Originally Posted by Travs
Pete,what type of Hokas have you gone for. I am now running once a week only due to joint pain and wonder if Hokas might help me. are they road models or off road models? Interested in both.
Pete,what type of Hokas have you gone for. I am now running once a week only due to joint pain and wonder if Hokas might help me. are they road models or off road models? Interested in both.
Hi Simon, they were Hoka Arahi, purely a road shoe. I certainly noticed the increased cushioning.
A friend and clubmate has also just purchased the Hoka Speedgoat which is their trail shoe, and he was very impressed after years of loyalty to Saucony.
I'd have probably just continued my usual policy of doing everything (road/track/treadmill/grass) in my trail shoes, but a combination of xmas and some winter prizemoney meant i took a gamble on a couple of pairs of road shoes (some very minimal Inov8 Roadclaws, and the Hokas at the other end of the scale).
Slow run over Buck Hill and Beacon Hill today. Not sure why I felt so sluggish; was it the effect of last night's Chinese New Year dinner party?
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Nice jog up and down a freezing Snowdon yesterday. Seriously cold on top.
I turned on to the bridleway that leads up towards the Outwoods, and noticed a runner less than 100 metres ahead of me. I soon noticed that I was slowly gaining on him. Eventually, when I was about to draw level, he turned to me: "Hello, Anthony, how are you doing?". I recognised him as a student that I have been teaching. Obviously a recreational runner, not one of the Loughborough student athletes so feared by Travs in the Birmingham League cross-country.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Club night tonight, and we were graced by the presence of probably the most famous Godiva-ite of the moment, Katrina Wooton. Mysteriously she didn't seem too enthusiastic about joining our mixed team for the Lee Mill Relay...
So I turned to the matter in hand. 5 x 1 mile reps with 90 seconds rest in between.
After a tough Long Mynd Valleys on Sunday, followed bafflingly by a 3000ft hill session yesterday, I wasn't confident of tearing up the record books tonight, and the aim was just to survive. After knocking out the first rep in 6:40, I felt fairly fresh and latched onto the faster group of marathon trainers, who had already knocked out a 10 mile run and were doing the reps off 60 seconds rest.
I stayed with this group for the remainder, eventually winding the reps down to 6:10..... a total of 9 miles tonight.
Holidaying in Skye next week, so planning to just get plenty of miles in over the next couple of weeks, ready for a tight schedule of ultras coming up.
And my planned 4 day Easter break in Keswick, bagging another 20 or so Wainwrights, has now turned into a race weekend as I'll be doing the TWA. Hopefully still get some Wainwrights in as well if my legs are in a fit state.
10 miles around the cold streets of western Coventry.... what could be more romantic?!
I've got used to taking the Thursday night longer run at a steadier pace, saving my hard effort for more intense sessions. You get no prizes for hammering round the Thursday night run in the fastest time.
But tonight being my last session before a weeks holiday, I decided to inject some pace and give it some hammer tonight. So I blasted it out. Finished a full 15 minutes in front of the rest of the group, who admittedly were sensibly taking it as a very steady run.
After a few decent sessions in the Hokas I have to say that I'm a fan.
After a monster 9 hour drive to Skye, I needed to stretch the legs out. Fortunately the back garden of the house backs straight onto the open Fell of Glamaig. Obvious choice then... strap on the headtorch and blaze my way up there.
Well it really is one of the steepest, scree-covered, lumps of rock I've ever come across. During one interlude as I braced myself against the wind, I did take a minute to reflect how I went from entering a short Peak District fell race in 2015, to climbing Glamaig in the dark, in February, thinking it would be "a good little runout".
Was pleasantly surprised to find that the final 150m or so of climb onto the top of An Coileach was actually quite runnable. From the summit, dropped down towards the col between there and Glamaig itself, then a beeline back down to the cottages at Sconser. This was not the simple descent it sounds. Some parts of it were glorious, but not knowing the mountain, I could only go on what I could see from my headtorch, so had to hold myself back a little. And some of it was just horribly steep and rocky.
Was a great way to spend a Saturday evening, but slightly disappointed to find that for all the effort, I only totalled 2.75 miles and 2200ft...!
Bigger runout planned for tomorrow.
Last edited by Travs; 16-02-2019 at 11:01 PM.
Plan was to visit Loch Coruisk today. But not wanting to do a simple out-and-back, I made the unorthodox choice of starting from the head of Loch Ainort.
Up past the waterfall and contouring round the valley beyond. As I was congratulating myself on a fine LDMT-style start to the run, getting nearer to the col at the end of the valley, I turned into the wind and was blown back about 10 yards before I could regain control of my legs. Down into the valley beyond it was even worse and I had to lie down a few times to maintain position.... Welcome to Skye...!
Upon reaching the main path from Sligachan I checked myself over, was still warm enough, and the wind was not quite so brutal. No harm done, so carried on, over the rise and down to Coruisk. What a stunning place. Plenty of cloud about so didn't get the full view, but it added to the atmosphere. On the path round the coast to Camasunary I got lucky as the weather cleared, a bit of sunshine, and some of the finest views I have ever set eyes upon.
By the time I got to Camasunary beach (via a waist-deep crossing) the weather had closed in, it was very atmospheric, but phone away, hood up, and knock out the remaining 8 miles or so back down the Skye Trail to Sligachan, then a tough couple of road miles back to Sconser.
20 miles, approx 2500ft, and one of the most beautiful and dramatic runs I've ever done.
No long distance mountain exploits today, but I felt the need to get a few miles in. So strapped the Hokas and the headtorch on, and did a quality session on the minor road on the north side of Loch Ainort.
2.5 miles at tempo-ish pace out. Turned around and did the 2.5 miles back significantly harder.
A good little run out. Quite character building as it was absolutely pissing down, a howling wind, and the headtorch didn't really help as all it did was illuminate the rainstorm in front of my eyes.
Planning a much more substantial outing tomorrow.
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