Today's Training

[anthonykay]

After another week where I haven't got enough miles in, and a short race yesterday, I went for a big session today. 2 hours on the treadmill, knocking up 11 miles and 6000ft. Perhaps not the ideal session, compared to reading about people running over their local fells, but at least an example of how determined I am to keep progressing.

Whatever it does for your physical fitness, enduring the tedium of two hours on a treadmill must improve your mental toughness!

Last year I was a volunteer participant in an experiment at the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (conveniently located just the other side of the cricket field from my office in Loughborough). It involved two sessions of 45 minutes at moderate intensity on the treadmill. Even with the experimenter chatting to me to relieve the boredom, I was continually watching the timer and thinking about how long I had left.

[Travs]

I'm pretty used to it now and it goes surprisingly quickly. The treadmill I used today resets itself after each hour, and at halfway I didn't even think about what I'd just done, just thought "only an hour to go"....!

Like a long race, just split it down into sections of 15 minutes and try to hit a target for climb/distance over each section. Last ten minutes I was chasing 6000ft hard, to the extent that I was basically sprinting 7.5 of the final ten minutes as hard as possible. I was 8ft short!

But had the energy afterwards to knock out 55 x squats with 30kg on my back. Something which I'm convinced is helping me massively in my quest to improve.

[Corniceman]

I'm pretty used to it now and it goes surprisingly quickly. The treadmill I used today resets itself after each hour, and at halfway I didn't even think about what I'd just done, just thought "only an hour to go"....!

Like a long race, just split it down into sections of 15 minutes and try to hit a target for climb/distance over each section. Last ten minutes I was chasing 6000ft hard, to the extent that I was basically sprinting 7.5 of the final ten minutes as hard as possible. I was 8ft short!

But had the energy afterwards to knock out 55 x squats with 30kg on my back. Something which I'm convinced is helping me massively in my quest to improve.

That's what I call motivation Pete. I used to have it for my rock climbing and would do pull ups for over an hour in sets of 10 (weighted) on the minute!! Nowadays with age motivation still there but determination has reduced, as has the bodies ability to endure such severities!
On a note I did 1 hour and 350 floors on the stepper on Saturday (3500'), intended to do 1.5 hours but just couldn't carry on with another half an hour of such misery!

[Travs]

I hate pull-ups! Adequate at chin-ups (palms facing at me) but strict pull-ups i find very challenging. Pretty decent at dips and can do quite a few dips with a heavy chain wrapped round my shoulders to add to bodyweight. Having a relatively strong body and core is very underestimated.

When i did Muay Thai we did 'clinching'.... when two boxers clinch up they are separated, but in Muay Thai the fight continues with stand up wrestling, and knees/elbows/etc. We would do this for round after round and as well as developing strength and endurance, i also learned a lot about leverage and balance. And doing this in inner-city Bangkok under a tin roof in 90% humidity is no picnic either!

3500ft is a decent total on the climber. More than i can manage on the treadmill in an hour. On the climber i'm usually looking to knock out 4000ft in an hour (1000ft every 15mins i can manage at a steady sustained effort, but to increase up past 1100ft/15mins starts to get challenging if i want to maintain for an hour or more).

I was at the Masters Road Relays at Sutton Park on Saturday, i did keep an eye out for you and the familiar Notts AC tent and vests, but didn't spot you guys...

[Mike T]

That's what I call motivation Pete. I used to have it for my rock climbing and would do pull ups for over an hour in sets of 10 (weighted) on the minute!! Nowadays with age motivation still there but determination has reduced, as has the bodies ability to endure such severities!
On a note I did 1 hour and 350 floors on the stepper on Saturday (3500'), intended to do 1.5 hours but just couldn't carry on with another half an hour of such misery!

Wow! Chin-ups I can usually manage 3 or 4, several sets, but pull-ups 1 if any!

[Travs]

After knocking out 8500ft of climb in the last two days, I was rather dismayed to read the club email today and find that tonight we were doing..... hill reps.

3 x long (400m)
6 x medium (250m)
9 x short (100m)

A good session, and I managed to lead the group out, but still quite stiff in the legs from the hard work and racing that I've got up to lately. I think the rest of the week will be a case of maintaining some steady miles, ready to race on Sunday.

In better news I'm pulling together what looks like at least one team for the Lee Mill Relays. Will this be the start of Coventry Godiva Harrier's assault on the Fell racing world...?!?

[Derby Tup]

Go Cov!

[Travs]

Go Cov!

I somehow don't think we'll be challenging the Borrowdale's and Dark Peak's of this world with a fearsome relay reputation.

But there is a little bit of fell experience scattered throughout the club, and a bit of enthusiasm...

Apart from myself, there's a couple of Welsh/Yorkshire natives who have done the odd fell race, a lady who has supported one or two BG legs and done a few south coast fell races, a guy who does a lot of the Lake District trail races.

I'd like to put in a team that while not necessarily looking for honours, that can at least be "competitive" (aka doesn't come last)..... and possibly another team as well, even if it means one or two of us running a couple of legs each.

I've got more pressing concerns at the moment, such as (to keep on training topic) do i drag my carcass out again tonight, as well as the small matter of do i enter the Dragon's Back which opens for entry in less than 90mins.

[RaceTheSweeper]

That's great news Travs! They have obviously seen just how much fun you are having and now want in on the action. I'll look forward to cheering you all on at the FRs' :-)

[anthonykay]

Today's Raining: yes, it's time we removed one letter from the title of this thread. The quantities of rain in recent weeks have got to the stage where most of the mud has been washed away from the paths; my Walshes were almost clean after today's "take-a-shower-while-you-run' effort.

Plenty of other people out enjoying the rain. There were several groups who looked like they were on D of E expedition training. The trouble is, when they become aware of a runner approaching, they turn sideways so that their big, bulging rucksacks block the way when I could have squeezed past if they hadn't turned. Then there was the group of about twelve people having a barbecue in the Outwoods (yes, they did have a tarpaulin).