Training Log Archive: ba-ba

’twas the night before SPOOKmass and through the Steel city,
livers were weeping; for them this would not be pretty.
All the beer funds were paid to the SPOOK account with care,
In anticipation of many pints, Nic and Dan to buy and share.

To the pubs of Sheffield the SPOOKerati, some young and some old,
had travelled great distance, beer to sup and stories told.
Tales of forest valour and of drinking prowess,
(but mainly about the dance off when Mark and Dan did undress)

The weekend is set, let the festivities begin!
Relays, meal, ‘football’, Captain’s, it’s all happening.
If in doubt, SPOOK win; who will conquer the yard?
Were Monday not booked off, we would suffer hard.

C • Good day at work 2

Had hoped for an extra run last night, but after a day of eating very badly I managed a bit of light-headed feeling (dan dropped me on the walk to his house) so binned the run for more time map folding.

Loop to forge dam with Han and Craig then ITW with Craig. Guts not happy with yesterday's binge, will treat it better from Tuesday.

Stayed up to listen to the first few overs of The Ashes. Went to bed fearing the worst, woke and it was OK (though Root fell as I took my morning dump).

Loop up to Mark Lane then ITW.

Morning Rivelin. Legs and body were not happy.

Working fairly hard in AR2 (dubious music choices, country through Grime via Taylor Swift) before straining my eyes on the Microscope.

Hfw via wilko for SPOOK paraphenalia, then eccy, Hunter house and greystones

TTDP Illegal Street Racing: Springvale Spirals.
~30s on. Felt a good effort throughout but finished feeling a bit too fresh, maybe could have started a bit harder but a
Ways tricky to judge. Bit soft on corners and downhill.
70s behind Sav (who fell), 30 behind OJ, only 15 ahead of Paul Fauset but 20 ahead of Coombsey (who i did see slow to read his map)

Forge Dayum with the fish

Then itw. Called it at that after a fairly large weekend.

The remainder of my food diary.
Mon/Tues/Weds were fairly representative (Tuesday beer excepted). Then a long day Thursday, cold onset and stocking up/post-race for Saturday meant I went a bit overboard. Always pile in bread and cheese when at home which I don't do normally. Also accidentally bought 2 packs of biscuits when I'll normally only have 1, these got a pounding later in the week, when I feel good I'm better with bad snacks. Generally OK with food but biscuit/cake needs to be better!

Thursday 16
Porridge honey almonds raisins
Mandarin, 4x mini pastries, 4x shortbread
Conference lunch: 8mini wraps. 3 chicken pesto skewers, 3 samosas & mango chutney, 10 cocktail sausages, 4 mozzarella sticks & sweet chili sauce, 5 small cakes
Snacks: 3x shortbreads
Tea: Parsnip soup (homemade), Veg curry and rice

Friday 17th
Breakfast: plain porridge
Lunch: mini cheddars, Mackrell and veg pasta (in a wrap!), mandarin, apple, 4x kipling bakewell slices.
Snacks: banana; handful cashews, 8 ginger nuts
Dinner: fish and chips with poor quality ketchup. Banana. Poor quality caramel wafer.
Supper: 2 slices fruit bread toast

Saturday 18th
Breakfast: porridge, 1tsp brown sugar
Pre race: banana
Race: mango, wine gums, jelly babies, beck water.
Post race: cheap caramel wafer, banana, hot choc, bacon butty (ketchup)
Toast & marmite, fancy cheese
Tea: Beef & veg stirfry (minimal sauce) and noodles; Rhubarb crumble & nat yog; 4x cheese and crackers, 2.5x choc digestives
2 pints ale; bread and butter.

Sunday 19th.
Breakfast: porridge w/ chopped nuts.
Lunch: glass milk; chicken and veg wraps w/ salad dressing; crumble and natural yog, satsuma, coconut sweets.
Other: mini cheddars, 9 ginger nuts, handful cashews.
Tea: sausage casserole, rice, broccoli, bonus cheese
Lemsip. Poached Pear and ice cream

(not very) long run, but sufficient after yesterday. Over to Marple then along the canal trying to hold a pace that felt like I was moving on OK. Turns out this was about 4:10s for 8km today, which isn't really moving at all but it felt honest enough.
Legs pretty shagged going downhill. Never had it this bad before?

Well aware my next 2 races will be on road (Stockport 10 mile, Lanzarote half), I want to run them well but need to remember they are more fact-finding missions.

Full Tour of Pendle. A good start of winter test, with an OK field out.
8th +10 (Chris Holdsworth), but +5 on Vic Wilkinson who was 3rd overall and took 13mins off Mudge's record. She even overtook Jack (who came back) going up the last climb.

Felt comfortable sat in the 2nd group (Chris and Jack having gone off), covering any surges by Watdog/Kim. Proper mince down Geronimo though. Gapped a bit to CP5 and the group pulled away up the next climb. Descended really poorly down to Cps 7 and 9, one coming past on each. Wanted to get moving on the long run off Big End, but legs seized up and couldn't stride out. Was a bit better on road at end.

Lacking in strength and descending ability, worrying as these are normally my fortes. Mudclaws would have been preferable, maybe balance a bit off (ears a bit funny again) but both of these are poor excuses. Along with legs seizing up a bit worrying. I know the race starts at 10 miles and struggled a bit from here.
PB by ~3mins but that was 4 years ago. Carrying a bit of a cold so maybe shouldn't be too harsh, but I placed myself in the battle for 3rd thinking I'd be in it until the finish.

C • good conditions 4