Training Log Archive: rcro

Getting the 2nd long run of the month ticked off. Filling in squares from Monmouth.

Vauxhall Fields > Buckholt > Dixton > Kymin > Redbrook at fairly easy pace.

First footpath (Osbaston Weir) - was not passable due to being overgrown. Good start. Getting up the hill from river was hard work regardless, not helped by a stile that was more hedge than gap - had to jump a gate elsewhere.

From Buckholt thought I'd risk the byway and hope it was passable. It was, just it completely ended at a farm with a very shouty farmer (could hear him swearing from 400 yards away - doesn't seem to like sheep), with no way beyond. Ended up going cross country trespassing a bit to try and hit one of the two parallel footpaths. Neither of these existed either so had to go back to the main road and run down that.

After the golf course was still bad. Cut a corner to avoid some tarmac and found the path wasn't signed. A section was between fences, with one of the fences knocked over giving less than 6 inches space. Because it's foundations were damaged was just about able to push it to give a 10 inch gap to squeeze through, but hard work. It's really quite frustrating that so many footpaths just aren't maintained or signed :-(

Second half of the run was hillier (up the Kymin) or against the wind - but was so much easier going as named trails are well signed, have gates that work, and are kept clear. Did a little bit in the housing estate south of Wonastow Rd to finish, as would like to see how mappable it is.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2767351316

Trying to get the legs going. Felt like hard work and not totally successful - I thought. Struggling along behind somebody else.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2763806780

Didn't feel like driving too far, nor really felt like running hard - so ended up at Pontypool.

Went out quite fast, it felt, and was being dropped by a guy with only one arm. As got to the first sharp corner certainly felt that I was gaining ground - and after the 1km hairpin - where it starts going uphill - he just didn't seem to accelerate so I was easily past and on my own the rest of the way. Ended up finishing over 90s ahead of 2nd - so after being the fastest non-winner at Parkrun for most of the last year, I've now "won" two in a row.

Course is quite slow - quite a lot of climb, and lots of sharp corners. Felt quite good at the end but only 7s faster than I was here 3 years ago.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2763807735

Really needed to jog it out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2763808013

Got a lift up to Fan Fawr but as I want a long run tomorrow didn't want to commit to racing and find I felt knackered just 200 yards into the start - took photos instead.

Got a short jog in after - on other side of road parallel to the motorway - with MOK and Dan W. Bit boggy in places but so much nicer than the slate paths. Nice to see MDC well represented.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2764976595

Day off work as car in for MOT this morning - got it back a bit later than I wanted but still just left enough time to get out to Lydney for planned run and back ahead of the traffic.

Started from Bathhurst Park, across to do the wooded loop of Parkrun, down to the harbour with a wait for a train on the way. From there, up along the river to Purton - tide was in and views were quite good. Undergrowth wasn't so nice so some bits were much slower than expected. Then the path just ended randomly with no indication of where I could go. Eventually found a way out - but the path was completely absent - no signs but lots of electric fences where it should have carried on. I bailed out onto the railway line just by the tunnel mouth instead - tunnel is open at both ends and dry so worth having a proper look another day. The footpath (before the dead end) would have given the perfect vantage point to look at the bridge - a real shame it's not there :-(

Was hoping to be past the worst of it after Purton but as the footpath went into the woods the obvious path petered out into jungle - no way through. Had to do a lot of deviating up and down finding a route that was just about passable. It was at least signed at both ends of the wood though... Got to the road and continuation of footpath wasn't there either so just took the road around. After that was in Forest territory and things were a *bit* better.

Up to Viney Hill, Oldcroft, bit of difficulty finding way down to the footpath, Pillowell, Kidnalls, touched the bottom of Lydney Park and finally back down. Got round ok but not really up for anything longer at the moment - doing this at an easy pace has helped loosen my legs a bit.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2759655974

Tunnel photos: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/severn-bridg...

Whilst waiting for the car had a look around the Glan Llyn estate that's being built - has got a decent sized park which is nice.

Short stop off on the way to the MapRun I was organising.

Parked on Wilton Rd and went for more getting used to spikes ahead of the XC season starting next weekend. Expecting the Parkrun back straight to be underwater and wasn't disappointed - so went down along the river instead.

Few laps of the cricket pitch and then top football field to finish - main football pitch was also underwater. No surprise at all to hear they've cancelled for the weekend - in practice we're thinking it's pretty much off until the summer now.

Was sliding around a bit in the mud along the river, but tried an up/down by the cliffs and gripped well - descending as confidently as I was running on the flat.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2757520590

30 or so runners at the MapRun - mostly non-orienteers but still would have liked a few more to come. People seemed to enjoy it - planned it to be very impossible but require careful thought for how to string it together. Mass started everyone at 7 - didn't let anyone start early - so had time to go shopping and walk around the town, and everyone finished within 5 mins or so of each other. Pub afterwards so not home until late.

Intervals, but was doing a long warm up rather than listen to the briefing so was expecting 4x1 min, 2x2 min, 1x4m and then back down - but turned out to be 4x1, 2x2, 4x1 - so a bit taken aback when expecting 4 mins effort to be stopping after 1- as had paced for 4 mins. Did an extra 2 mins or so effort at the end to make up for it.

Alex was out tonight so was quite a long warm up and warm down - everyone else had gone by the time we'd finished and all the lights had been turned off.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2755213497