Training Log Archive: OJ

Brid to North Landing via Flamborough Head. Feeling surprisingly good!

Home from station. Feeling surprisingly bad.

Morning jog, 2km barefoot on the beach plus a swim in the sea.

Evening jog. Calves still sore and knee still niggling...

Along the beach at Brid. Into a strong wind all the way out plus the tide being in made it hard work (had to run on the softer sand), but a very enjoyable run nonetheless. Swim in the sea after.

Morning run up to Whirlow Hall. Felt alright so found myself running a few 500m efforts around the playing fields without really intending to. Lap of the two pitches = 1.32, 1.29, 1.27, 1.26, 1.26.

Intended another run later, but crashed and burned.

IW via Fox House, Hathersage, Ringinglow, Lodge Moor. Knee a bit better but still not tip top.

IW via Long Line, Ringinglow, Lodge Moor, Stannington, Crookes. A few big climbs, enough to feel like a decent work out. Knee still a bit niggly, so a couple of days off running are in order.

HFW.

IW, HFW.

Abandoned plans for a longer ride into work this morning when Alex woke up early. A Tintin book later and the window of opportunity had passed. Got out at lunchtime instead for a hill session on sore legs - hopefully I will get away with it? Couldn't decide between Hero's and Spirals, so did a bit of both. 2xHero's in 5.26, 5.29 then 2xBates in 57, 57. Calves not any worse but knee a bit niggly.

C • Destination Moon? 5

5 parks IW. Strange run, started off feeling great but calves started aching and were like rocks by the end. Lots of massage needed.

HFW, sore legs.

Lots of cycling about today. IW, nursery, park, H, nursery, H.

Miniature railway to Burbage and back down Ringinglow road. 6x1km/200m efforts. Not moving well by any stretch of the imagination, but good to push the legs a bit faster again.

Finally the legs felt ready for something more than a short jog. Escaped during lunchtime of an event controlling course for a lope up the Cow and Calf.

C • Did you 2

IW via Ringlinglow and Lodge Moor again. Bit further than yesterday but ran out of time for more.

IW via Ringinglow and Lodge Moor. Windy morning for it but legs much preferred this to the jogging of the past couple of days.

HFW fast.

IW. Moving better than yesterday but quads still shot and nearly stacked it twice on the pavement.

HFW, still sore, still tired.

IW, jogging and even walked a couple of the steeper bits. Legs in pieces still.

HFW, feeling a lot better in myself but still tired. Amazingly, I don't seem to have any niggles and the back even feels better than it did before the weekend. I think all the scrambling and steep climbing was good for it.

Nursey run twice plus playing in the park. Legs are nice and sore.

Knackered!

C • good 1

V3K Skyrace, aka Welsh 3000s. 1st equal with Gareth Hughes after spending pretty much the whole race together. I've always wanted to run the Welsh 3000s and this race provided the perfect opportunity.

It was a bloomin' early morning though, with a 4am bus departure for the start after a late night stuck in traffic en route. I had recce'd a 24 hour petrol station with a Costa machine for an early morning fix, but when I rocked up at 3.30 the machine was being cleaned. Disaster! All in all, I wasn't feeling my best when we set off up Snowdon at 5am.

I had no idea what the quality of the field would be like, but I was surprised when Gareth (who I didn't know - turns out he's quite handy) went out hard on the lower slopes. I decided to go with him and make the most of the company. Things calmed down once we hit the steeper ground and we chatted a bit, enjoying the rare chance to experience this mountain in the early morning without the crowds. I was a bit nervous about Crib Gogh (it was my first time), but Gareth knew it very well, so I made the most of his local knowledge and enjoyed the scramble. As it was, it looked much harder than it was, particularly in dry conditions. The scree descent was fun, but we lost the markers a bit after that and split up, so I ended up trailing by 100m or so on the road section to Nant Peris.

A quick refuel before the second major climb to Elidir Fawr. I had my work cut out here to narrow the gap, so ran much of the climb, which may not have been a great idea in retrospect. Hit the summit together again and joined forces for the next section over the Glyders. Again, much of this was new to me and I was amazed by the jagged rocky landscape, which looked like a kind of slate-grey version of Krypton. Tryfan loomed in the distance like an inaccessible pinnacle, but again, Gareth knew a decent way up. Still, we were slower than I had expected across here, the terrain just being so unforgiving and treacherous.

Another (longer) refuel at Ogwyn and we set off together up the final big climb to Ole Wen. Not much running going on once we hit the steep stuff and the climb seemed to go on forever. I was in front but Gareth was matching me pace for pace and there was nothing I could do to get a gap. This continued along the ridge in a kind of comedy slow-motion race.This was the low point for me and I was seriously wondering whether I was going to make it over 20km to the finish. But Yr Ellen and Carnedd Llewelyn came and went and I started to feel better again. I picked the pace up from here, hoping that I might be able to get a gap, but by the final summit of Foel Fras we were both still together. The pace remained good for the long descent to the roman road, where we decided to finish together. It had been a team effort for most of the day, so a tactical skirmish for the line just seemed inappropriate. It was nice to have a race car to pace us in from there, but the last steep descent on asphalt down into Rowen was horrible.

I really enjoyed the race, more for the personal challenge than for any competitive reasons. It was the longest in distance, time and ascent that I have ever run and I was pleased to have no problems with energy or cramping and to finish strongly. Also to beat the old record for the race by almost 45 mins. The weather was really kind, although hotter and muggier than expected, so drinking enough was one of the biggest challenges. The race was really well organised and the vegan banquet at the finish was probably the best post-race food I have had. Definitely one to come back to now that I know the route.

C • Well done mate! 7

IW, HFW.

IW.

HFW.

IW.

HFW inc 5x hill bounds. Feeling good and getting excited about the weekend.

IW.

HFW inc an effort on Hunter House Road.

IW, nursery, park, H.

Ringlinglow en route to miniature railway. Put in a 3km effort on the way up the hill. Fell over on the way down Limb and bashed my shoulder. Just for a change.

Evening run to explore around Big Moor and Ramsley. Been meaning to try out this loop for a while - all very pleasant, except that my hip was niggly again.

IW, slightly hungover.

HFW.

Had Castleton fell race in the back of my mind all week, but decided against it as the legs took so long to recover after Duddon. Decided to head out there anyway for a play on some steeper stuff and to do some spectating. Jonny and Tom looking good at the front. Picked out the steepest climbs I could find - practicing some power-walking ready for V3K next weekend. Slowest mins/km for a long time. Had to manhandle some terrified lambs back into a field at the end.

C • this 2

Woken early by Alex so decided to make the most of the extra time and squeeze in a run. Eccy Woods, already hotting up. Legs feeling recovered finally.

Spent the rest of the day hiking up Mam Tor from Edale with the lad. He did a great job and walked/ran most of the way, before rolling most of the way back down the steep side - will have to try that myself in the next race. A grand day out.

Into town and back for some drinks.

On the bike IW, nursery, park, H.

IW, taking it easy.

HFW, legs still quite tired and hip stiff.

IW, nursery, woods, H.