Training Log Archive: fletch

I have been increasingly aware of the need to gradually increase the length of my long run, but haven't really felt like doing it since I've started trail racing every fortnight. This morning I found a novel way to 'make the run a little longer'. Just do the same loop really slow...

First km warming up felt pretty dreadful, but got into a comfortable, relaxed rhythm after that. Until about 5km in when I was already becoming aware of a feeling of fatigue, particularly on anything resembling uphill.

Knew I was travelling slower than usual, but didn't really care. Just kept it relaxed and didn't feel too bad until the last 3-4km when the legs really started to fatigue.

Still ahd the mental energy to tag on a lap of the block at the end to pad it out to 20km, so can't have been too terrible.

Time approx. Distance a total guess.

Think I got a reasonable route, but lost some time running up and down a track after apparently stopping short of #24. Held a solid pace without pushing hard enough to hurt myself with surviving a long run tomorrow of far greater consequence than today's 'race'.

That said, still a little disappointing to finish about 10 seconds behind Sten in 2nd place.

C • That track 5

Bonus recovery run on the beach at Quinns. After struggling through the first km in 7 minutes on soft sand, I did much of the rest of the run down on the harder stuff. Felt easier, as was the intention, but wasn't much quicker.

Time and distance slightly approximated...

3 short map memory loops. Loop 1 and 2 one control at a time and two for loop 3.
Followed by a slightly longer standard loop with a map using the same controls.

Martin clan x 5, Ricky and Tash, Mum and Dad, Richard and Nicole, Virpi, Brian, Mike H, Shane, Ann, Cameron, Sten, Alice = 19 + me.

Cruise round the north part of the City Beach Map checking light poles. Despite my earlier optimism it turns out that there are plenty of light poles in the area with no usable numbers on them. Fortunately, they appear to be localised in the corner of the map that will be furthest from the regular starting point, so as long as there aren't too many other similar pockets further south on the map, all will be well.

Could read some of the tags in the dark, but needed the headtorch for others.

Really not feeling it at all today. Failed to launch this morning and the only thing that got me out the door was the thought that I wouldn't let myself have an icecream if I didn't run.

Legs felt heavy at the start and my chest has felt pretty rubbish since yesterday afternoon (used ventolin for the first time in ages) but I gradually got going. Felt pretty good by the end except for right medial knee getting pretty sore. Rocktape officially did nothing today.

Hopefully that gets the legs feeling a little more normal.

C • Ice cream 2

Usual recovery blob, but in shoes to try to protect my toe. Quads really shot from downhill pounding and glutes from climbing yesterday. The good bit is that my hip flexors feel fine so maybe I've started to run properly again.