Training Log Archive: SarahD

Ballater - Gairnshiel - Crathie - S Deeside loop with E. First time I've ridden this. It was lovely, but I could have done with an extra gear or two. Time for N+1 me thinks.
Feeling stuffed up again this morning, but pretty sure it's hay-fever / allergy related rather than a recurrence of the cold.

Lots of fun playing cairn pin-bouldering at Balmoral with E. Felt really quite ok running for the first time since PSR - big step forward. Looking forward to a few more fun runs like this over the next wee while. Bakehouse after.

Had half planned to run today, but feeling pretty tired after yesterday, so decide a bit of a R+R potter would be more beneficial. Fab day for it.

Hanging controls for ASC. Enjoying these sessions - great bunch of kids.

Home from ASC via Coull. Felt much harder work than it should have. Breathing not great yet either. Beautiful evening but really humid and dripping with sweat by the time I got home.

Home to Redburn in the rain. Don't like road biking in the wet but had delayed from earlier with an expectation that it would clear up. Thought I was running late so pushed a bit harder than I would otherwise. Still go a bit of a sporadic ashtmaticy cough, but getting there. Enjoyed the ride.

Short one round the woods and fields. Breathing still poor and legs not feeling very lively either, but progress at least!
Happy that I made the correct decision about next weekend.

Time to get out. Felt like harder work than it should, but I think that's partly just because I haven't done anything for the last week. Breathing wasn't as bad as I anticipated. Down the DW to Potties, then round the Ballogie loop and back by DW again. Felt so much better afterwards... think I've been missing those endorphins. Don't seem to have crashed after, so fingers crossed I'm good to get going again.
Realised last week is the first time since I started ap in 2008 that I have recorded a week without any training. I guess it's appropriate that it followed the week with highest ever time and running distance (never mind the climb)!

Learning points from PSR experience...
1. 3 weeks in Dolomites was great prep and came back feeling confident, fit and strong
2. Racing the 6-days the week after was not so smart - crashed at the end of this and suspect it damaged the effectiveness of my "taper"
3. I focussed on time and climb over distance in training. That's all very well but you still have to cover some stupid kms in these races and quite a lot of it is on dirt roads - could have done with a few long Glen Tanar track runs to supplement the other.
4. Week leading up to PSR was crazy busy with work. Hard to avoid when you're heading away, but probably didn't set me up in the most relaxed / chilled state.
5. You should never ever push as hard on day 1 of a race like this. I let myself get sucked into racing - stupid.
6. Don't assume that your partner expects to run as a pair in the same way as you do. Make sure you've had that chat beforehand and are on the same wavelength
7. Night Nurse... seemed to be an effective solution that R found to the lack of sleep issue. Will need to try it next time round (did I just say next time? :-))) )
8. Try not to have such high expectations of yourself; it would make it an awful lot easier to enjoy the experience
9. Other things - food, feet, injuries... just try and look after yourself as best you can and try not to get hung up on any of it. There's bound to be some issues.
10. Smile. Lots. And let yourself cry just a little!
11. Oh and don't drink exclusively beer then stay up until 2am if you want to have any hope of avoiding that post race cold :-)