Edale was still in the Peak District, Pete, when I visited it last weekend! :D
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Edale was still in the Peak District, Pete, when I visited it last weekend! :D
This is a reasonable guess - or at least, it would have been last year, when my fitness was such that I could contemplate such a race. But no, I have chosen something shorter, but which should still be fairly challenging.
Incidentally, I wonder how many AM enthusiasts will be doing Buttermere Sailbeck on the Saturday and then Kentmere on Sunday.
Last run before Friday's trail race. The route started off as the reverse of my standard Beacon Hill and Windmill Hill route, but after coming off Windmill Hill I went straight across the road and took the horse track up the side of Beacon Hill - because that's the way Friday's race will go up, on the second ascent. Compared to my usual routes on Beacon Hill, which climb quite steeply, this was a long grind at a mostly gentle gradient. I then visited the summit (which the race won't do), and went back home by a rather direct route.
I mentioned some weeks ago that the road between the Outwoods and the bottom of Beacon Hill Country Park was closed for works. Those works are now finished: they have been building a tarmac footway along this stretch of road. I'm not very happy about this: the trod along the grass verge was fine for me, and much better than running on tarmac. But the authorities were concerned that with the large number of ramblers using the road to connect the Outwoods to Beacon Hill, and the high traffic speeds along the road, there was going to be a serious accident.
A bit of a chaotic week so far, with massive work pressure due to some deadlines, and being on holiday tomorrow as heading over to Wales for the Holyhead MOuntain race on saturday.
As a result, missed tuesday's club session, and finally got around to doing it this morning, on treadmill in a very hot garage!
Two sets of 3/2/1minute efforts.... 1 minute between each rep, then 5 minutes between the two sets.
Originally planned to do three sets, but alas the phone didn't stay quiet enough for a 3rd set.... but possibly a blessing, as 3 sets would have made it very tough in the heat, and i'm probably not quite at 100% fitness due to recent injuries etc anyway.
Traditional pre-North-Wales race runout, over and around the Great Orme.
7.5 miles at no particular pace, with plenty of stops to have a drink and take in the views.
May have a walk up onto Conwy Mountain this evening.
A nice easy hour in the forest and round the Lake (Llyn Elsi) above Betws-y-Coed.
Interestingly this was the venue for the World Mountain Running Champs in 2015.
6 miles, 1250 ft.
Week comes to an end with 68 miles.
Feeling a lot more positive after yesterday's race, feeling like i'm back in the game now after some difficult weeks when i haven't been able to put in the required work due to a host of minor injuries and niggles.
Although tomorrow marks a shift in training.... for the best part of a year now i've done little, if any, steep work.... instead focusing on increased mileage on the flat... relying on the "base" built up over the years on the fells to see me through the races.... generally this has worked well with a string of decent pb's.
But 3 races in the next 9 weeks are all tough, steep, arduous affairs, and i have a feeling i'm going to get found out if i don't start putting the steep work in again. So it will be a lot more uphill work.
Current average for the year is 67.5 miles per week... will be interesting to see if i can maintain that whilst doing slower, steeper miles between now and mid-August... at which point my fell year will be over in anger, as i then switch to focusing on an autumn 10 miler on the roads.
Up to 3 miles now, all flat running but no AFib all looking good but legs are still tired :D
Club night and a very tough looking grass session.
2 x (5 x 1 minute, with decreasing rests. Rests starting at 60secs and decreasing by 15secs each time).
So for the mathematically minded, final rep of each set is done on 15 seconds rest.
Was again incredibly warm and humid last evening, and found myself sweating almost as much as during saturday's race.
Legs not entirely recovered from saturday, i found the first set especially difficult, with the closer runners in my group stretching away from me. 2nd set wasn't so bad as my consistency started to claw them back, and by the very final rep had passed a couple of them.
The final rep itself was very tough... 15 seconds rest is almost worse than no rest at all... it would be less painful to just run two minutes straight through. 15secs at that stage of a session allows about 4 deep breaths, and absolutely no chance of getting breathing/heartbeat back under control.
10 miles for the evening.
Track on thursday, with 3 sets of 600mtr, 300mtr.
Injury permitting, i'll be doing the track session on thursday with Horsforth, it's 3x5x30secs effort with 30secs easy running in between. Not sure how long in between the 3 sets. Never done that before, but it's probably an easier version of something you've done before. It'll be interesting to see if i can outsprint any of the people who will leave me behind on a 5min long effort.