Training Log Archive: rcro

Adhoc MDC hills session with Marcus and Mark. From HQ to beyond Gwaelod and then 3 efforts in the fields. Roughly 450m with roughly 55m climb (unevenly distributed).

Certainly felt like this was second hill session in as many days and was quite tough. Steady-ish on first and kept heart rate at only 176 - max seemed to increase by 3 each effort - trying pretty hard on last.

Times: 2:34, 2:34, 2:33 - which is pretty good considering.

Finished with some (at times steep) undulations for extended warm down around fields and then top of the woods. Pretty glad it was just 3 efforts!

Thanks to Marcus for arranging. Definitely need to make this a more regular thing.

https://www.strava.com/activities/784656889/overvi...

Rainbow laces made it onto my "work" trainers and not going to ruin them in actual running shoes.

For Marcus's benefit, my map is here https://citystrides.com/users/2892/map

For Marcus and Mark2 - processed lidar data still here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/35b4opjle7ui9zn/AAATtc5...

C • Tyn y coed 2

Beechwood hills session - hard. 3 sets, 1/3 distance, then 2/3 distance, then full hill - 500m with about 60m climb, so a proper "hill".

Not really trying for consistency but instead looking at watch to try and get heart rate above 180. Achieved this on the longer efforts. Held up on the first long one so dropped back long way before second long and pushed hard on last third to catch and overtake. Came at the cost of wanting to be sick for all jogging (but not effort) after that...

Trying less hard for last set but HR says still very reasonable.

Good session.

https://www.strava.com/activities/783726045

Weight dropped below 73kg for first time in some months - and quite a long time since it last happened other than when I've been "off" eating. Can only be good thing...

MDC run from Taffs Well. Pentyrch, Creigiau, Tyn y Coed, Garth.

Not many in faster group tonight so less time spent regrouping. Running surprisingly strongly and rarely at the back except for shoe lace stop.

Very wet and muddy through the fields, and ups and downs in Tyn y Coed woods pretty slippery - needed hands to get up some slopes.

Bit disoriented for most of the run, thought we were still heading south-ish until sign for Tyn y Coed - 180 degrees out!

Good food afterwards as always.

https://www.strava.com/activities/782809634

Note - trains appear to still be buggered up today. Wise decision to work from home :-)

Long run with Ben from Llanbedr. "Run" in the loosest of senses as is shown by the lowest average pace ever recorded in the history of Strava.

Not pushing hard going up (saw lots of walkers) and enjoying the snowy views and playing around a bit where it had drifted a little. Got to top of PCC, checked map to make sure not going wrong way again, and then slowly over rocky path to Pen Allt Mawr.

After descent, path was lovely with snow mostly about 6 in deep and great fun. Detoured around some "big" drifts (maybe 2ft deep) on side of hill. At the Col decided to carry on around the horseshoe as the going had been so good. Maybe unwise...

Climb up to Waun Fach had quite a lot of drifting, mostly 2ft deep and seemingly endless. Impossible to run, nearly impossible to walk - postholing. Most effective option for forward progression was crawling/swimming, was not very dignified.

Got lost looking for the top. Nothing to see about from snow on ground and snow in sky. Spent a while looking around before got phone out to see we we are exactly on top... Finding the way off was "challenging" but did eventually got on to the path. Without compass would have made 90 degree error and gone east.

Again lost the way off PYGF, and snow was getting on for 3ft deep in places. Still in stage of hysterics rather than possibility of any danger - but got dark by Pen Twyn Mawr and we got hungry (and starting to feel cold) - so became a slog from there. Bit worried that torches wouldn't last all the way too so abandoned Crug Mawr and went down the valley, again challenging navigation to reach footpath. Road at end was tough work.

Great day out - not been out in mountains in snow like that before and really enjoyed it. Next time should aim to start earlier and take enough food for 2 days!

https://www.strava.com/activities/781147183

Seems that ankle jumped on opportunity to undo the reshaping from the yellow mudclaws (retired in January) so very bad ankle blistering on left foot. It'll learn.

Event: NGOC League 10
 

100th Parkrun. In the Forest so called up to the front but no kiss.

Pretty slippery and cold. Kept the pace relatively steady - slow gaining on Mark towards the end having passed a couple on lap 1. Tripped on the final long straight so lost a few seconds, but kept my balance.

Needs a few more weeks to get properly wet.

Warmed to toasty +1.5C by the time I finished.

https://www.strava.com/activities/779487867

Short warm down jog as needed it, and time to kill waiting so see how many cakes left over to take on to orienteering.

https://www.strava.com/activities/779487811

First orienteering at Kidnalls in 5 years. To be honest was nicer than I expected it to be, but obvious map not been updated at all since 2008.

Time loss
60-90s on 1 - running towards the person that looked like they'd just punched, but were nowhere near.
90-120s on 3 - followed the path on the ground that was nothing like the path on the map, so took very long route.
Little path route to 4 - better in hindsight as found after 8 that ride to E wasn't nice running.
Generally very hesitant on 4-5-6-7-8 as slippery.
Straight route to 11 ok, but took unmapped ride 1 too early. Recovered.
13/14/15 - lovely little section, but 13 was in wrong place (found tag in right re-entrant first), so bearing to 14 was useless and didn't quite get it at 15. Assumed the map was poor, but may be lining up to wrong feature at 13.
2 mins at 17 - looking for 205 but found 204 on feature that looked to match perfectly. Spent a while looking at map to see where it could be (since not unknown to have incorrect control number...) before carrying on. Shouldn't really have used such similar numbers on identical features (ok, 70m apart but still).

Not going quick and trying less and less hard as course went on.

New shoes offer much more support than the old "new" mudclaws but still need a bit of time to get used to the shape of the sole again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/779882370

C • no 3 - "path" unmapped 1