Training Log Archive: fluceluce

Up Donard - started off with Mick, Dave and Gavin but me and Helen decided to take it easy. A gentle stroll up the hill followed by the awesome descent down the face of it. Found some rubbish heather to contend with towards the bottom but the rest is ace!

Really strong wind on top today! Glad the Mourne Wall was there or we would have been blown off the mountain! A couple of almost blown over moments on the way down!

Run to the start with Helen

Ireland British Champs Race. Short. Set off and was amazed to find myself running alongside Helen Fines for the first bit of climb. When it levelled out and got a bit more runnable she started to pull away and Helen Elmore came past. Ran in a group with Helen up to the top of the first hill. Then on the descent caught the gap that had formed right at the top where it levelled out. Up Bearnagh pulled away from the carnethy and wharfdale ladies but Helen was tantilisingly close and not getting closer! 30s behind her at the top and pretty much the same at the bottom. The next climb was more runnable and my hip was starting to feel it. Lost ground here and Carnethy Lady was back ahead. Final descent to old finish, passed through at 59:01, 5.5mins faster than 3 years ago!! Also was about 30s to 1min behind Helen with 4 women between us!

But they have extended the route so now there was 1.4miles of contouring and running down the track to the finish. The contour was to the right and my hip had had enough by then. I wasn't going to keep up with the group but I had a clear gap behind me so ran as hard as was comfortable without damaging myself. Lost about 2minutes to the others but oh well!

Happy to have been able to run properly up and down hill! Now need to strengthen various parts of me again in order to contour and build up to some longer running...Fingers crossed for Great Lakes!

C • good race 2

Fairholmes to Bamford Garden Centre Cafe. Had lunch and tea and did a bit of reading before Julia and co arrived. I could see bike ride and cafe reading becoming a weekly occurance..

Julia's off road LEJOG - she is aiming to complete in 23 days. This was day 10 and she's still going very well! Hope to almost Dunford Bridge via Cut Gate. Then I rode back over a very wet cut gate with Dave to my car at Fairholmes while Julia and Joe rode on to finish the day. Lovely ride and good company. Weather was nice until we hit the top of cut gate for the second time...But warm enough not to matter!

Looking forward to seeing the photo of Julia at JOG. I'm sure she'll get there within target!

Got home with just enough time to wash my bike and my legs, then off to yoga. Did some upside down hanging from ropes that loosened my back off amazingly!

Cross trainer - keeping heels down. Fairly awkward to get the hang of!

Gym Bike - what the hell were they thinking with those HUGE saddles!

Step machine - wasn't sold on it - 14 flights of stairs aparently

Rowing machine

Many clams, core and also attempting kneeling on a fit ball. I could do it :-) Sort of...can deffo improve!

brief dip before sauna

Burbage skyline, nice evening out. Still not racing - had a nice run and messed with some other womens race by casually adding in some pace as though I was pushing at the front with Helen and Steph. Hip can only take that for a couple of hundred meters but it was enough to keep me entertained listening to the panicked upping of pace only to discover I wasn't going to try and keep it going. Best burst was up Higger Tor :-) Think I need to sort out my running style as I am definitely lop sided

Run down to weston park

Skills and drills with Ralph, John, Treb and Mark

Up to Liz's then over lydgate and down to fulwood, back along fulwood road and by goodwin.