Training Log Archive: AlistairH

Seven Hills Race - quite a warm day, with the ground fairly dry. No option right off the esplanade this year. Headed off up Corstorphine Road and was surprised there weren't more runners going that way - instead it seemed to be the orienteers route with graeme 100m ahead or so, at the same pace, and GraemeR a little behind. A Carnethyite ran along Morrison St. then disappeared somewhere. I had a 4 min/k speed limit (figuring that is about the speed I would have set off for a race of the same distance on the flat) and was 4'00 - 4'01 for three k past Haymarket and along Corstrorphine Rd. so that was about right. At Corstorphine Hill, the people immediately ahead went peculiarly far right at the top butI broke off left before losing more than a few seconds.Didn't get the line off the top quite right.

Back to a good running section so got my head down, got up the slope at Craiglockhart Hill better than I expected - these shoes do have reasonable grip if it's dry...

Starting to get quite tired over Braids - saw AndyS and AndrewM ahead going towards Blackford Hill. My route down to the left before Blackford Hill was really quite poor though - I was just ahead of graeme heading down from the Braid Hills but suddenly he was a minute ahead on the way up to Blackford Hill and I didn't see him much again so better take the straight route next time. AndyS finished a minute or two ahead but I must have overtaken AndrewM about that point (he also went a simliar way to me but still further left).

I was quite happy to still have some decent running left in me off Blackford Hill, went round the end of Pollock Halls and through an infinite sea of women doing a 5k charity walk.

There was noone else round me going up Arthur's Seat. JonR must have caught me gradually on that bit though, almost overtaking me on the descent but got away again on the flat and up to Calton Hill.

So great fun - and happy to have been able to run fairly well to the end rather than the sort of survival pace I've ended up at for the last 2 years. Didn't manage the 2 hours though, hopefully next year. Need to sort out routes at Blackford and Pollock.

Post-script through was getting really quite bad diarrhea afterwards - I've had that mildly after a few long races this year but it was really quite unpleasant this time. Wikipedia has a whole page on runners diarrhea so I guess it's common enough.

Splits (my watching restarting the automatic 1k splits when I pressed lap at the top of hills)

6'46 Castle Mound (1,489m)
4'00
4'00
4'01
4'39
5'41
4'50
3'50
4'18
4'05
4'35
6'05 for 716m so 55'50 to Craiglockhart
4'03
5'16
3'54 for 523m so 69'02 to Braid Hill
3'54
4'14
6'53 for 546m to 84'03 to Blackford Hill
3'53
4'12
4'49
7'11
6'29 for 231m so 107'56 to Arthur's Seat
5'13
4'14
4'26 to end (1005m)

Lunchtime. Not feeling too bad. Having a go at the 180 cadence again.

HBT Session. Some 3' reps, some sprints, a couple of gently hilly reps. Not convinced this kind of mish-mash is a useful training session but nice leg stretch, fun and enjoyed post training pub trip. Didn't take it particularly hard.

Run unexpectedly blocked by Police cordon... Trying two routes from Corstorphine Road to Cotstorphinr Hill for seven hills race (given that Princes St gardens blocked this year) I was surprised to find the Police aren't letting anyone up or down the steep path through the nature reserve from Corstorphine road due to human remains having been found...

Martin's Intervals. Still felt a bit tired warming up but actually not too bad once I got going and ended up doing all 5 long. 4'29, 4'28, 4'23, 4'37, 4'23 (av. 4.28 = 3'34/k), the two fast ones catching 5" then racing the last bit with Edel.

Good session - this is about right. Spending most of the week knackered but freshening up enough to do a proper intervals session.

Still really rather tired.