Trail Running Association organises The Ridgeway Challenge, 85 miles of The Ridgeway National Trail: "through ancient landscapes.  Over rolling, open downland to the west of the River Thames, and through secluded valleys and woods in The Chilterns to the east, following the same route used since prehistoric times by travellers, herdsmen and soldiers."

The 24 week training plan I'm going to use starts in the middle of March. That's 11 weeks away. So what do I do in the meantime?

As I see it, there are two options. Start the training plan now, but take a couple of weeks off before starting the plan properly in March. Or just do some lengthy base building.

I'm leaning towards the base building, getting used to running with some weight in a backpack, strength work, long hills, trying some different fuel options.

So, into the 24 week plan early, or base building. What would you do?

Women need to show that they are worth watching

I just saw this short clip on Vimeo:


Finding Traction Trailer from Partnership Productions on Vimeo.

It's awesome, seriously, the running, the passion, the mentality.. "a 5 minute nap". Hard. As. Nails.

But, one of Nikki's comments is "Women need to take our place in professional sports, and we need to show that we are worth watching". They're not worth watching? When the UTMB is on, I follow one person, Lizzie Hawker.

Whilst we've all heard that men are stronger than women, most of us know that when runners go long it's about inner strength, and women have just as much of that as men.