Today's Training

[Graham Breeze]

Garmin ????? It must have been a very early one Graham

Was it the size of a house brick?

Well I did have the first (of many) Garmin(s) when they arrived and it was big and chunky but the beep might well have been from a Timex Ironman or the like.

[Witton Park]

Extended run today around Darwen Moor.
Managed 7 miles 1280 ft, 90 minutes.

It was a beautiful morning. Driving the few miles up to the Royal, the moor between the Tower and Cartridge looked like someone had draped a cotton wool sheet over the top. At times I was simultaneously above and below the clag.
Some icy sections.

I think the Stan Bradshaw will be too much too soon for me next week, so I'll make a decision early next week, maybe wait for Pendle early April.

[Travs]

10 brisk miles this morning.

Weekly final score of 70 miles.

Looks like i'll be able to resume club sessions on tuesday. My original plan for this week had always been to "train through" and just deal with Saturday's Cardingmill Canter with whatever state my legs were in.... its not a priority race (although obviously i want to do well)

However given my lack of recent speedwork, i may well take the thursday session a little easier, and try and save something in the bag for Cardingmill.

Despite the challenging past few weeks, i feel like i'm in as good shape as i've ever been.... whether i'll be fell-sharp though is a different matter. One short night-race in December (25mins or so), and one downhill race on NYE (13mins) is the sum total of my fell activity since last summer.

[Travs]

Club night and i was rather apprehensive for my return to flat sessions.

Not feeling 100% fresh, and certainly not "sharp", but tonight was 3 x 1 mile (3 minute rests) on a damp and breezy evening.

I'd have snapped your hand off for 3 reps at or around 5:45 tonight. But exceeded expectations with...

5:38
5:36
5:32

Very pleased. I know i was knocking them off in the mid 5:20's this time last year when i was sharp, although i think that was only 2 x 1 mile. Still i'd like to get them down to 5:30 on sharper legs.

11 miles for the session, on top of 3 very easy miles AM. Feel very stiff and sore right now.... thursday is a track session, of which i'll do part, in order to save my legs for Cardingmill on saturday.

[Travs]

Club night and a track session.

Tuesday, despite running well, was a bit of a shock to the system.... could i defy the odds and run a decent session tonight as well.

Session was 6 x 500mtrs off 3mins rest. However due to saturday's impending race i only did reps 1,3,5... giving me almost 7 minutes rest between.

I was in the 2nd group and our target was 91secs... this is under 73sec pace for 400mtrs which i felt was too ambitious for me, and i personally felt 94-95secs would be a more realistic target.

1st rep i was very stiff and did run within myself, and was very pleased to run it in 95secs.
2nd rep i consciously sped up and ran bang on the target of 91secs.
3rd rep i went for broke and ran 89secs.

This final rep was a bit of a breakthrough for me as that is close on 71sec pace for 400mtrs... i'm pretty sure i've never gone below 73/74secs on a track rep.

Finished off with 5 x 60mtr sprints which i took as strides and just concentrated on technique, and ensuring my hamstrings didn't explode.

Ok it was only 3 reps and long rest periods, but given how i felt before and during, it was very pleasing... in fact i'm quite excited about the upcoming few weeks once i can shake off the fatigue of resuming speedwork.

On to saturday then... to be honest with the stiffness in my legs, if it was any other race i'd probably drop out... however i've already promised a clubmate a lift, and looking at the entry list, there's a mouth-watering number of runners who i know well, and however i run there's going to be "rivals" just in front or very close behind.

10.5 miles tonight, on top of 3 miles AM.

[Llani Boy]

Only 3 of us for yesterday evenings RATRun from a new venue, The Olde Cheshire Cheese in Longnor, which has reopened after an extensive refurbishment. There used to be four pubs in Longnor, none for the last couple of years but now back to one.

It was cool but dry as we set off along Gauledge on The Manifold Trail over saturated farmland via Fawside to Hardings Booth where we left the Manifold Trail. Through Shining Ford and up to Newtown. Down to Hawks Yard, across more saturated ground and reedy, knee deep bogs to Boosley Grange before firmer ground up to Hallhill. Nice, gently downhill fields to the old mill at Bridge End, across and up the road before more saturated fields and bogs up to The Low. Down into the Manifold Valley over the river and more knee deep bogs to firmer ground at Ridge End Farm. More saturated fields up the Manifold Valley to Longnor via Lower Boothlow, Over Boothlow and Boothlow Hayes.

A very stodgy and strength sapping 8 miles, 820 feet in 1hr 26 min. Back in the nicely refurbished Olde Cheshire Cheese delicious cheesy, not Cheshire, and non cheesy chips were washed down with Dizzy Blonde 3.8% from Robinsons. Not the best pint I've ever imbibed!

New ground covered on this run and we will look forward to returning later in the year when it will be a lot drier underfoot and in daylight. Annoyingly I managed to tear the sleeve of my new Ron Hill Jacket on some barbed wire whilst squeezing through a gap stile. It was one of those where you can hear it rip but can't stop quickly enough to minimise damage. A square of gaffer tape inside and out of the L shaped tear should do the trick.

[anthonykay]

I know it's St David's Day, so we should expect some Welsh weather, but the amount of rain we have been getting is ridiculous.

The morning's rain had stopped by the time I set off on my run, but on the bridleway up towards the Outwoods I was half expecting a canoeist to come the other way; conditions on the path were certainly suitable for brown-water canoeing.

My decision to wear a waterproof top was vindicated in the Outwoods when the first hail shower started. By the time I had got to the top of Beacon Hill, the hail and rain had stopped, and it was actually bright and clear as I went around Broombriggs and Windmill Hill. But the second hail shower started while I was on the path across the open arable fields on the way home from Woodhouse Eaves; I was glad that the wind was behind me then, so that the hail was only pummelling my back.

So, another run that has not done much for my speed, but at least it was good practice for those fell races in difficult conditions.

[Witton Park]

Not quite ready for Stan Bradshaw, but Wrs WP fancied a potter around Clitheroe, so I had a trot around the RV10K course instead.

6 mile, 57:36 and it comes out as 350ft, which I think is slightly over-egging it.

Happy with that. My road runs in the last year have been around high 9s, low 10s per mile and typically over 3-4 miles, so I'll take 9:35 over the 6 without over extending myself.

[Llani Boy]

I was amongst the 74 hardy souls that congregated this morning at Queens Park, Chesterfield for the North Derbyshire Running Club's monthly No Walk In The Park 5k. It was cold and murky but fortunately the forecast rain/sleet held off.

After the four tarmac path laps of the cricket ground and lake I was hoping for a sub 19 mins but had to be content with 19.10 after losing a bit of pace around the 3k mark. That will be the last of my tarmac running for a while and hopefully my 5 and 10K times will be quick enough for the Welsh Age Group selectors when they meet on 27th March.

Re-hydration was a mug of tea which washed down a full English and toast at a greasy spoon in Whittington Moor. Great value at £6 for the lot!

[mr brightside]

I heard jess ennis talking about professional athletes resting earlier today, and not due to injury. How do you rest? Just by running recreationally?