Training Log Archive: tj90

Lakes Sky Ultra (2nd)

Long day out in the hills. Rob Sinclair went out super hard on the first ascent so I held back with the chasing group and tried to keep effort moderate (although maybe should have kept it a bit slower). Running to Helvellyn and down Swirral Edge feltnstrong and quick. Struggled on the screw down Catstycam.

Traverse to Striding Edge through bog slow going so took it easy l. Felt really slow up Striding Edge - race line differed from the way I normally run it. Slower than hoped down Nethermost Pike and down the scree in Eagle crags. Kept it easy up St Sunday so that I could push hard on Pinnacle ridge and descent to Patterdale. First cramps in adductors started on ascent of Striding Edge but settled and had a few hamstring cramps up to pinnacle ridge.

Aid station worked out well put potentially took on too much fluid and food in one go as felt heavy for the 1km after.

Ascent up High street felt good but I potentially held back a little as aware that had a few more big climbs to go.

Descent to Haweswater was the low point of the day - they’d switched the route from a lovely quick runnable countour path down to a slow technical rodgeline with a fair bit of ascent. Mentally I should have just got on with it.

Haweswater Aid station - took too many jelly beans from marshals and that messed up the plan a bit. Ascent out of Haweswater felt strong and quick and was closing on Rob here 10-12 minutes.

Slipped slightly on one of the short descents and got cramps in both hamstrings. Settled quickly and then quads felt like they were cramping up on subsequent ascent. Ran strongly down to Kirkstone.

Tried to keep the effort moderate up Red Screes but was slow (same pace as Rob). Ate last jelly babies and gel during ascent and last bottle of coke/water but just felt sick by the summit. Struggled to keep the pace up on final descent (much slower than forecast and lost time on Rob(5mins) as felt like I was going to vomit the whole way down.

Overall super happy as much longer and more vert than I’ve done this year. Mentally felt strong and really happy that body held together. Feels like it’ll have been a really useful training run for the rest of the season. Plenty of scope for improvement though!

Learning points:
- keep nutrition plan constant and not too much in one go (e.g. at aid stations)
- rethink electrolyte intake and water during longer races to try and avoid cramps
- need to work on speeding up technical descents when tired. Descent to Haweswater was too slow

Easy 40.

Flattish trip on south side of Rydal water and by Rydal Hall.

DOMs improving although calves felt tight. Knee feeling a bit niggly again but think it’s all just race nerves and overthinking things.

Easy 40 on low-level trails (Lake District).

Legs felt really DOMSy after the Bramah assessment on Tuesday (mainly hamstrings and glutes) still and after car journey up. Know they’ll settle by Saturday though.

Otherwise legs feeling good and knee best it’s felt in ages.

Race nerves setting in as expected!

Knee felt good after yesterday’s exercises so repeated again today but a little lighter (25kg). Ab circuit but no calves as feeling tight

Gym exercises - as suggested by Chris Bramah

3 sets
Eccentric single leg Achilles drops (loaded) - 40kg - 10 reps
Eccentric single leg knee flex ion (loaded) - 32 kg - 10 reps (using leg extension machine)
Lower abdominal circuit (2.5mins)

Glutes and hamstrings feeling tired post Manchester trip.

5 exercises (plank/mountain climbers/press-up/pass/runners touch) and 3 sets

Easy 30 - 6xHill sprints - Easy not-quite-30

Hamstrings and glutes a bit tired from yesterday’s assessment. Running though - legs felt fresh. Worked on my gait as suggested and felt comfortable and made the legs turn over quicker. Cadence wasn’t as high as anticipated (167spm average)

Knee felt fine. Rib annoyingly still there but not super painful

Easy Cycling (Keiser bike) - 35.2km

Legs felt much better cycling today than previously and calves felt good afterwards (no cramps). Feels like it's helping with general strength around left knee.

Easy 60 + strides. Majority woodland trail

Legs felt a bit wobbly for first km (think as biked first today). After this they felt great. Knee feeling much better today. Rib pain almost entirely gone.

Strides felt strong. Feels like the taper is coming together well.

S&C 3 sets all exercises + eccentric single leg squats and heel drops

Actually the strongest these exercises have felt by a long way.

Easy 60 + strides. Majority trail.

Legs felt fresh today. Knee pain settles with the S&C exercises prior to starting the run. Rib pain nearly gone.

Strides felt strong.