Training Log Archive: bradc

Commute - got off the train one stop early, at Polmont, for a longer but less hilly option. Unfortunately even the short mile along the A801 through Avon Gorge was too long - several times, if I'd been timing it right, I'd have been able to poke a passenger in a passing car in the eye. Gits. Anyway, a pleasant enough cycle apart from that, and spending about 5 mins in Bathgate failing to find Route 75 to Livingston, only to come across it after I'd given up. Signage for cycle network paths is so patchy... grump grump.

The commute from Livi to Linlithgow after work, over Cairnpapple. Hm. My legs were completely gone - this was a very slow trundle indeed; particularly the first 6 miles, which are all uphill. My best time for this route is 40 mins! Oh well - it was just a recovery cycle. I finally worked out what the dreadful squeak has been on Bertha in the last couple of rides. The back wheel was so askew that it was rubbing on the frame... whoops. I'm really not very good with mechanical things :-)

C • Be careful... 4

Event: ESOC Long-O
 

Medium race, posted as 14.3km +690m. Didn't feel up to the long course - and it was a good job I didn't go for it, as I completely bonked at 1h30! It's been so long since I've run a reasonably long race; ah, time was when I could run twice this distance and climb in 3 hrs on nothing but a handful of jelly babies and a splash of water. Sadly I am an unfit auld bar-steward now! Next time I shall take at least a small bottle of water and a cereal bar. Durrr. I was almost beyond hunger on finishing - almost. Anyway...

I ended up 3rd, 15 mins down on Dave Robertson (1st), but I should have been 7-8 mins faster over the last 25 mins, and even then I was taking it pretty easy for the first part of the race. I also blew 4 mins on #2, despite having taken the hill-runners route contouring around the hill rather than descending to the longer but faster path, as it was supposed to lead me straight into the control. D'oh!

Quite chuffed that, at least, none of my crocked bits broke/ripped/fell off.

More of that isotonic Becks on return home. Beccy commented that perhapsh this shtuff ish why I'm not sho fit theese daysh, but I wash'nt convinshed. Hic.

C • Nishe Won, Hic! 4

Dragged the road bike out of the shed, pumped up the tyres, and set off for a nice easy spin to reintroduce my dodgy back to the travails of a compact frame racing crouch. It got a bit sore, but wasn't too bad. I pootled out to Doune, then Torrie, Thornhill, towards Kippen, Gargunnock, back to Doune via the Safari park and home. Fantastically sunny day. Felt great to be out! Was a little dehydrated on return so I had to have some of that newfangled isotonic stuff, whatdoyoucallit, Becks or Grolsch or somesuch. Felt much better afterwards.

I was feeling the need to start introducing some runs of more than 40-45 minutes in length into my 'training regime' (ha ha) and it was a lovely evening, so I parked up at the W end of Minewoods and tootled up to the reservoir, to the top of Dumyat, N to the track, W to the road, over the moor to the reservoir and back. Lovely views, ahh... this is the life! Hopefully pretty soon running will stop being hard work most of the time too.

C • Yeah, that's more like it! 7

Well, I spent about 70 minutes putting out controls for tonight's WEE at Minewoods, but it doesn't really count as exercise. I think that I burnt off more calories unfankling (thanks, Ross) the b(!^&^!"*%&£^%& canes & kites than I did jogging along. Some post-exercise calories burnt from elevated heart rate worrying that I'd put them in the wrong place, but then the map is so "interesting" that it really didn't matter. No one died, but someone did take 96 minutes for 4.2km. I think that he was reading the blank side of his map.

C • Well done 3

Tested out a first pass at a long course for our WEE at Minewoods tomorrow night.
Hm.
A bit short. Map a bit out of date. Nettles. Some rethink required.
Tootling along OK on the flat and downs but hobbling uphill because I still can't really bend my left ankle upwards without that errant bit of bone giving me gip. I'm coming to the conclusion that this really isn't just going to go away of its own accord - it has been nearly two years now! Tempted to try some self-surgery with our brand new super sharp wedding present kitchen knives...

Warmed down by checking out the medium course. A bit happier with this one, but some tweaking still required. Gosh, those paths are wrong, wrong, wrong...
Nice night for it, Gromit.