Originally Posted by PeteS
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Still blighted with a painful blister from new trainers, so with some careful strapping, I managed a treadmill hill session today. 4.5 miles, 2850ft. Being very careful with it, in light of racing at the monstrous Ennerdale next weekend.
29 mile walk today. We parked in Ilkley. Caught bus to Buckden and walked back on Dales Way
Arriva bus service excellent and cost £6 for humans with vizslas free
Managed a blister-hampered 26 miles and 9500ft last week. Got off to a poor start today, only managing 2.5 miles and 500ft of a planned longer run. Blister not healing up very quickly in the hot, sweaty weather. Finally have to face facts that I need at least a couple of days away from running, to let them heal, before the mighty Ennerdale at the weekend. So will be the exercise bike or cross-trainer for at least the next couple of days.
Long reps on a circuit on the university playing fields that I last used at least 20 years ago. They have now built a football stadium on part of the fields, so my circuit is a bit shorter than it used to be; but it still involves a gentle downhill soon after the start, and the corresponding uphill just before the finish. I don't know the length, but since my timings for the five reps were 4m13s, 4m27s, 4m27s, 4m21s, 4m25s, it must be about a mile.
There is a reason for reps 1 and 4 being faster than the others. Halfway round rep 1, I became aware of voices behind me. Yes, there were a couple of blokes who were keeping pace or even catching me, and still had the breath for a natter while they were running. And they were just on a steady run, not doing reps. Mind you, they were Loughborough students, and about one-third of my age. Then while I was doing rep 3 a girl appeared at one corner of the lower field, and started doing her own reps, shorter than mine (three-quarters of the way round the field, and omitting my downhill and uphill sections). The timing of my rep 4 coincided so that she started her rep a little way behind me; I could only watch as she glided effortlessly past me, but I suppose it spurred me on to put in a bit more effort myself.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Loughborough Uni are one of the top clubs around here. They smash the Div1 cross country every year, beating the likes of Birchfield Harriers, Tipton, Cheltenham, and my Godiva boys out of sight.
Missing club night tonight in an attempt to clear up my blisters for the weekend. Spending the time researching various races. Quite fancy Arrochar Alps next year... looks horrific...!
Likes of Seb Coe went to Loughborough when I was a lad
Yes, but he only got a Third Class degree. I have heard it said that some of the academic staff in his Department were disappointed that a bright lad like that was spending too much time on his athletics and not enough studying.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Never done Arrochar Alps myself, but it's steeper than Jura, easier to travel to, and you don't have to worry about getting your entry in on time. It certainly deserves more patronage: according to the SHRA website, it only gets around 30-40 runners in most years.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Having read into it, and looked at the historical threads on here, plus your points made above, i'm sold on it! Will have to be next year though... a little late to organise it for the end of thismonth, and already a little pre-occupied with the small matters of Ennerdale and Buttermere this month...!
Had a rest day yesterday, blister slowly clearing up. Was able to clean it with Surgical Spirit last night without screaming, so it's obviously healed over the raw flesh. Hopefully get out on a bike or cross-trainer session tonight and tomorrow, then a planned pre-race run on Friday to tick off another two Wainwrights (Haystacks and Fleetwith Pike). All being well i'll have something left in the tank after Ennerdale, to complete the Wainwright Western Fells book on sunday (Buckbarrow, Middle Fell, Yewbarrow).
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