Today's Training

Another escape from Teesdale into lovely Cumbria.

Orton fellrace route plus.

10.22 miles 1477 ft ascent, 1 hr 58 mins.

From Orton to join the fellrace route, and then through the meadows. The dairy herds are out and stampeding away from my ugly presence. I had to stroll at one spot as they'd panic off and herded near the gate, and were getting agitated, and likely to push a wall down. Drama over, the route passes near to the stone circle, then up onto the 'open' fell, to the trig, down to the reservoir, and up to the Monument, before...

... detouring off, North-East, following the intake wall to Linglow Hill, meandering back across skylark serenaded Gaythorn Plain, to the Monument again, to rejoin the race route, and then the speedier route back down to the village through the meadows.

So much drier than when I ran the route the other week and compared to the North Pennines. Odd not to see many folk around the village, on a Friday as this is usually a popular spot, offering ice-creams, hand-made chocs, and a couple of cafes.

Time to ditch the mudclaws if this weather holds.

Another escape from Teesdale into lovely Cumbria.

Orton fellrace route plus.

10.22 miles 1477 ft ascent, 1 hr 58 mins.

From Orton to join the fellrace route, and then through the meadows. The dairy herds are out and stampeding away from my ugly presence. I had to stroll at one spot as they'd panic off and herded near the gate, and were getting agitated, and likely to push a wall down. Drama over, the route passes near to the stone circle, then up onto the 'open' fell, to the trig, down to the reservoir, and up to the Monument, before...

... detouring off, North-East, following the intake wall to Linglow Hill, meandering back across skylark serenaded Gaythorn Plain, to the Monument again, to rejoin the race route, and then the speedier route back down to the village through the meadows.

So much drier than when I ran the route the other week and compared to the North Pennines. Odd not to see many folk around the village, on a Friday as this is usually a popular spot, offering ice-creams, hand-made chocs, and a couple of cafes.

Time to ditch the mudclaws if this weather holds.

A jaunt across to Church Stretton for more hill reps on the Lawley.

Last time i managed 4 reps between 8:39 - 8:45

I felt good warming up, but how would i fare in the heat... and carrying a litre of water.

8:21

This first rep felt surprisingly easy and i didn't feel that i had pushed too hard.

8:33
8:39

Suffering in the heat. Did i go too hard on the first one, or is it just the heat making things difficult.

8:37

Debating whether to even start the 4th rep, i threw everything i had at it, would have liked to take more than a couple of seconds off, but it was full effort as evidenced by my slump against the summit pole (much to the amusement of the walkers in attendance)

It was a sorry trudge indeed for the three miles back to the car, down off the Lawley, over Caradoc, and back into Stretton.

Average those reps out and its about 10 seconds quicker than last time, which i'm very pleased with considering the prevailing conditions.

11.5 miles.

Bread-and-butter 40 minute continuous treadmill hill session this morning.

Struggled a little compared to last time... got to about 30mins and had to have a few mins power-walking, before pulling myself together for a final 5mins back running up the full gradient.

Thats not to say it was a bad session... its bloody hard even on a good day...

10 miles for the session, and 3 miles easy this evening, brings the week to an end with 61.5 miles.

Next week is my last full week of traiing before the Welsh 1000.... so club night tuesday, treadmill hill reps thursday, and repeat this morning's session either saturday/sunday.

Welsh 1000 is less than a fortnight away... although i'm doing the short course, at (hopefully) very close to 2hrs, its still going to be a bit over-distance for me with what i'm currently training for.... that said i'm still very much hoping to challenge at the front of the overall race.

Club night tonight, and i think my best ever session.

3 x 1 mile.

Fastest i've ever done any single mile rep is 5:19, and i was expecting to be in the 5:30's, perhaps the mid-5:20's if it went really well.

5:22
5:16
5:17 (this last rep was made even more difficult because the quicker guys, who had all done multiple races in the track league at the weekend, all dropped out after two, leaving me front-running the final rep with nobody to chase).

Really pleased with that effort. I guess the big hill sessions are having a positive effect, and when i turn up to club nights and show that kind of improvement (plus the better times i've been doing on the track recently), it justifies my decision to only do one club session per week.

10.5 miles for the session, plus 4 easy miles this morning.

Riding the crest of a wave, its tempting to go to the track session on thursday, but must remain focused... so its hill reps on the treadmill thursday, and a continuous hill session again on sunday.

8 x 3 minute treadmill hill reps.

Had a decent rest period of 4 minutes.... was more interested in getting good quality reps than totally emptying the tank.... i'll do that at the weekend on the continuous session... that said, the soaking state of my vest afterwards pointed towards it still being a tough one.

Fairly pleased with it... legs still a bit sore from tuesday, but can't expect to go into every session totally fresh.

10 miles, plus 4 easy miles this morning.

Last nights RATRun was from The Grouse Inn at Froggatt. It was cool, windy and drizzly as the four of us set off up to and along White Edge to the TP. Over the moor via Swine Sty to Barbrook. Across the B6054 at Saltersitch Bridge and up Flask Edge to the Totley Moor TP. Over Totley Moss passing the air shaft of Totley Tunnel and into the Longshaw Estate.

As we dropped down the steps above Little Johns Well we encountered at least 60 people spread across the junction of the footpath and bridleway ahead. By the time we were amongst them we realised that there was some sort of film being shot and we had ruined a take. Judging by the clothing being worn it was some sort of period drama being filmed. We didn't hang around and continued through the estate to the top of Yarncliff Wood, on to Tumbling Hill and through Hay Wood back up to the Grouse.

A lovely evening and apart from a couple of bogs it was perfect underfoot after the recent rain. Just over 9 miles, 1,100 feet in a very steady 1hr 33mins. We were too late for chips so Pipers crisps were washed down with Farmers Blonde 4% from Bradfield Brewery and Marstons Pedigree 4.5%. Neither were up to much which wasn't surprising for Marstons as it is brewed by Carlsberg!

After staying up late last night (well, late by my standards, ie past 11pm) to watch the Diamond League/Prefontaine Classic Mile...... which saw the women's 10,000mtr world record obliterated, and Josh Kerr break Steve Cram's British Mile record.... i just didn't feel fresh enough to attempt my hill session.

So instead i decided on an hour progressive run.... although i did put in a decent 15 minute effort towards the end.

This bought the week to a close with a respectable 78 miles.

Next week.... well its a bank holiday tomorrow so i'll stack up some miles with a long AM run.... tuesday club session... then its easy going before the Welsh 1000 Metres (short) on saturday. Hoping to feature at the front end, although there's 7 or 8 under-40's who i don't recognise, so i'd imagine at least a couple of them are likely to be decent. I think a good target for me will be an overall podium position, and hopefully 1st v40.... although i'd swap all of that for getting close to or under 2hrs.

Club night.

3 x 1 km with 4 minute rests.

A mixture of road and some twisty-turny gravel/path.... i don't think i've ever gone below about 3:23 or 3:24 on this particular rep, and on the track my best km in a session is 3:18..... could i do some damage to any of these targets tonight...?

3:13
3:12
3:13

Another very pleasing flat session. After stacking up the miles over the bank holiday, i wasn't feeling particularly fresh in the legs.... was hoping for 3:20's or thereabouts, so was astounded to hear the time on the first rep.... i knew i had the legs to match that for the 2nd rep, but i was really hanging on for the 3rd.

Due to going off on a handicap, i had 10 seconds head start on the fastest guys (who were going a shade under 2:50 by the end).... but this meant i was not a million miles behind them, and one or two who were struggling, i was able to latch onto them as they came past, which really helped.

I've also been put back 5 seconds behind my usual start group.... but due to my spirited running tonight, i'd caught up that 5 seconds within the first 400 metres.

Session was finished off with 5 x 30mtr "flying efforts".... as opposed to a sprint from a standing start, you have a run-up and hit the start of the effort already at full speed. These were most unpleasant.

9.5 miles on top of 3 very easy miles AM.

Hard work done now until saturday's race. Will recce the first section from Ogwen, over Glyder Fawr and down to Pen-y-Pass on friday..... despite covering this area many times on both the Welsh 1000 and Peris, i always seem to make a pig's ear of the descent to P-y-P, and i really need to nail my line onto the Gribin ridge up on to Glyder Fawr.

Looking at my splits from last time, i was 40mins at Glyder Fawr, 1hr05 at P-y-P, 1hr59 at Ugain, and 2hr07 at the finish.... if i hope to take any time off this (which i expect i'll need to if i want any outside chance of winning), i need to make it up on the first couple of splits.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Travs

Hard work done now until saturday's race. Will recce the first section from Ogwen, over Glyder Fawr and down to Pen-y-Pass on friday..... despite covering this area many times on both the Welsh 1000 and Peris, i always seem to make a pig's ear of the descent to P-y-P, and i really need to nail my line onto the Gribin ridge up on to Glyder Fawr.

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I challenge you to take longer than the 39m31s that I took to descend from Glyder Fawr to Pen-y-Pass at the half Peris in 2017. :rolleyes:

Is there no way to switch off autocorrect? :mad: "Glider Fair", "Half Peril" [OK, the latter one is quite appropriate.]