mr b's latest comeback

Quite a solid session tonight on CBD, good times well bunched with no fade at the session close, could have kept going.

7x 0.25m/110'. 1.54, 1.54, 1.51, 1.54, 1.54, 1.52, 1.53

On the sixth rep finish, an elderly gent making his way to his car asked me if i was alright; at the time i was bent double over a grit bin blowing out of everywhere. I told him about the benefits of interval legs in reps, he said he had suffered nine heart attacks and got a bit worried about how wrecked i sounded. That's a proper interval finish to a rep, sounding to passers by like you need an ambulance.

That is really good consistency....

We were supposed to be 10 x 400mtrs on the track tonight, but a combination of my cut foot, and seemingly coming down with a virus in the past 12hrs, means i had to mis out tonight (and probably have a less than 50/50 chance of making sunday's race)

I'm going for consistency now, not very fast times that fall off sharply. I felt a lot better than some recent sessions on this hill.

Our coach pushes consistency as the number one goal...

Long term consistency, ie regular weekly mileage and sessions.

Short term consistency, ie as you say above, consistent rep times.

3.5m/1210' today on that north Leeds delight- Otley Chevin. The route comprised of the first 3m of WNTTAC, which contains a key descent of about 700' on which i went too low through the ropeswings, though it occured to me i could drag unwanted chasers that way and cut back up on race day. I hit a bit of a wall with all the climb done and dropped to a walk, don't know if getting up late and skipping brekky was to blame for this?? Decided to loop back up and redo the descent line i cocked up. I went quite hard on the climb up to surprise view which may have had something to do with it, but if i start getting dropped on the day, i'll have to know what's possible.

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Originally Posted by mr brightside

I hit a bit of a wall with all the climb done and dropped to a walk, don't know if getting up late and skipping brekky was to blame for this??

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Possibly. We're all different, but my experience of running in the early mornings on an empty stomach was that I was fine for a bit, but after a certain distance it was as if the power switch was turned off and I was on half, or less, power. The distance before this happened depended on the speed, amount of climbing, and the temperature (when it was very cold the distance was shorter).

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Originally Posted by Marco

Possibly. We're all different, but my experience of running in the early mornings on an empty stomach was that I was fine for a bit, but after a certain distance it was as if the power switch was turned off and I was on half, or less, power. The distance before this happened depended on the speed, amount of climbing, and the temperature (when it was very cold the distance was shorter).

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Yeah, half power, not a bonk.

9m speed endurance yesterday, ACW loop of thruscross start/finish at swinsty carpark. This session felt quite strong yesterday, i think i ran quite fast because my toes hurt today. I don't think there is a lot more i can do to prepare for WNTTAC, just not get injured.

I think i may have spotted Graham B sat on the wall outside Chevin Cycles; it would have been around 12.30.

2x20 reps at 160kg on the inclined leg press this morning. First session with 2 sets instead of 1 to failure, will see how this goes, felt easyish.

Second session of the day this evening, rolling like travs just for one day. 1x3k, 11.09, pretty close to sub 11.

Nice, thats a decent time. I found that it takes a few races/time-trials to get down to something approaching pb form at those shorter distances. Now you "know the pace" i expect you could probably shave 20-30secs off that over a couple of months of practice.

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Originally Posted by Travs

Nice, thats a decent time. I found that it takes a few races/time-trials to get down to something approaching pb form at those shorter distances. Now you "know the pace" i expect you could probably shave 20-30secs off that over a couple of months of practice.

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A couple of months of practice? Don't think i've kept anything going that long, something gets in the way, normally injury. It's nice to get back to flat speed training though, my hamstring didn't give me any hassle so i can start dropping this session back in.

I did three 3000mtr track races over the space of about 6-8 weeks last summer...

Without really getting any fitter, i went from about 10:50 down to about 10:30, and it felt just a case of getting sharper at the distance.

Saturday, Coledale race, 9m/3000'; faded on the way up and off Barrow, but i'd gone quite hard up until then. Managed to keep overtaking once the climb was out of the way.

Sunday, 50m on the bike up to the craven arms and back. Dined on beef dripping chips this time, which left plenty of room for 3 pints of beer. The legs were suffering a bit after coledale. I may just rest all week this week ready for WNTTAC, i don't really want to carry this sore back into that.

Decided not to run this week and to let some niggles heal up, so 250 consecutive good form squats in the gym this morning. I remember when i could only manage 216 of these, i can do well over 300 now.

We need to talk about Chevin. 9m/2150' race done today, 1.17.10 so new pb and 22s faster than last year. Got a free pint of craven pale ale in the rubbardy after, it wasnt very pale and very strong to boot, but didnt taste too bad. Got my shopping done after and made a soup whilst listening to speed garage on LDC Radio.

7.5m with Horsforth harriers last night, a bit of light trail with a 1ml effort around Golden Acre park. Began the effort at 400m pace which was daft and had faded by the last 1/4ml. These steady outings always make my calves ache the next day.

Things have been interrupted by a nasty cold, but i managed to get bramley parkrun in yesterday before i fell too ill. 20.30 was the time, a standard post pandemic time. I decided to stay in today and sleep as much as i could. I tuned in for a 5h biblical marathon classic movie called, 'The Ten Commandments'. It starred Charlton Heston, upon whom the Simpsons character Troy Mclure is certainly based, and Jule Brynner. It was not without drama and the visual effects were very good for the era. There was the odd continuity error.

50m up to the craven arms yesterday, a wretched ride back in heavy rain, my chain will be stiff as a board by now.

Steady 5.5m with horsforth harriers last night, a bit wet and windy. Didnt sleep very well last night, the roof is off the house and it felt like spending the night on a tea clipper in the southern ocean. The builders said the storm was lifting the ridge beam off and dropping it back down again.

5k fartlek tonight, it was one of those sessions where you feel slow and where everything is 10% harder work. I don't know what the issue was, but it wasn't a good session. I'm still pretty bunged up from my cold, though.

Another awful parkrun, 21.00, felt burnt out all the way round. Then on the way back someone shunted the car and has probably done enough to write it off. I don't like being alive any more.

7.5m/1450' on craven moor today, it was quite warm. I wasn't feeling that good, but decided to throw in a short tour of troller's gill at the end of the run, thus adding 2m/750'. My legs were pretty shot by the end of that, just trying to keep the climb going in case i get an entry for fairfield. There were some hippy climber types in the gill, they had set up a rather long slackline between two crags and were clowning about. I had tea, cake and homemade meatballs in the parcevall hall cafe today, it's a very good cafe.

30 reps of 160kg on the inclined leg press this morning, getting back to this after a bit of a rest.

5k fartlek tonight, first vest run of the year, a very warm evening. Felt a lot better than last time, i was getting the air in a bit better, ive been bringing up phlegm all week.

New route from Skyreholme today taking in High Crag, then a loop of the Craven Moor mining areas which was mostly a steady tussock bash. The first industrial feature was a ruined old 2 storey building close to Jamie Shaft, far too posh to be a smithy so most likely the lessee's headquarters. On through a maze of tips and bell pits up to the road where i was cheered on by some young people sitting around having a brew. Over the road i found an open shaft on the end of North Rake Vein which had been blocked further below. I followed the mass of tips and hushes of North Rake and summited Nussey Knot, then returning to Troller's Gill by High Crag. I threw in the short tour of Troller's Gill at the end which added 2m/750', the gorge was running again so it was a paddle all the way up. Weather was quite nice despite a bad forecast. I had tea and a pea soup in the Parcevall Hall cafe, an establishment that seems to be a well kept secret as i have never seen any bikes parked up outside and the food is very good indeed.

7m/1320' with 2m/750' tacked on the end

Attachment 8906

I've come to realise that i don't actually have any goals at the moment and i'm not preparing for anything as such; just running around eating pea soup and drinking tea. Probably won't get in for Fairfield.

I can't work like that.... need a focus to aim at... already planning for 2024.

I guess you've got to look at it that you can put in a big block of training and go into your next target in good shape.

I was dreading this year a little, racing less, but have found it refreshing to shift focus a little and concentrate solely on training for several weeks at a time.

5.8m with horsforth harriers tonight, zone 2 pace up to The Billing where we met some cows.

Bit of work on the inclined leg press this morning, 30 reps 160kg.

Might have a run at Coiners on monday, or maybe not as i'm enjoying the freedom of expression that just running about and exploring hitherto unseen areas brings. I've identified several footpaths on Greenhow Hill that i've never travelled before.

5k fartlek tonight, it was one of those rare sessions where your legs feel half the weight, shame i never bounce up at parkrun that way. I've decided a bofra season might be the way to find something to shoot for, it's been far too long.

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Originally Posted by mr brightside

5k fartlek tonight, it was one of those rare sessions where your legs feel half the weight, shame i never bounce up at parkrun that way. I've decided a bofra season might be the way to find something to shoot for, it's been far too long.

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BOFRA is another option for me for 2024.

Two extremes....

Either marathon then into Lakeland Classics Trophy

Or concentrate a bit more on speed and go for BOFRA and a few 1500mtr track races.

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Originally Posted by Travs

BOFRA is another option for me for 2024.

Two extremes....

Either marathon then into Lakeland Classics Trophy

Or concentrate a bit more on speed and go for BOFRA and a few 1500mtr track races.

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Bofra will improve your descending, bit by bit.

Bramley parkrun this morning, 20.18. The time shouter was in a different spot which confused me a bit, but it was a warm vest only morning and i felt ok. I'm doing coiners on monday, my post-pandemic PB is 59.24 so i'll have that one in my sights, i remember how much i struggled with fatigue last year.

Nice one.... i'd struggle doing a fell race 48hrs after a hard 5km race/effort.

Coiners race today, 6.8m/1000', 57.50. I started quite briskly and may have paid for it after the pike, but it was very wet so that has to be accounted for. Post-pandemic pb anyway.

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Originally Posted by mr brightside

Bofra will improve your descending, bit by bit.

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But the LCT will improve your strength, navigation, stature in the fell running community and self esteem.

Possibly I am biased but when I look at the list of men who have won the LCT and see Jonny Bland, Rob Jebb, Scoffer (3 times), Lloyd Taggart, Rickie Lightfoot, Pete Vale, Simon Booth, Ben Abdelnoor, Rhys Findlay-Robinson, Carl Bell, Finlay Wild,...maybe not.:)

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Originally Posted by Graham Breeze

But the LCT will improve your strength, navigation, stature in the fell running community and self esteem.

Possibly I am biased but when I look at the list of men who have won the LCT and see Jonny Bland, Rob Jebb, Scoffer (3 times), Lloyd Taggart, Rickie Lightfoot, Pete Vale, Simon Booth, Ben Abdelnoor, Rhys Findlay-Robinson, Carl Bell, Finlay Wild,...maybe not.:)

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Stature? Well now i'm famous for going the wrong way i won't need any more of that.

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Originally Posted by Travs

Nice one.... i'd struggle doing a fell race 48hrs after a hard 5km race/effort.

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Why is that?

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Originally Posted by mr brightside

Why is that?

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Well i could.... but the 2nd one wouldn't be at my best... i still occasionally double-up when necessary... last year i did Snowdon Uphill on the friday night and Holyhead Mountain on the saturday afternoon..... and also a Sat/Sun National Road Relay/Llangollen Fell Race double.

But not if i'm trying to optimise performance, its just too close together for me.

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Originally Posted by Travs

Well i could.... but the 2nd one wouldn't be at my best... i still occasionally double-up when necessary... last year i did Snowdon Uphill on the friday night and Holyhead Mountain on the saturday afternoon..... and also a Sat/Sun National Road Relay/Llangollen Fell Race double.

But not if i'm trying to optimise performance, its just too close together for me.

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So how much rest do you need before a race? I was planning to do parkrun on saturday then the Cookridge 10k on sunday this weekend; i'd expect to be fresh for the 10k.