Training Log Archive: devil

Lightning strike 30km, main reason to do this was to get a 6FT qualifier and ideally get into an early wave as well. Start was at 7.30 but did get time to do a lap of the xc track to warm up. Wasn't sure how I'd go after not doing a lot of running over the last few weeks but decided to have a crack at a good run. Set off just behind acejase and watched sean clearing out with no-one going with him. Once we started heading uphill I went past jase then settled in about 50m back from the 2nd to 5th place group. The first 10km were undulating and was good running, with effort on the hills and a chance to recover going down. At the 10km it was back through the event centre and I could see jase not too far back along with the lead girl. Once we were back on the fire trails we were into the back of the 10km field, I pushed on through here and made up two places before the turnoff to the 20km loop. I felt good through the first 10km of this, then started to tire a bit on the climbs on the back of stromlo but kept pushing on through Ollies drinks station and then to the top. Down the steep hill and got a bit hammered in the quads, then on the last of the two pinches liam went past and flew down the hill, so not much chance of holding onto him. The thought that acejase was probably not too far back was a motivator to keep the effort up down to the crit track. Nearly went the wrong way here as a lot of the 10 km runners and the guy in front went left instead of right, so wasted a bit of time following them then turning round and going the correct way. Very happy with my time, should be 6FT wave 1 and better than I was expecting.

C • great run 4

ACT hill climb championships. This was up Mt Maj, but met Sim and Kate earlier to ride there via pleasant and then up the parkway bike path. After a bit of hanging around to register we did a recco ride up the road to get an idea what it was like then a bit of spinning along the road in front of the winery. I started 1 min down on Sim, so kind of had a target. I think I went a bit too hard on the 1km of flat before the hill started so was struggling as soon as the road pointed up and was alternating between sitting and standing. Perhaps didn't help that I was on my old metal bike with the entry level shimano wheels either. I got glimpses of Sim before halfway and was gaining slowly and was maybe 100m down by the point where the triple tri run turns off. The rider behind me went past on here but he was way too fast to hang onto, but I did get past a skinny kid and one of the women. I was just hanging on in the top section and didn't make any more ground on Sim and hadn't got any energy to put in a bit of a sprint round the last corner so ended up about 15s back from him. I did get 2nd (and also last) in the M4 class (a bit like an ACT orienteering champs) which meant a medal that I got to take home and a bike shop voucher. There had been talk of riding to lake george after but it ended up being a cruise to A Baker for a late breakfast.

Vikings novice graduation ride - a nice easy roll after the crits last night, didn't contest any sprints or hills. Followed by coffee out in the sun at the little pickle

Crit time again, complete opposite weather to last week with roasting temperatures instead of rain. I put myself up to D grade, although still the same race as D and E were together. 38 mins plus 2 laps tonight, so a bit longer again. The bunch stayed together with a few not very effective attacks that never really got anywhere, I spent a lap or so on the front taking it fairly easy towards the end. It started to wind up a bit with 2 laps to go with a lone rider going off the front, then on the bell I lifted the pace reeling him in then kept hammering down the back straight which spread the field, all I could do was keep the pressure on but knew that there were still riders behind, took a good line through the last two bends and put my head down for the finish, but three riders got past on the line. Think I can justifiably stay in D grade next week.

Bilbys alladins lamp, fast medium but lacking the strength of previous weeks so there were just three of us doing the work while the rest sucked wheels until miraculously coming to life on the GDE.

Bilbys intervals, pyramid of 1x200(200), 3x600(200), 4x1000(200), 3x600(200), 1x200(200). Warmest night for ages so was a bit of a strugglefest but kept plugging away until the end without dropping the pace too much.