Today's Training

One of my rare outings for reps on my circuit of about 1100m on the University playing fields. Four reps, timed at: 4:48, 4:55, 4:48, 4:47; much slower than last time I did these reps (which I think was last year}. I actually felt that I was really struggling on the third one, whereas the second one felt better.

One reason for doing this session was to get a bit of relief from being plastered with mud on my usual routes: playing fields have drainage, and there's a route from home to the University which is mostly grass but without any seriously muddy bits.

Murton carpark, up the bridleway to Burnt Crag, to High Cup Head, detour off to the tall cairn, back to High Cup Nick, across to Narrowgate Beacon, back to the Nick, along footpath to Middle Tongue, down to the Trundale Gill. over wall and along the public foot path marked by wooden signs posts, festooned with footpath indication discs, but which isn't shown on any OS map (!), up to trig on Murton Pike, down to High Clints, and back to the carpark.

10.07 miles, 2278 feet, 2 hours 17 mins.

One dog walker near the carpark, but otherwise not a soul seen all the way around. Glorious views towards Lakes, Hows, Pennines north to Crossfell and south to Mallestang, and the vale of Eden laid out to the south, including Crosby Garrett fells.

Club night last night and i was in no state to do the mile rep session, so did the warmup and drills and went for a slow run with one of the girls who is coming back from injury.

8.5 easy miles, 4 easy miles AM.

I highly doubt i'll be any better for tomorrow night's hill reps... 50/50 whether i'll manage the parkrun/hill session on saturday, although i've been given permission to take the whole week easy if necessary.

Feeling good and raring to get back to hard work, but the legs just aren't going to let me at the moment until they've fully recovered from the weekend.

In other news the details of the World Masters Uphill course have been published. A straight 4 mile/3200ft from the Canfranc Valley up to a summit above the Col Du Somport at about 7500ft.

I've got a 1:25000 map of the area and it looks like a km of gentle ascent, then the rest of the way is zig-zagging up the steep "fell". I've managed to find a few pics and youtube videos, and the overlying vegetation is grassy, but the footpath is distinct, rather like something you'd find in the Lake District. Obviously the views from the top look absolutely stunning.

It does look very much like a course that will suit me (subject to my ability to handle any heat and altitude issues).

0.9 miles (according to Garmin) on long, soft, grass; the furthest I've run in over 4 years. I had a breakthrough moment a couple of weeks ago when running, (of sorts), on a tarmac path I met two walkers who refused to move a mm, so I ended up running on the grass - and it felt better.

We won't talk about the 8m 42s it took me, or the fact the strong shadows showed my technique is more like blatant cheating in a walking event rather than running. By the end I was pushing low 8min/mile pace on a slight incline on soft, long, grass.

Long way to go, but I'm slightly closer to it than I was.

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Originally Posted by Marco

0.9 miles (according to Garmin) on long, soft, grass; the furthest I've run in over 4 years. I had a breakthrough moment a couple of weeks ago when running, (of sorts), on a tarmac path I met two walkers who refused to move a mm, so I ended up running on the grass - and it felt better.

We won't talk about the 8m 42s it took me, or the fact the strong shadows showed my technique is more like blatant cheating in a walking event rather than running. By the end I was pushing low 8min/mile pace on a slight incline on soft, long, grass.

Long way to go, but I'm slightly closer to it than I was.

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Well done Marco.

When I run from home, which is most of the time, I have to start on tarmac - it is always a relief when I get to grass/mud/dirt - I know what you mean.

Today was scheduled as a parkrun followed by 8 x 150mtr hills.

However i still wasn't ready for that kind of pounding, so did a treadmill session instead.

Hour run, 10 mins steady uphill at 6%, followed by 5mins hard on the flat (x4).

The pace of the flat efforts started to tell on my bits that still haven't quite recovered from last week, so my final hard rep changed to an uphill rep at 8%, which was the hardest rep on my lungs, but the change in gradient allowed my legs a bit of comfort.

9.5 miles for the session.

With my race distances being shorter next year, a change in focus for my sunday long run is on the cards.

Looking to keep it around 1hr15-ish but at a higher pace, rather than going out and doing 2hrs+ but fairly relaxed pace. So today it started, albeit on the treadmill. As usual i started conservatively and wound it up, and by the final 15mins i was really moving, logging 9.5 miles.

Final score for the week 72 miles, not bad considering its been a recovery week really.

Next week is scheduled as an easy week, coming after what should've been a hard week just gone. Rolling track session on tuesday night, and thursday night a steady group run.... this week it will actually be a steady run as we've got the 2nd XC league fixture on saturday.

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Originally Posted by Mike T

Well done Marco.

When I run from home, which is most of the time, I have to start on tarmac - it is always a relief when I get to grass/mud/dirt - I know what you mean.

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Indeed. Well done, Marco!
Having to limit my runs through injury has meant most have been (soul-destroying) local pavement with a few parks thrown in. I have recently been able to run completely off-road again and what a difference even a few km can make.

Back to club training last night in the cold. In fact so cold that parts of the track were out-of-bounds as they had iced over (so much for our newly re-laid "all weather track"!)

This week is an "easy week", coming after last week's "hard" week,, of which i took very little part.

Session was 12 laps of the track, fast down the straights and jogging the bends. I don't like this session, the efforts are way too short and i always find myself isolated.... the quicker runners are far too sharp for me to keep up with. The slower runners treat it like a sprint session rather than a continuous endurace session, absolutely hammering the straights then barely above walking-pace on the bends, and i find myself alone in the middle.

10 miles in total, on top of 3 easy mles AM.

Still have some pain in the legs from Brampton-Carlisle 10 days ago.... despite doing a lot of training on the road/flat, the rigours of 10 hard road race miles was clearly a shock to the body.... if i'd done an hours fell race on a sunday i'd probably be back in full training within a few days.

1.02 miles (according to Garmin) around a grassy park, half of which was frozen solid (and very slippy), whilst the other half must have been in the sun as it was wet and very muddy (and also very slippy).

Amongst trying, successfully, to stay on my feet on the slippy terrain, there was a bit of dog dodging from over enthusiastic four-legged friends whose owners didn't have as much control over them as they should have had. I was reasonably happy with a time of 9m 54s, which comes out at 9m 42s/mile pace (according to Garmin). My calves feel battered now, but there's no other sign that I ran a mile.

Whilst other members may have their dilemmas, I have no doubt about my way ahead; rather than continue to build up my distance, I intend to get my speed up to below 8m/mile pace before extending it.