Today's Training

[Llani Boy]

I took a longer way home from Llanidloes this morning via New Radnor. I had planned a 12 mile run taking in 5 TP's but was feeling a bit ropey so settled for a walk/jog around just 3 of them, Bache Hill, Black Mixen and Great Rhos.

Lovely unspoilt hills over 2,000 feet and didn't see a soul. Damp and misty, so good to get the compass out in anger. Generally firm underfoot but then there is no footfall to make it muddy!

Ten and a half miles, 1,700 feet in a very steady 2hrs 10min.

Just checked my Bridges Tables log and I was last here on a sunny 25th Oct 1982, nearly 40 years ago.

Doesn't time fly!

[Llani Boy]

Tonight's RATRun was from The Bulls Head in Youlgreave. A cold, still evening saw five of us drop into Bradford Dale and up the other side and over fields to Hopping Farm before back into Bradford Dale and then up to Lomberdale Hall. Up again over fields to Meadow Place Farm and down into Lathkill Dale. Over Conksbury Bridge and up the other side towards Haddon Hall and then around Shining Bank quarry. More fields back into Bradford Dale and up to the Bull.

Lovely running conditions, mainly over fields that had dried out and were just frosting over, which gave fantastic grip. Seven and a half miles, 950 feet in 1hr 11 minutes.

Back at the Bull cheesy chips were washed down with Bombardier 4.1% and Marston's 61 Deep 3.8%. An added bonus was that the TV was showing Man Utd v Arsenal via Amazon Prime. A great match.

[Travs]

Nice one Llani....

I've got nothing to report running-wise... hoping to do League XC tomorrow but had a minor bug for several days and not quite at 100% this week.

However one big change i have made is my strength routine for upper body.... although i'll be keeping a close eye on how it affects my weight, which is currently safely under my target limit of 80kg.

[Travs]

After a very tough XC race yesterday, it was hard work to drag myself up for an easy run this morning, but managed 7.5 miles in the end.

Been a strange couple of weeks... the first of which, due to other circumstances, i did precisely zero miles. This week i eased back in, but late in the week illness hit, and ended up with 49.5 miles. Considering all that, i was extremely pleased with my race yesterday.

That's another 10 week mileage block finished, which saw me average 53.5 miles. Although in there were two non-consecutive weeks of not running at all. The weeks i did run averaged a healthy 67 miles.

Onwards and upwards, and looking forward to a fresh 10 week block of miles, and with everything outside of running quietening down, hopefully it will be consistent. The next ten weeks take me through yet more cross-country, and fell races at Callow, possibly Jubilee Plunge, all the way through to Long Mynd Valleys in early Feb.

[Travs]

Club night with Godiva last night and 5 x 1km with 90secs rest.

Was a different km circuit to usual, much hillier, so no way i was gong to be hitting under 3:25/km as i have been recently. Quite a battle in the wind as well.

Was a good runout but not particularly impressive... around 3:45 for the first three, then the weekend's efforts started to tell, and by the 5th and final rep i was around 3:55

With no racing this weekend i might do another similar session (if 100% recovered) on friday, maybe 8 x km with 1 minute rest.

8 miles last night, on top of 5 in the morning. Its been a solid start to the week.

[Llani Boy]

Tonight's RATRun was from the Cock and Pullet in Sheldon. Our planned route was changed due to the Wye bursting its banks so we stayed away from the river and stayed high on farmland footpaths linking Sheldon, Flagg and Monyash. Mainly soft, but not muddy, underfoot in continuous drizzle.

A total of just over 7 miles, 690 feet in 1hr 5 mins. Back at the Cock and Pullet cheesy chips, mmmmmm Red Leicester, were washed down with Farmers Blonde 4% from the Bradfield Brewery.

[Travs]

16 miles across two runs today gives a solid weekly total of 72.5 miles.

Didn't manage to get in a 2nd rep session... although did inject some harder/tempo efforts into my steady runs during the latter part of the week.

Next week, hopefully club session on tuesday, and the mighty Callow race next sunday... hoping to run well, although not so hopeful of a pb given that the race is usually ran in mid-July... (although it not being close to 30deg will perhaps help things)

[PeteS]

16 miles across two runs today gives a solid weekly total of 72.5 miles.

Didn't manage to get in a 2nd rep session... although did inject some harder/tempo efforts into my steady runs during the latter part of the week.

Next week, hopefully club session on tuesday, and the mighty Callow race next sunday... hoping to run well, although not so hopeful of a pb given that the race is usually ran in mid-July... (although it not being close to 30deg will perhaps help things)

Looking forward to Callow too though with my current injury rehabilitation, I'm just looking to finish and not be any more broken than when I started!
It will be interesting to see how the change in season and weather alter the nature of the race which let's face it, is an absolute brute whatever time of year you do it.

[Travs]

Yes it will be interesting to see how times compare... what slows the times down more... the oppresive July heat of the last couple, or this year's winter underfoot conditions?

Club night for me last night and 2 x 2.6km reps. Kept them amazingly consistent for such a long rep, and not looking at my watch at all.... 9:35:0 and 9:35.4 (approx 18:20/5km pace)

Of course it helped having someone who is almost identical pace as me, as we were pretty much stride for stride during the whole session, neither of us backing down when it got tough on the 2nd rep... although he has been getting the better of me in the cross country this season.

15 miles yesterday, 13 on monday, another solid start to the week, although there will be no more hard running before Callow on sunday.

[Llani Boy]

Tonight's RATRun was from The Manners Hotel in Bakewell. It was very foggy and cold beside the River Wye when we set off but once we had climbed up into Manners Woods the temperature rose markedly and we had lovely moonlit running over Calton Lees.
We then dropped into the Derwent Valley at Edensor back into the cold fog, which had hidden Chatsworth House from view, before the climb back up into the moonlight to Ball Cross and then back over to Calton Lees before the descent back into a cold and foggy Bakewell.

An enjoyable 8 miles, 1,210 feet in 1hr 14 mins. We were back to The Manners too late for chips so we had to make do with Pipers Crisps washed down with Dizzy Blonde 3.8% and Wizard 3.9% from Robinsons. Not my favourite brewer!