Today's Training

A little late but out of contact for a while last week. 3 good but not overly long runs in the Southern Highlands over a long weekend. Weather generally appalling with gusts up to 70 mph and a wind chill factor of up to minus 20 on the tops. Day 1 easy run up and down Scheihallion. day 2 14 miles to achieve just one summit. that of An Stuc. So much unconsolidated snow and winds to knock you off your feet I didn't really run other than the 5 mile approach and 5 mile return along forestry commission tracks from Tombeck. so cold that at one point whilst messing around with my micro spikes I got seriously cold hands and couldn't do up the buckles on my pack afterwards. Weather was severe and stopped any hoped for ridge running to connect to other munros.
Day 3 sunshine but coldest yet and wind that knocked me over on several occasions. Summitted Ben Lawers, but man, was it cold! Quick escape on Sunday due to snow settling at lower levels and a hair raising drive as far as Stirling. Good trip with 4 new summits and about 30 miles and just shy of 11000 feet.

I'll add my meagre endeavours - my first ever road run. As mentioned over in the Beginners thread, I have barely started running and it's been a war of attrition as I force my joints and tendons to adapt, finally coming off the rails with sore tendons in my left knee. Physio prescribed me some exercises and cleared me to run on the flat.
So off I wobbled, 5km in and I was actually enjoying it, knee felt okay(ish) and ignoring orders I turned off the road up a steep concrete climb. Felt the knee then, but on descending again, running was impossible and down I limped.
It's the descending which I think has taken its toll on the knee (tendons on the front). I am always 'braking', miles slower than anyone else, but unable to go faster on weak ankles. In a recent race I passed plenty of much better runners on the first climb, only to go backwards as the gradient evened off and I found myself in an off-camber rut - hobbling along it barely above walking pace.
Someone said it takes a year or so before the tendons acclimatise, so digging in for the long run.

Ducked out of last night's club session, feeling the strain from a couple of hard sessions earlier in the week, and keen to get a full day of rest before this weekend.

Tonight did a fairly hard 6 miles/2500ft.... tomorrow a few easy miles, ready for the Stretton Champs race on Sunday.

Hoping for a pb Champs placing, ideally breaking into top 150. Although a scan through the entry list shows at least 80 names which I simply will never compete with... which means I need to try and finish in the top 25% of the remaining 300 or so starters...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Travs

Ducked out of last night's club session, feeling the strain from a couple of hard sessions earlier in the week, and keen to get a full day of rest before this weekend.

Tonight did a fairly hard 6 miles/2500ft.... tomorrow a few easy miles, ready for the Stretton Champs race on Sunday.

Hoping for a pb Champs placing, ideally breaking into top 150. Although a scan through the entry list shows at least 80 names which I simply will never compete with... which means I need to try and finish in the top 25% of the remaining 300 or so starters...

---

So how did you fair Travs? Hope you reached your goals.

In terms of my target, was mission well and truly failed today! I'll post more in the race thread itself, but I was thereabouts up until the final cp, then poor route choice appears to have cost me about 3mins.... (which equals a lot of places in a short Champs race!)

I was looking out for you on the live results as they came in Travs but once the first 100 were in and you were not amongst them I suspected that you had had some sort of snag. Never mind, onwards and upwards and I'm sure The Howgills will be more your cup of tea.

It'll be a long time before I make the top 100 in a Champs race... but top 150 is certainly there for the taking.

A really good club session tonight.

Road session.... 8 x 800m, starting with 2mins rest, which decreased by 10secs each rep.

The first two reps were at about 6:05/mile pace, then a noticeable increase in pace to around 5:40/mile pace, which I managed to sustain right through the session (despite really suffering on the final two reps).

Managed to stay with a couple of guys who usually pull away from me in training (although in the competitive heat of the xc races I usually get the upper hand)..... so it was good confidence to be able to stay with them, and even push the pace and make them uncomfortable on a couple of occasions.

A very hot and sweaty stairclimber session.... 1 hour, 4250ft.

A beautiful morning out enjoying the sun on the Shropshire hills. Basically did the Stretton 6 summits route with an excursion on to Minton Batch. About 14km and 1000m ascent though at a rather leisurely pace.

Nice one PeteS that sounds like a good session.

I clocked up 38.5miles/9550ft last week, which considering i had a rest day, and two 'short' races over the weekend, wasn't too bad.

However the next fortnight for me is perhaps the most critical of the entire year. Lakes Mountain 42 on Saturday, and Coventry Way Ultra the following weekend. These need to go reasonably well if i'm to be on track for the rest of the year.

Same situation last year. The LM42 was shortened, and i had to retire the Cov Way after 31 miles... should have shown up an issue in my long distance ambitions.

I realised the other week that due to a combination of injuries, race clashes, dnf's, dns's, and bad-weather shortenings, i don't think I've actually completed an ultra-distance race since the 10 Peaks in 2017. I'm undoubtedly a stronger runner now than i was then, but that fact alone is cause for alarm when my long-distance plans are full steam ahead.

With that in mind, training will be quite steady for a couple of weeks (although do hope to put in a decent shift in tomorrow's club session).

Easy 10k recovery today, mixed road and trail after yesterday's shenanigans, 30k trail which I had entered with the objective of not DNFing but after a few weeks of knee tendon pain downscaled the goal to just starting and bailing at 8k if in any pain.
8k came and went, knee behaved all day, so kept going, worried that every time I glanced at HR it was far higher than it should've been. Felt okay, just slow. At 15k into uncharted territory, it was now my longest ever run, 20k the wheels fell off. Dropped off the back of the group Wobbly legs, nausea, I went up the last climb like I was drunk. The 5k downhill to the finish were a proper death march. I caught two runners, one of whom was being spectacularly sick (bright orange), and couldn't even stay with them. Finished in 4h20, 2h behind the winner, as they were dismantling the finish line. I wasn't last, but there were only about 10 behind me, out of 450.
Great day though, don't want to tempt fate by saying it can only get better from here, but after just 2 races any result other than DNS/F is a bit of a bonus.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bob_summers

Easy 10k recovery today, mixed road and trail after yesterday's shenanigans, 30k trail which I had entered with the objective of not DNFing but after a few weeks of knee tendon pain downscaled the goal to just starting and bailing at 8k if in any pain.
8k came and went, knee behaved all day, so kept going, worried that every time I glanced at HR it was far higher than it should've been. Felt okay, just slow. At 15k into uncharted territory, it was now my longest ever run, 20k the wheels fell off. Dropped off the back of the group Wobbly legs, nausea, I went up the last climb like I was drunk. The 5k downhill to the finish were a proper death march. I caught two runners, one of whom was being spectacularly sick (bright orange), and couldn't even stay with them. Finished in 4h20, 2h behind the winner, as they were dismantling the finish line. I wasn't last, but there were only about 10 behind me, out of 450.
Great day though, don't want to tempt fate by saying it can only get better from here, but after just 2 races any result other than DNS/F is a bit of a bonus.

---

Well done bob stay with it

Yeah, good stuff bob_

Well done Bob... showed some mental toughness there... I know the feeling of not being able to keep up with I'll/knackered people...

I passed a guy who was stopping to throw up every 100 yards on the way up Stoodley Pike on the Haworth Hobble. 20 minutes later he was flying past me as I hobbled to a dnf...

Cheers all, I think it was less about mental toughness and more that I was on the wrong side of the mountain with no other way of getting out than just grinding it out! Impressed by people's resolve to get to the end - the young woman I was with most of the day looked shocking at the 20k CP - sunken eyes, death white, and was being talked into getting into the Cruz Roja Landrover. Next time I saw her was when she jogged past a few k later while I was thinking about having a wee lie down! Think she finished 10 mins before me, massive effort.

Next race is Sunday, slightly more modest this time (20k x 1300m) but still just that bit too long for me at this stage I think, so I'll just treat it as a day out again.

Trotted round my 15k coast loop this morning. Felt I went quite well, total time just a couple of minutes off PB despite stopping twice to give people directions. Feels like I have something trapped in my hip, and my neck is pinging too, no doubt related, so I've been busy doing some 'nerve flossing' which I think I read about on here.

Said loop shares the first 8k with the race I did on Sunday. Garmin tells me I PBd that section on Sunday, so the mystery of why I blew up so spectacularly is beginning to look less mysterious...

A bit of Wainwright bagging today.

1st... Grasmere, Easdale, Gibson Knott, Helm Crag, Grasmere. 5.5 miles 1300ft

Afternoon... Glenridding, Sheffield Pike, Hart Side, Glenridding Mine zigzags, Glenridding. 6.5 miles, 2300ft... a very warm run out, even at a steady pace.

3 new Wainwrights... 35 to go...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Travs

A bit of Wainwright bagging today.

1st... Grasmere, Easdale, Gibson Knott, Helm Crag, Grasmere. 5.5 miles 1300ft

Afternoon... Glenridding, Sheffield Pike, Hart Side, Glenridding Mine zigzags, Glenridding. 6.5 miles, 2300ft... a very warm run out, even at a steady pace.

3 new Wainwrights... 35 to go...

---

Nice one. I really should finish them off... 🙄

Nice plod out today accompanying Mrs DTR around the Coniston 14, nice to check out the views and have a general craic with folk :)

Not really today's training, but I managed my first 100 mile month in March for probably 10 years. Certainly I haven't since I started on Strava back in 2013.
Combined with just over 8000ft of ascent as well.

I know some of you have 100 mile weeks to your name and can ascend 8000ft that in a day, but it does seem like a little battle won. The last time I did 100 miles in a month would have been back in 2008/9 when I was clocking up some regular long runs that got me competent for the Three Peaks and some other longer hill races as well as a 1:28 HM.

My target is to gradually improve in 2019 so I get to the point where I can confidently and competently have a bash at Sedbergh Hills and the Tour of Pendle later in the year and carry that through to next year.

Typically I have an issue, like my back goes big time, or I twang a calf. Fingers crossed :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bob_summers

Next race is Sunday, slightly more modest this time (20k x 1300m) but still just that bit too long for me at this stage I think, so I'll just treat it as a day out again.

---

Today's training is messing about with ice packs again :(
Perfect conditions yesterday, glorious route - left the village and started a 7k climb which gained 800m. Kept a lid on the effort, trying to learn from last week. Began the ridgeline with good legs and loads in the tank, but suddenly couldn't put weight on my foot. Felt like the forefoot was twisted or something. Managed to keep moving at a slow jog on the flat, but uneven ground and descents reduced me to a painful limp and all the places I'd made up on the climb began to repass me - I was pretty close to the back anyway so resigned myself to limping in last. In the end there were still a few folk rolling in 20 mins after me, seems that beast of a first climb took its toll! So, spectacular route but frustrating I finished with loads of gas left in the tank that I couldn't use.
Today, the foot is not visibly swollen, not painful to touch or bruised, but I still can't put weight no it.
Due at the physio anyway on Weds, but I've self diagnosed (!) metatarsalgia.

A nice little crowd at the top of the climb to Illurdi 1072m

A couple of decent hill sessions over the last two days...

Wednesday was a stairclimber session of 50mins and covered 3600ft.

Yesterday was a fairly strenuous treadmill session, 50mins, 4 miles, 2700ft. The combination of the heat coming off me, mixed with the cold air, meant i was quite literally 'steaming' at the end of the session, with steam rapidly evaporating off my head, back and shoulders.

Track session.... 1 x 1200m, 2 x 800m, 3 x 400m, 4 x 200m....

After Sunday's 40 miles I had no expectations, other than to have a bit of a stretch out.

Started towards the back, with the guys and girls who are at about 21-22min 5km level. As each rep went on I slowly pushed my way through, but decided to call it a day after the first 400m rep, having done 2 miles of fairly reasonable effort. Total 5 miles including warm up.

Last week finished another 10 week 'block'... it marked a 30th week of averaging 40 miles/10000ft (actually it should be 40.... I'm being a little harsh on myself as the previous weeks 31-40 were 38 miles and 9500ft, but I'm not counting them).

The past ten weeks also included a full week of rest which hampered the average a little.

The next ten weeks should be decent stats.... a big week in the Lakes next week training and racing, Welsh 1000 Metres, and two ultras.... (amongst other things).

I did my 1st Ultra on Saturday. Had a plan to just take my time and get 30mls in my legs. Walked/ran. Spent a lot of time on my own (preferred it that way). After the half way point I just enjoyed it as I was closer to the finish than the start. Stayed in the moment and didn't stress. I'd done a recce of all of it over the weeks so no need to get the map out.
Anyway - Today's training. Recce the Kinder Downfall Fell Race. Nice and easy I thought. Loved it! Legs felt great and so did energy level. HR was in recovery the whole time. Happy with that :-)
Beautiful day too.

Good work!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RaceTheSweeper

I did my 1st Ultra on Saturday. Had a plan to just take my time and get 30mls in my legs. Walked/ran. Spent a lot of time on my own (preferred it that way). After the half way point I just enjoyed it as I was closer to the finish than the start. Stayed in the moment and didn't stress. I'd done a recce of all of it over the weeks so no need to get the map out.
Anyway - Today's training. Recce the Kinder Downfall Fell Race. Nice and easy I thought. Loved it! Legs felt great and so did energy level. HR was in recovery the whole time. Happy with that :-)
Beautiful day too.

---

A very hard session this morning, 90mns, 9 miles, 4100ft. Brings the week to a close and a total of 31 miles and 11500ft.... considering ran a 40 mile (flat) ultra 7 days ago I'm very pleased with those numbers. Happy how I recovered physically... apart from soreness in the toe I was able to have a short track session on the Tuesday, and was raring to go hard again by Thursday...

Next week is in the Lakes so hopefully some big miles.... whether I'll hit the 85 miles of the Skye week I'm not sure, as got two races, but should be a productive week...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Travs

A very hard session this morning, 90mns, 9 miles, 4100ft. Brings the week to a close and a total of 31 miles and 11500ft.... considering ran a 40 mile (flat) ultra 7 days ago I'm very pleased with those numbers. Happy how I recovered physically... apart from soreness in the toe I was able to have a short track session on the Tuesday, and was raring to go hard again by Thursday...

Next week is in the Lakes so hopefully some big miles.... whether I'll hit the 85 miles of the Skye week I'm not sure, as got two races, but should be a productive week...

---

I'm sure the soreness in your toe was eased by Sunderland 4 Coventry 5 Travs!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Llani Boy

I'm sure the soreness in your toe was eased by Sunderland 4 Coventry 5 Travs!

---

Too right... I don't care what happens for the rest of the season, so long as we beat those b******s....!

A good day today in the Lakes... Total 18 miles 5300ft...

Firstly... Coniston-Levers Water-Levers Hause-Grey Friar-Brim Fell-Coniston Old Man-Coniston.

Then a couple of "cheap" Wainwrights... Cold Pike from Wrynose, and Hardknott from Hardknott Pass.

Had hoped for another Wainwright this evening, but settled for a steady 4 miles round Nether Wasdale.

Grey Friar - one of my fave fells and Hardknott - great views of the Sca Fell massif for little effort. Great stuff!

Yes DT... Certainly found the Coniston Fells to be fantastic running country...

Today did a Wastwater horseshoe (as opposed to a full Wasdale Horseshoe)

From the farm I'm staying at in Nether Wasdale, across the 'flagged section' on the Wasdale, to Greendale, and then up Middle Fell... then a long and arduous roundabout route to Yewbarrow, via Pots Of Ashness, Scoat Tarn and Dore Head... Wanted to have a look at this area for reference on the Wasdale race, still not sure the Scoat Tarn traverse is that much quicker than heading straight to the Haycock/Scoat Fell col...!

From Yewbarrow back to Dore Head and down the screes... Horrendous! From Wasdale Head on to the start of the Wasdale race, and followed the race route back round to Nether Wasdale, with a minor detour to take in the summit of Ilgill Head.

16 miles 5500ft... Had hoped to race the Grisedale Grind tonight as well, but toe is giving me some jip, and want anither big day out tomorrow, so thought better of it.

Absolutely gorgeous day today and rather predictably I'm sunburnt...

Finished off the Southern Fells today... Brackenclose, straight up to Lingmell, then Corridor down and round to Sprinkling Tarn and Seathwaite Fell... cut a big corner across Grains Gill and traversed the flanks of Allen Crags to go direct to Glaramara... Dropped straight down to the Borrowdale trod back to Esk Hause... Up to Rossett Pike... Then a fast run back to Wasdale via the "old Styhead" descent alongside Lingmell Beck, and back along the road to Nether Wasdale..
21.5miles, 6500ft...

An easier day today... although each trip in it's own right was tough enough...

First was from the farm in Nether Wasdale up to Buckbarrow and back... completing the Western Fells...

Second I parked up at Whinlatter and did Whinlatter Summit... after lunch did Castle Crag from Grange, down to Rosthwaite and back to Grange... completing the NW fells...

Hi Travs

Good work getting through the wainwright’s- have you got a plan / final summit in mind?

Great End always strikes me as a good ending 😊

Years ago we met a couple from Ennerdale who were finishing up their second set of Wainwrights on Great End. They very kindly shared their champagne with us

Knocked off a couple more yesterday.... Grange Fell and Armboth Fell from Watendlath...

Haven’t got a plan as such, but I’d like to finish off with a decent one... been thinking about saving Tarn Crag and Grey Crag for last, doing the long run in from the A6.... not a typical Wainwright walk to finish off, but a fitting and challenging route to finish... need another count up but I think I’ve got 17 or 18 left...

Yesterday evening a final lakeside slow run at Derwent Water bought up the 100 miles for the week.... to be precise, 101 miles and just over 30000ft... a decent week, ran well Saturday in the TWA with 78 miles already in my legs... not sure I can continue that mileage without retiring from work and moving to the lakes though...!

@ DT - sounds like good timing that!

@ Travs - Tarn Crag and Grey Crag are good for the isolated nature of them which would suit AW (though he is less kind in the books!)

Awesome mileage / ascent for the week

4.5 miles off-road last night with KCAC and friends. My longest run following cancer operations in January and February. Very much hoping upcoming chemotherapy doesn’t affect my ability to get out and run because I’m enjoying it more than I have in years

Great stuff DT and the best of luck...

Club night tonight... 6 mile run with a 2.1 mile ‘time trial’ along a disused railway for the middle section. Hoped to run this hard tonight, but whilst feeling strong in the lungs and legs, had quite a lot of residual pain from last weeks huge mileage...

12:42 in the end... whilst not being entirely happy with that time, it’s many months since I did it as a timed run, and was a pb... positives being that what felt a little slow and laboured tonight, was 20 seconds faster than the very best I could manage this time last year.

Hopefully have another go in the next couple of weeks and knock 20 seconds or so off...

Total including my own work tonight, 8.5 miles.