Training Log Archive: Rhesus

Trotted up Dale Head to watch the race, and staggered down. Ow.

Event: 3 Peaks Race
 

Well, race day dawned and my L medial quad was not happy. Again. I had geuine concerns about getting round but decided I may as well see what happened.

Pace was frantic at the start but I just looked for OJ and sat in with him, and let the legs trot up Pen Y Ghent. Summited in 10th, a little quicker than planned but felt easy. Holding back on descent, very wary of quad. Settled into a nice rhythm over to the road with OJ, peroneals getting more tender but keeping my running pretty smooth. Irish Horwich guy was with us here but kept putting in very random surges only to be caught every time we hit anything that wasnt smooth. Eventually he fell off the back (result suggest he blew massively later on. Shocker). Put the boot down on the road just to stretch it out a bit and to stay on schedule.

Straight thru Ribblehead, and gapped OJ who had to root in a bag for his stuff. Onto the fell, much happier now, legs feeling good so trotted large sections but Jebby gradually pulled further away, though I went through Kim and gained half a minute on Ozzy ahead. Hard last bit to the top, weather a bit grim but feeling ok. Just on schedule.

Didnt really get going along the top as unsure of route, until hit the flags and then the horrible compulsory wet flagstone section. Was a bit of a fanny here, eventually hitting the Hill Inn having dropped 2 minutes (!) on the schedule. Comparing times to the others suggests that was a very optimistic split in the conditions as only the very top lads truly smashed it off here.

Still moving ok at Hill Inn but definitely tiring. Hit a decent trot up Inglebugger and looked ahead. Got jellybabies from Rachel and could see Ozzy flagging up ahead on the steep bit. Tried to run up here, slipped, momentum gone so power walked. Could see OJ behind. Still going sort of ok so head down. Cold up here but saw OJ, Hugh Aggleton and Will Neill on the out n back so knew I had to keep going pretty well. Splits suggest I didnt climb as well as Id originally felt, lost nearly 2 mins to Hugh A and a min to Kieran H behind me, neevr mind Jebby!

Little to report from here, Ozzy never got any closer, and the lads behind didnt make any real inroads. Got a bonus place after seeing the corpse of Joe Symonds staggering for home. Rolled in thoroughly cream crackered in 6th. Got a nice voucher for that, some beer and wine for 2nd team (well in lads) and best of all (apart from the ice cream I purchased) a lovely plaque with a curlew on it - the Jack Bloor Trophy for First Newcomer. A nice unexpected prize but one of the nicest trophies Iv ever won!

In analysis, I think sub 3 is well possible. If I can get on the start line with both legs firing, and a bit more under my belt, its on. The schedule I devised was a bit demanding later on and I wasn't up to it. I could easily run quicker earlier on and descend Whernside better in the dry. Very happy to just get round without doing further damage in the end, and a respectable time. Can see why OJ is addicted to the sub 3 now! Next year fella, we go hard from the start.

C • Marathons are usually run w... 3

Stick or twist? Stick.

Easy run with Winskill out towards Dodd. Phil had me on a tour of the farmyards, had to dodge irate pigs and everything. Saw a freshly squeezed herdy lamb as well which had Phil cooing like a mother hen.

Peroneals felt awful running back. So frustrating as rest of body feels really good - just L hip not tracking right, and peroneals suggesting Saturday is going to be grim.

Well, it's here now so let's get on with it.

Short latrigg loop in hot weather/ Hip feels like a sack of shit.

Easy 4 with dog

Yup. Body is not mioving well, time to just hold what I got.