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12 miles this morning to bring the final weekly total to 60.5 miles.
A slight drop on recent weeks, and was certainly not a "quality" week... but yesterday's 3000m was encouraging.
Now starting to get into the real business of the season, with my opener in the English Champs next weekend, and the short race at the Welsh 1000 the following weekend. Can't wait!
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8 reps round the field near home. All but one between 2:05 and 2:09; the sixth was 2:11. The route is roughly oblong; today the outward long side, which is sheltered, was with the wind, while the more exposed return was into the wind.
This was my last run before a 9-day holiday with my wife, visiting three European cities. I will be taking some running kit, but I doubt whether it will get much use. If you hear about un fou anglais doing reps up the steps below Sacre-Coeur, you will know that I have finally cracked. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@48.88...7i13312!8i6656
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Have a great hol AK.
That picture of the steps conjured up in my memory another set of steps used for training...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YYmfM2TfUA :)
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Well i've made the jump from my current training group, into another group at Cov Godiva...
Its going to be tough work... i'll be jumping in with a group where i expect i'll be the only one over the age of 30 (i'm 40 now), and will be one of the slowest, if not the slowest, in the group...
However it should give me access to a lot more track sessions, and hopefully give me incentive to up my game and latch onto the back of some of these speedsters.
First session tomorrow night....
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Did my first session with my new training group last night...
5 x 1 minute
1 x 3 minutes
5 x 1 minute
5 x 60mtrs
all off 2mins easy jog rest periods.
11 miles in total.
Surprisingly i wasn't the slowest, and even pulled a few of the youngsters back during the second half of the session due to better endurance and pacing... but overall a much faster group, comprising mainly of students, ex-students, and reasonably quick middle-distance track runners.
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After the exertion of the fell champs yesterday, what better way to recover than a 2km steeplechase in the track league?!?
Time was immaterial really, as i was just looking to score points for the club (and incidentally picked up maximum points in the "b" race so job done!)..... but as soon as i tried to accelerate off after the first water jump i realised how fatigued i was from yesterday, but ran a steady pace all the way round to finish in 8:22..... well off the time i'm capable of.
May end up doing the 3km steeplechase in a fortnight at the next league fixture... at least that would be on fresh legs though!
Brings the week to a close with 72 miles.
Next week and its the Welsh 1000 Metres... although this year i'm opting for the short race, starting at Ogwen. This is another "target" race where i hope for a good position... With two big climbs and only the one descent, i'm hoping to play to my strengths.
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A lovely walk this evening to test the hamstrings on some steepish stuff. Cool and breezy with dark clouds always threatening rain but it thankfully never came.
From Hurdlow along the top of the quarries at Dowlow, Hindlow and Hill Head before heading up Chrome Hill, Parkhouse Hill, Hitter Hill, Aldery Cliff and High Wheeldon. Much of the ascent I would be walking in a race anyway so a good test. The legs were fine and I resisted the temptation to run the descents. The lungs found it tough work though. It is surprising how they forget to work after just 18 days of not running.
Hopefully back to running a few short flat miles this week and then a gentle build up to, with a bit of luck, be on the start line at Moel Hebog on 11th June and Foel Fras the week after.
9 miles and 1,971 feet in 2hrs 49 min. Apart from the scenery and not another person seen the only interest was 5 Hares, a flock of Guinea Fowl, 100's of sheep, a donkey and a Man City flag flying from a flagpole at Glutton Farm.
But hey, anyone but Liverpool!
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Club night last night.
Session was 5 x 90sec hard reps, 5 x 60mtr sprints.
Being somewhat wrecked from the weekend, i did the reps but at a much steadier pace, just to loosen the legs up.
8.5 miles. Will be nothing hard this week, right up until saturday's race. I know i'm in fair shape so just a case of getting to the start line fresh.
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After 19 days without a run, a 4 mile tester on Tuesday, gave me confidence that last nights RATRun was a goer.
After a couple of hours of rain the sun came out just before we set off from The Church Inn at Chelmorton. Down through the village past the troughs that hold Illy Willy Water and then over fields to Sterndale Moor. Across the A515 and more fields to the back of Hindlow Quarry from where magnificent views of Chrome Hill and the Staffordshire Moorlands are to be had. Along the top of the quarries to Hurdlow Grange, where one field of knee high wet grass reduced us to a walk. Back across the A515 at the Duke of York and then our return to the "Church" via Highstool Lane.
8 miles and 769 feet in 1hr 12 min. A bit further than maybe I should have gone but very enjoyable and hamstrings seem fine.
Now I'm back running I'm also back on the ale so once in the very busy "Church" delicious potato wedges were washed down with Brown Cow 4.2% from Bradfield Brewery. :p
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Back home now, and a run over Buck Hill and Beacon Hill today. My gastronomic holiday doesn't seem to have caused a great loss of fitness (apart from my Eiffel Tower excursion, I did manage one run in Bonn, which included a section on the Venusberg, a small, wooded hill just outside the city). I do enjoy exploring cities on foot, but it is great to be back in the fresh air and greenery of rural England; the sunshine is so much brighter here than in any city.