If I was Triathlon training today was my brick session.
45min bike
35min swim
35min run with one 450ft climb
Need a couple of beers now to celebrate 🍺👍
Printable View
If I was Triathlon training today was my brick session.
45min bike
35min swim
35min run with one 450ft climb
Need a couple of beers now to celebrate 🍺👍
Club night tonight. Determined to keep it steady before saturday's race. Four of us, of similar ability, went out on the longer run.
Found it hard to run steadily when the other guys were shooting off in front, but managed to keep my discipline until about 3 miles from the end when I turned a corner and saw one of the guys about 300m in front, and decided to put in a spurt and chase him down.
11 miles.
Looking forward to racing at Rhobell Fawr on Saturday. This will be a new type of race for me... my first ever "up and down" a single mountain. Albeit 6 miles.
Obviously I always give it my all at races, but usually just go out and see what happens. But on Saturday I'm determined to go on the attack, see what I can do on the way up, hopefully get in amongst it, and see if I can get in a decent position and then be spurred on to hold it together on the way down.
Good Luck tomorrow Travs. I'm sure you will enjoy Rhobell Fawr. A very runnable race with great varied ground underfoot. A short section of loose/chossy track might be tricky on the descent if icy, but at least you'll be able to have a good look at it on the way up!
I did a recce last month and was really looking forward to the race but,disappointingly, due to a combination of injury,illness and bereavement will not be on the start line.
I look forward to a report!
After racing yesterday, and picking up a heavy bang on my knee, I was hesitant about training this morning. But heavy bruising is not a muscular or joint injury, so I figured it won't get any worse with a little run out, so knocked out a decent treadmill session.
2 hours, 11 miles, 5000ft
Did push the climb a little towards the end as was chasing the 5000ft target. Brings the weekly total to 46 miles, 11500ft.
Next weekend looking very tough with the first league XC on Saturday, and the always-tough Roaches on Sunday. Will hopefully get in a quality session on Tuesday, but other than that I expect I'll just be keeping things steady.
A brisk 10k with the hound this morning over a rather misty and murky Clent Hills. Aggravated my ITB last weekend doing a trail race in Dorset so this was more of a tester than proper training. Seems a week of leisurely walking, stretching and foam roller have done the trick with just some slight soreness remaining. Another trail race next weekend and then the Wrekin Wrecker to follow.
See you at the Wrekin Wrecker PeteS.....!
Hopefully I'll make it though it's going to be a slow one for me this year. My legs are feeling like the end of a long cycling season - tight in all the wrong places! Hopefully, a winter of focusing on running will put them back in good fell shape. Well that's the plan anyway.... 🙄
Club night tonight, and a hill session. Various short reps, never more than 250m in length, up a hill with maximum 9-10% gradient.
Felt slightly heavy-legged, I guess a result of racing Saturday then a long session Sunday, but ran well. Felt I'd gone out too fast as I soon started to pull away from guys who I can't live with usually, but I continued to pull away throughout, so maybe just had a goodun'
8 miles, of which 2.5 miles were hard effort.
Will be my only hard session of the week, with xc Saturday and Roaches Sunday. My heart has been telling me to get over to Church Stretton on Thursday evening for a brand new AS night race. But after tonight, my head is telling me to stay away and keep things steady before the weekend. One or two team-mates have thrown down the gauntlet for the xc so I'm looking for a good performance. God help me on Sunday at the Roaches... hopefully I'll have improved enough since 2016 to still be able to slog out a pb.
Club night, and a steady 9.5 miles around the mean streets of western Cov.
I recall doing this same route almost exactly a year ago, and how 4 of us went out, and in traditional old-school style, tried to run each other into the ground.
This time I took it very steady, averaging 7:20/mile. A lot less fun, but the sensible option considering a big weekend coming up.
My plan is to take the Roaches on Sunday as a "training run". But however tired I feel on the start line, let's face it there's only one way to race, so I fully expect my plan to unravel quite quickly.
First run for 7 days, due to concerns that my latest Achilles tendon injury hadn't fully healed. Turned onto the bridleway up to the Outwoods (less than a quarter mile from home), and saw a figure in an orange T-shirt running up ahead. Game on. The path has some bends and high hedges, so lost sight of him. But by the end of the flatter section halfway up the path, I knew that I was close enough to pass him on the final steeper section. Soon came past; it was a bloke slightly younger than me (M50 or M55).
Got to the top end of the Outwoods in 11m15s, faster than I have done for quite a long time (but I remember the days when "par" for this was 10 minutes). Maintained a good pace for the rest of the run (35 minutes altogether). And the Achilles tendon was fine.
Club night tonight. After xc and the Roaches at the weekend, I'd considered giving it a miss, but thought I'd give it my all and then keep it steady for the rest of the week.
4 x 200m, 4 x 400m, 4 x 200m, all off 90secs rest.
5 mins rest.
Repeat session again with 60secs rest.
After starting steadily, I felt pretty decent. Was running well up to the 2nd 400m on the 2nd set, and halfway through the rep I just lost it and couldn't push it any more. Lost about 300 metres over the remainder of the session to the guy I was shadowing (a guy I'd usually be ahead of anyway). I knew things were looking bleak, as I was struggling to cover the 100 metres "active recovery" (I.e a walk/jog) in the allotted 60secs recovery time!
So definitely need to keep it steady before the Wrekin Wrecker on Sunday, a very tough outing which needs fresh legs if I'm to be getting a pb.
7.5 miles today, of which about 3 miles can be considered good hard effort.
9.5 miles around the roads of south-west Cov. Generally took it steady, after tuesday's debacle, and the Wrekin Wrecker looming on Sunday.
Pushed on a bit in the second half, but never really stressed myself at all tonight. Will put in a decent hill session tomorrow, then all guns blazing for Sunday.
Stag do in Edinburgh. Naked royal mile at 3am this morning. One off the bucket list.
Strava?
That's fast, even allowing for it being downhill. The advantages of not being weighed down with clothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by ba-ba
...and it only being 1.5km
Were you wearing a buff?
A steady start to the week, no club session tonight, as felt a little worn down from the hectic recent racing schedule. So kept it steady so far this week (although done 5000ft climb already and it's only Tuesday!)
Really having to think about not wearing myself down in training between now and xmas, as got to run two legs in the Lee Mill Relay on Sunday, then two ultras in December (Cheviot Goat & Tour de Helvellyn).
I don't use any strava etc to record my training, preferring good old pen and paper, and record my mileage and climb in ten week blocks. Over the last ten weeks averaged 39.5 miles and 10500ft. Which means I've now got 20 solid weeks of my target of approx 40 miles/10000ft (it would be 30 solid weeks but for a bit of a slowdown earlier in the year due to various niggles). Hopefully a good base to build on, as got some interesting long-distance targets for next year (at the moment the BGR is not one of them, it just doesn't massively appeal to me at the moment, although I'm sure at one point in the future I'll give it a go). Currently looking at a solo bash at the Leventon Line in May, and Tenerife in June for the Bluetrail Ultra. Also looking at something potentially early August but I'll keep that under my hat for now.
It is quite a challenge to stay rested and fresh-legged enough for the XC and shorter Fell races, whilst still getting the weekly mileage in to give me a base for longer distance challenges.
Do you really manage to get that much ascent in on a treadmill ?
Sure do. I'm well aware that it's not the same as being on the fells, but it's constant hard work, and measurable.
On a constantly uphill session, looking at around 3000ft/hr on a hard treadmill session. On an interval session like last night i manged just over 3000ft in 90mins. On a stair-climber session can push out around 4000ft in a steady hour.
It isn't interesting, but it's hot, hard work, and has certainly helped me improve (along with club sessions trying to chase faster runners!)
How do you measure it mate ?
Spen… the treadmill gives you a reading in metres, which i convert into feet. I generally round it down a bit to allow for the potential ease of using a treadmill compared to being on the fells.
Everyone knows the arguments for real running as opposed to treadmill running, and i suppose those arguments also apply to ascent. But in my location it's the best training i can get. And i'd bet not many people are doing 3-4000ft continuous climbs, even if they are regularly training in the fells!
The big advantage i can see is that it's regular, constant, and you either keep up or fall off (or reduce the pace of the treadmill, which being a physical and mental decision and movement, is a lot more of a deterrent than simply slowing down on the fells).
Incidentally i acquired a new pair of road shoes yesterday (Inov8 Roadclaw). My first real pair of lightweight road-specific shoes, as i generally just run in trail shoes everywhere.
Very lightweight, like wearing slippers. Having spent the best part of a year sorting out some mild achilles problems, i'm not in too much of a rush to do anything to set things back. So i think they will be kept for track sessions and parkruns (which was the intention).
I'd suggest trail shoes could be a harbinger of achilles issues. Most of them have not much drop (6mm or under). For bog standard road/trail plodding I find this 'low'a drop can aggravate the Achilles and so I prefer to use 10mm where possible - or stick a bit of insole under the heel to add a couple of ml.
Thanks for the suggestion ba-ba.
In fact the trail shoes I use for "day to day" training (La Sportiva Ultra Raptor) are 9mm drop and quite considerably well-supporting for trail shoes. I chose them over my previous choice (La Sportiva Bushidos) which are fantastic shoes, but as you rightly say, not enough drop or support for me. I believe that my previous shoe choice, combined with increased mileage, were the contributors to my Achilles issues.
Thankfully now a change to more support, and plenty of ice and massage, seems to have cured it.
In fact the road shoes I've just bought appear to be less cushioned, and a lower drop, than the trail shoes! Certainly feel like they'll be good for fast and short stuff, track sessions, etc. They are considerably lighter in the hand than my trail shoes, and comparable to my Fell shoes.
Stair-climber session tonight, 3550ft in 50 mins, followed by a murderous few sets of squats.
Had a wonderful Saturday afternoon out, around 15 miles and about 2000ft... out of Hebden Bridge, through Heptonstall and a out onto the Pennine Way... am I the only person who gets a buzz as soon as I hit the Pennine Way, feeling like I'm running in the footsteps of history, always helps me quicken the pace...
Over Heptonstall Moor, and down into Todmorden. Had intended to go up onto Stoodley Pike, but the onset of darkness meant I had to run the road from Todmorden to Hebden Bridge.
Only knowing the area from the times I've done the Haworth Hobble, I was heavily reliant on the map, and did find myself following rights of way which weren't always entirely clear on the ground, but nothing too serious. Was a fantastic afternoon and barely saw a soul between Heptonstall and Todmorden...
A virus that seriously curtailed my performance at last weekend's Lee Mill Relays, and left me unable to even to go into work for most of the week, meant I was scanning the forum archives for the "Today's Vomiting" thread rather than this one...
But managed a steady 15 miles and 5000ft over the last couple of days. Not feeling in any shape to attempt the Cheviot Goat, so not even travelling up. But if I have a good nights sleep I may well have a shot at the XC League fixture tomorrow.
After a very testing XC course yesterday I did a decent 2 hour treadmill session this morning.... 11 miles and 4750ft, bringing the weekly total up to a slightly more respectable 32 miles and 10,150ft... not bad for a week which didn't start until Thursday.
I'll surely make up for it over the next couple of weeks. Next weekend got a long weekend in the lakes Wainwright-bagging, looking like a couple of big days out trying to complete the northern and north-western books. Then the following weekend the Tour de Helvellyn.
Day off work tomorrow so will try and get the new week off to a solid start with two sessions.
Back to the club tonight.
A very steady 10 miles round the roads of western Coventry. A low turnout tonight, only 4 of us, of which two of us took the "long" option.
Off to the lakes tomorrow lunchtime. Hopefully get a headtorcher in tomorrow evening, and a couple of good days out over the weekend. All good miles in the bank before Tour De Helvellyn the following weekend.
Despite the efforts of various Keswick shopkeepers to advise me otherwise, I embarked on a headtorcher this evening in poor conditions.
Set off up the track round Latrigg, through the car park and onto Jenkin Hill. Near the top of Jenkin hill I left the main path and veered over towards Lonscale Fell, ticking off another Wainwright. My plan had then been to stop for a quick drink before carrying on down the Burnt Horse ridge and down to the Skiddaw House track back to Keswick. However the conditions were far from pleasant on Lonscale Fell so I turned south, directly into the weather, and made a rapid descent down the front of the Fell, and back towards the car park.
The forecast biblical winds and rain didn't materialise, but it was windy enough to make running up Jenkin Hill seem easy, and the rain/hail/sleet on Lonscale was quite formidable.
A steady 8 miles 2900ft.
Bigger run out planned for tomorrow, hopefully completing the northern fells.
Walshes for Parkrun! Well, I wasn't taking any risks after the recent rain. Still had to take it easy on the hairpin bend onto the canal towpath; if you misjudge that one, it's Parkswim!
22nd position in 22 minutes and 23 seconds. If only I had been one second faster! My slowest time, but my highest position, of my 4 parkruns so far.
I was accompanied by the young and the old. For most of the first half of the course, I was locked in a battle with a little lad wearing a hoodie bearing the logo of the Leicestershire and Rutland Primary Schools Cross-Country League. He finished 11 seconds behind me and is on the results as a JM10 although, contrary to the rules, he wasn't accompanied by a parent or guardian. There's a VM45 with the same surname about a minute and a half behind. Clearly Dad couldn't keep up.
At about 3.5km I was passed by a wizened old bloke who then proceeded to pass several other runners. But he is down on the results as "Unknown", so I retain my record of being unbeaten in the VM60 class at Parkrun.
The first woman was a VW55, just 9 seconds behind me. Then I saw her with her bike, which was parked near mine. But she had cycled 10 miles to the venue, as opposed to my 3 miles.
Good running Anthony...
Big day on the northern fells today. Weather veered between standard winter fayre, and dangerously cold and windy on Souther Fell, High Pike and Skiddaw...
Started from Mungrisdale, straight up Souther Fell into a torrid wind, I decided then against going over Scales Fell and Blencathra, and dropping down onto Mungrisdale Common. Instead stayed in the valley (which in the event was a massive wind-tunnel and probably no warmer), and contoured round to Mungrisdale Common.
From there, fairly standard, if arduous, onto Bannerdale Crags and Bowscale Fell. Then dropped down to cross the river Calder, and direct up onto Carrock Pike. The wind had been ferocious all day, and now I turned into the full force for the homeward leg. Around to High Pike, then a long and tiresome battle around Lingy Hill, Knott and Little Calva, and up onto Bakestall. Returned to Keswick over Skiddaw (which saw the most extreme of the temperatures and wind). Had intended to take the Carl Side descent, but weather conditions and approaching darkness meant it was just a case of get down in one piece, so elected for the tourist path.
25 miles and around 6000ft. That's the Northern Fells completed. hopefully tomorrow will make a serious dent into the north-western fells.
A steady day out over the north-western fells today.... Stair-Causey Pike-Scar Cags-Sail-Eel crags-Wandope-Whiteless Pike-Rannerdale Knotts-Buttermere-Robinson-Hindscarth.
16 miles and about 5600ft.
I'm just reading Steve Birkinshaw's There is no map in hell. I'm glad to see that you are training for your attempt at his Wainwrights record. Or are you planning the first continuous Winter traverse of the Wainwrights?
Great book and very inspirational. Recommend buying the DVD if you've not seen it and his post run blogs are very enlightening.
Read the book a while back during a holiday in the lakes. Had plenty of time on my hands due to injuries enforcing a layoff from running (dog not me for once!)
Nice one. One of my favourite routes though the return via Knott Rigg and Ards Crags is just as good (and of course the Buttermere Sailbeck fell race.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
Anthony I was 'doing' The Wainwrights long before I got into Fell Running. Was making good progress, but once my trips up here all started to revolve around races things slowed down. This has been a solid weekend though, and I've now got 39 left to complete.
Probably won't go for the record anytime soon though unfortunately.
PeteS yes it was a lovely route yesterday, helped by the weather. A lot more natural than saturday's convoluted expedition. All was going well yesterday, a steady run out, until I spied another runner following me up Robinson. As I was dithering about on Littledale Edge he descended past me at speed, and said hello.... that was it, Race Mode Engaged. I shot after him up Hindscarth, catching him halfway up the climb, and after a hello and polite enquiry what he was up to, stretched out and left him behind. Sped off over the top and out of sight before slowing down and nearly collapsing from the effort!
Hopefully your 39 are nothing like the few I have left to do. Admittedly I have never set out with the intent to tick them all off but I think I have done at least 90% of each of the books. The ones I have left are spread all over the place and not easy to link them all up. For example, although I have driven past it numerous times, I have never got round to doing Binsey. Likewise Great Mell Fell, Fellbarrow - you get the gist.Quote:
Originally Posted by Travs
Yes its similar for me PeteS... they are all over the place.
Ticked another one off this morning. Stone Arthur from near Grasmere. As it was a short outing, I took it as close to race pace as I could, running most of the climb. 2.5 miles 1400ft.
Helped by the weekend's Lakes trip, managed 75 miles and 19000ft last week. Tour De Helvellyn next weekend so one hard club session tomorrow and the rest will be steady as she goes.