Training Log Archive: ToddO

Had camped in Buckden after several pints with MIke & Hazel, Mark & Lou and Jim Davies with cameos from the Donnelly and Bailey families. Got here early enough to watch the U9 race after walking the course!
Spent far too long strapping the ankle again.
Over the bridge onto the track at the foot of the fell and back. Not enough time to do much more because the last U17 competitors were coming through.

Bit of quick running including the slope in the field.

Hawkswick Dash, BOFRA Champs race 3.
Started hard and led it out onto the track. James Hall went past before the grassy ramp but I had decided to be more agressive in this race so stuck to him on this steep part. Would usually have had a power-walk on this gradient.
Turned onto the big track that heads gradually up. Felt steep and the quads were burning but kept on going hard. Sam went past with a little bit more speed than I could muster but I held off everyone else (Luke Maude, Paul Dugdale and a Keighly and Craven vet) until we got to the final steep climb. Paul and the K&C bloke went past up here and I realised that we were going up a different part to the one that had been marked out earlier.
Didn't have much pace as I rounded the cairn but overtook the K&C guy after the wall crossing. Luke surged past after the other crossing for the last 150m before the descent. Got past him again as we went down the little rock step and it got more hazardous! Just went for it a little bit and started to reel in Paul again. Ran out of race... again. He had a sprint this time and kicked with 20m to go after I'd almost closed him down.
4th. Sam won in 11:01, fastest win since Al Dunn in 2010. Luke was 5th, followed by Ian and Mike, both of whom got the K&C guy.
Time would've got me third for the last 2 years, 4s behind Ted last year.

Couple of laps of the field with Ian. Talked about Jukola and the U9 Ambleside identicle twins who hammered their opposition!

Up onto the ridge between Littondale and Wharfedale with Mike, Sam, James Hall (he'd down a 16:15 Parkrun 5km, with hills, yesterday and recently ran 8:40 for a 3000m) and Sam Haggar. Kia the dog came too, in his booty.
Plenty of heather and marsh along the top. Didn't find the trig. Sam H was dropping off the (easy) pace so I didn't carry on to tick it off.
Achey quads throughout! Good w/e.

30x eccentric Achilles

Event: English Fell Champs - Buckden Pike (Short)
 

Went to buy strapping tape from the Pete Bland van. They had non-Leuko and Kinesio tape. Thought I'd try this new stuff.
Too stretchy so I stretched it right out before sticking it down. This seemed to give the ankle some support but it took ages.
Cut into my warm-up time.
Ran round to the beck, up the bridleway towards Cray a bit and then did some strides/drills on the village green. Nice and warm with a very steep hill before the real racing started so w/u not the most vital component today... maybe.

Bucken Fell race, English Champs Short Counter.
Didn't want to get caught in the pack at the beck crossing so started swiftly. The path down to the beck caused a bit of a bottle-neck and a slow-down just before the nasty climb.
Straight into a power walk on here. Lots of people going past but Jim Davies was still behind me (bumping his shoulders into my legs from behind) when we got to the nettles at the top of the steepest bit.
Went through the gate and got myself tucked in behind Ted and Gary Greenhow who were cutting the corner straight for the gap in the wall (which usually has a wooden fence in it). Corny followed and complained afterwards that he'd lost time again (start of Blencathra) by following me!
I could see that Jon Brown, Jack Wright and Chris Robinson were all ahead of me in Ambleside vests too. Not a nice realisation that I wasn't in the scoring 5 but made sure not to panic: knew Jon would lose time on the descent and that my strength would lay in the runnable sections.
Got past Gary just before the wall gap (48th position from the pictures, with Mark Roberts and Jack Ross still to overtake me) and went past Jonny Bradshaw and Chris very soon after.
This was where the course was flatter and the ups were actually runnable. I'd planned on saving a little on the steep section to be able to push on here. Mark Roberts came past just before the long shallow climb to the Memorial Cross. Managed to pick up the pace slightly and gradually reeled some guys in along here. One was Jack Ross but he didn't stay overtaken for long. Went past Jon Duncan and had Jon Brown and Jack in my sights.
Turned towards Buckden Pike in an Ambleside train. Got to the turn for home with Jack in front of Jon by 5m and me a further 5m adrift.
Everyone started cutting the corner but I stayed on the path. I knew it was very runnable and didn't fancy risking my ankle on the marshy tussocky ground. Was soon past Jon (and I think he made his way out to the path when he saw that option) and could see that I had lost no time on Jack. Didn't have time to look whether we'd overtaken anyone else though.
Saw that the corner to the old lead mine was being well and truely cut by everyone in front... nowhere near the flags.
Managed to gain slightly on Jack through this section of marshy tussocky ground but I think I'd normally have gone quite a bit faster.
Soon got onto the traverse with it's slight rise to the gap in the wall.
Someone knew my name and told me we had a good gap on the next guys so I yelled the same to Jack.
Steadily gained on him and we were reeling in Scoffer and Chris Leigh (the guy who ran off into the clouds without telling me I'd gone of the flagged route at Hayfield last year, still bitter).
Passed all three about 200m from the gap.
Took the direct line down to the gate (and must've gone past a few guys who were following the wall). Jack Ross came steaming in from somewhere and I just stuck behind him until we hit the steep part.
Wasn't going slowly here but certainly held back a bit. Jack Wright came past and headed off towards Jack Ross, who was going for an upstream crossing. Jack Wright had enough of a lead to get onto the path before me but my more direct beck crossing got me onto it before Jack Ross.
I was running quickly along here but then Jack Ross flew past. I shouted a warning to Jack Wright thinking that surged looked really strong.
Came through the carpark gate to realise that Jack Ross has slowed right down. Saw a chance and ran full pace at the wall, hurdled and narrowly missed the place on the finish line.
44th. 3rd Ambleside counter. Jack was 42nd. Essentially threw away some places by holding back on the descents due to the ankle.
113.9% of the winner's time.
https://plus.google.com/photos/1104395737561974438...

Way too little warming down. Jogged to my car with some LOC boys: Rhys, Mike and Jack.

From Tesco down to the Eden and along the riverside path to the golf course gate (10:00) and back.
Stretched the calves, quads and hammies.

30x eccentric Achilles

Fellside to Brae Fell (21:41) and back with a chilly breeze coming from the SW.
Straight into the car to get back and watch the Diamond League.

30x eccentric Achilles

R) VMO area quite sore yesterday and today so just went on here to warm-up. Little bit of ache.

Across the playing fields behind the Sheepmount Stadium and then back around the river path. Did the first loop taking it easy. Went a bit faster on the second (which only knocked 30s off the time) and it rained a bit.
Back into the gym for a good stretch-out.

30x eccentric Achilles

L) ankle nicely bruised now. Not really sore though.

Good stretch-out afterwards.

30x eccentric Achilles