Training Log Archive: murraystraining

Hilly on the Seat. Heart loop both ways - Helen Bonsor says the descents at Giir de Mont are like the zig zag path up beside the Haddie, which I usually purposefully avoid cause they are pretty unpleasant to descend. No more!
Took four pubs to find an 'I' afterwards. Kilderkin, Holyrood 9A and Halfway House all came up short, the Malt Shovel produced a (Belhaven) IPA though.
Not fancying my chances of getting a J, K or L in Estonia this weekend though.

C • Estonian Beer 8

Big hill reps session. 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1. Started on Castro but varied the route of the longer reps, 3s on Radical, 4s on Crags and the 5 on the zig zags. The 5 was particularly tough, future session will include more of that!
Rehydrated with a Hit The Lip (Cromarty, 3.8%) at C+Bss.

HBT AlpHaBeT - G is for Game Bird (Borders, 4.0%).
Before that, standardish Monday but getting dropped by James and Mhairi. Glad Pete and James were happy to go a bit slower!

Standard post-long race foot pain. Wasn't too bad after PPP but pretty sore today. Sad to drop below 70miles/week for the first time this year but if there was a week to do so it was this one!

C • Foot pain 3

Leg waker. Felt pretty poor to start off but actually got going by the end.

Stuc a Chroin 5000', British and Scottish champs counter.
Started very gently, not worried about being held back on the single-track through the woods. Gradually worked my way through though as I was actually finding the pace ok and got to the front as we emerged onto the open hill. Fin and I pulled away on the descent into Glen Ample then he pulled away - never to be seen again - on the steep climb up Beinn Each. Legs feeling OK but not brilliant now, but I would never expect to feel good on a climb as steep as this one.

Andy F and Tom Addison caught me near the top of Each and we formed a little group on the run along the ridge. The longer the ridge went on though the more I realised I didn't have much power in my legs for the climbs and on the final push to the summit they got a clear gap on me. Oh well, to be expected!

Two Keswick runners (Carl Bell and M Lamb) over took me on the descent back into Ample and I just had to let them go, I was very much in cruise mode by now. I caught Tom up on the final climb though and spat him out the back quite easily - think he had gut issues. The Keswick guys were clearly pulling away on the descent back to the woods and I had a clear gap behind me so I settled in for a relaxed cruise back for the last 4km.

That was fine until going through a clearing in the woods I caught a glimpse of the Keswick pair together with Andy not far ahead. Andy must be going backwards! Catching him may well make a difference to the Scottish champs at the end of the season so I upped the pace significantly. That was good until almost at the bottom when my right sartorius started spasming quite unpleasantly and I had to ease off. It turns out Andy wasn't bonking, he'd just missed a turn in the woods (like a number of others) and lost a bit of time. Oh well!

So 5th/3rd. Definitely at the upper end of expectations and I think I was vindicated in doing the 5km last night - not sure I was ever going to seriously challenge Fin today. Looking forward to Trotternish next month which should suit me more.

Torq gel at start and returning through Ample, SiS gels on Each and Stuc. Bit crampy at the end, could do with more electrolyte.

C • cramps 1

So the steps on the River Almond walkway really are closed now.

Scottish 5km Champs.
3:09 - sitting deep in the pack, out the wind.
2:57 - moved up to be in decent position at the turn.
2:55 - sailing along, swapping positions with Poo Boy and Jonny.
2:53 - gap ahead: gutted myself to try and close it before turning back into the wind. Jonny dropped off.
2:56 - failed but thankfully Poo Boy moved to the front after the turn. Relaxed behind him for a bit then pushed on. Closed gap to Andoug and Meekness with ~300m to go, again relaxed behind them for a few strides then went for the line and just about held on.
14:50 for 8th place. I think the tactical running took my mind off the PPPlegs.

HBT AlpHaBeT challenge: D is for Doom Bar (Sharps, 4.0%) in the Haymarket Bar.
Trotters awarded team silver medals based on the chip times, 4pts ahead of EAC. I think/hope we'll still have them once the scrutinised results come out, but wouldn't be surprised if it was closer!

Out to the Gyle to pick up a new pair of iRocks from the Post Office. No beer this morning.