Training Log Archive: rcro

Another long run with Ben in foul weather. OK - it was just incredibly windy early on, but the last hour was abysmal. Another day for the OMM jacket.

Parked by bridge over Ponsticill reservoir, went west onto fell, then down to Vaynor. Hard work fighting the wind, bog and vicious tussocks - although the worst bit was the last 200 yards of footpath between farm and road - narrow, steep drop to one side, rusty barbed wire fence on other, and lots of brambles too - I guess Marcus will take us this way in the summer.

Up to Morlais Castle having guessed the way up through the quarry. Again pretty windy at the top. Then on to Merthyr Common.

For some reason GPS seems to imply we jumped the railway line - but we definitely didn't (in defence, GPS was also saying we'd done getting on for 1,000m climb today...) and went the legal way instead. Twynau Gwynion quarries good fun for orienteering.

Wind steadily picked up as we went along and rain started just before the trig, and then turned horrific very quickly. Struggled to match the quarry to the orienteering map and eventually gave up as the blank space on the OS seemed more helpful. From there just a battle against elements to get back to the warm and dry.

Good to get out on a miserable day - and glad to have Ben for company.

https://www.strava.com/activities/880693646

Run with Ben from Ogmore Vale, taking in 3 of the 8 trig points I'd marked up. Weather was pretty horrific - low visibility, very strong winds and torrential rain. OMM jacket is paying for itself now! Despite the wind, none of the turbines were doing anything other than turning at prescribed minimum speed. I don't really see any benefit in them...

Winds particularly strong just before reaching the pass and the 2km along the road - suprisingly wasn't *that* bad for heading back south.

Of particular note was the amount of water on the ground. Almost the whole run was ankle deep, or deeper, in water - must have been a hell of a lot of water - never seen anything like it, and I've done the Four Fans race twice... Glad to get back to the car - Type 2 fun today. On the plus side, shoes looking pretty clean.

https://www.strava.com/activities/879535196

Having come up with quite a comprehensive solution to car trouble, looks like now have to live with eye-watering poor fuel economy (almost 10mpg worse!) - could well be the cost of reliability and peace of mind post emissions scandal fix. Will check the tyre pressures though just in case...

Now to the garage...

Last night race of season. Arrived later than I would have preferred and needed to get a warm up in.

Given how the legs have been last few days, knew this wouldn't be a great run and did find it hard work.

Lost places up the hill initially as pacing for full race, but as it started narrowing began to get held up very quickly - even on that initial downhill! Quite a lot more hold ups on the muddy climb but managed to push a bit harder and go around many. Lucas matching my pace all the way and doing the same overtakes - so just behind Ben for the twisty part and he never got more than 40m ahead for the next 3k.

Maintaining the speed better on the soft descents so losing very little to people in front - but losing ground on the hard track gentle downs. Ben got away on the main descent and track - about 200-250m ahead and there wasn't enough hill at the end for me to pull it back, and lost a lot of momentum in the rough bit just before the car park.

Reasonably good run, but would have liked better. As a comparison to last year - ran through the old finish at 40:03, last time round, with a shorter route in 2nd km, was 41:19 and finished 7th. So 5s longer for an extra 300m and bit of climb doesn't sound quite so bad.

https://www.strava.com/activities/877303904

And 2016 for comparison of route change
https://www.strava.com/activities/496646021

Hopefully sorting out car on extra day off tomorrow. Not very expensive but lost confidence with it now.

Slow recovery jog and taking in a couple of new roads on the way.

https://www.strava.com/activities/875988392

Car made it only 1/10th of way back home from supermarket trip afterwards so spending my evening waiting flr the RAC, again. Seems to be engine/fuel line this time. Time to get a new one I think :-(

Home at 11.30 with car towed to garage - battery is fine, fuel line is fine, timing belt is fine, pump is fine, yet fuel isn't going into the engine...

Not many people tonight (just 6) - so pace pretty slow and short route. Not going to complain as legs still feeling dead and took first half of the run for them to get going.

Mostly sheltered from the wind on the out, but struggling to fight the crosswind once on the fell and had quite a long wait on the top to regroup. Visibility pretty low so couldn't see the top until I was standing on the cairn.

Not feeling good on descent - maybe torch battery strap digging in.

Need something fairly slow and easy tomorrow.

https://www.strava.com/activities/874940853