Group run tonight.
First few miles i kept it steady at about 4:45/km.... last few sped up to test the leg a little, at 4:17/km
7.5 miles total.
Will be on the start line for the National on saturday.
Group run tonight.
First few miles i kept it steady at about 4:45/km.... last few sped up to test the leg a little, at 4:17/km
7.5 miles total.
Will be on the start line for the National on saturday.
I sometimes make jokes on this thread about going for a paddle. But it's starting to get a little bit tedious; even with the good grip on my Walshes, it's difficult to get any speed up when I'm finding my footing through several inches of water over several inches of mud.
Anyway, today's slow splash was over Buck Hill and Whittle Hill (where I still haven't trimmed the holly), and back via Longcliffe golf course and Burleigh Wood.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Yesterdays RATRun was a return to The George at Youlgreave in order to do a recce of the Pommie Panter Fell Race which this May will have its second running.
On a cool and breezy evening under the moonlight, 4 of us set off uphill on the tarmac of Moor Lane for a mile then a left turn took us off road onto the Limestone Way and steeply down into Bradford Dale. A bit of wading across and alongside Rowlow Brook and then saturated fields to Rock Farm. More saturated fields to the corner of Bleakley Plantation via a short diversion to the TP at Hopping Top. More fields and a steep muddy drop into Mawstone Lane. Half a mile of downhill tarmac and then a left across a field, where we endured a cold hail shower, before steeply into Bradford Dale, up Holywell Lane and on to Main Street where the finish will be on race day.
This route passes the relatively remote home of former West Derbyshire MP, Matthew Parris, who holds the record for the fastest marathon time for a sitting MP. In 1985 he clocked 2:32:57 in the London Marathon.
He likes his real ale too and is often seen in local pubs, to which, in summer he travels by electric bike
Back in The George, giant bowls of pre-ordered chips, some of which we had to give away, were washed down with a very nice Golden Glow 4.4%, brewed in the Black Country by Holdens
An enjoyable evening and apart from the first mile a good race route. It will be tougher than it looks on paper, especially if wet underfoot, as the uphills are not very steep but are long and gradual. The listed numbers are 5.8 miles and 876 feet.
We clocked 6.5 miles, 1,002 feet in 1hr 7 min with our TP diversion.
Last edited by Llani Boy; 23-02-2024 at 03:48 PM.
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
[QUOTE=anthonykay;687114]I sometimes make jokes on this thread about going for a paddle. But it's starting to get a little bit tedious; even with the good grip on my Walshes, it's difficult to get any speed up when I'm finding my footing through several inches of water over several inches of mud.
Anthony, a friend of mine has just done the Badger Challenge which is, as you probably know, as far as you can go in 6 hours on a 3.3 mile loop around Beacon Hill. He did just over 33 miles.
I just wondered if you had any experience of the event?
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
Impressive performance my Mr Parris!Originally Posted by Llani Boy
Yesterdays RATRun was a return to The George at Youlgreave in order to do a recce of the Pommie Panter Fell Race which this May will have its second running.
On a cool and breezy evening under the moonlight, 4 of us set off uphill on the tarmac of Moor Lane for a mile then a left turn took us off road onto the Limestone Way and steeply down into Bradford Dale. A bit of wading across and alongside Rowlow Brook and then saturated fields to Rock Farm. More saturated fields to the corner of Bleakley Plantation via a short diversion to the TP at Hopping Top. More fields and a steep muddy drop into Mawstone Lane. Half a mile of downhill tarmac and then a left across a field, where we endured a cold hail shower, before steeply into Bradford Dale, up Holywell Lane and on to Main Street where the finish will be on race day.
This route passes the relatively remote home of former West Derbyshire MP, Matthew Parris, who holds the record for the fastest marathon time for a sitting MP. In 1985 he clocked 2:32:57 in the London Marathon.
He likes his real ale too and is often seen in local pubs, to which, in summer he travels by electric bike
Back in The George, giant bowls of pre-ordered chips, some of which we had to give away, were washed down with a very nice Golden Glow 4.4%, brewed in the Black Country by Holdens
An enjoyable evening and apart from the first mile a good race route. It will be tougher than it looks on paper, especially if wet underfoot, as the uphills are not very steep but are long and gradual. The listed numbers are 5.8 miles and 876 feet.
We clocked 6.5 miles, 1,002 feet in 1hr 7 min with our TP diversion.
Worried by the fact you had to give away some of your chips!
I thought about doing it last year, but decided against it (and anyway, I ended up injured at the time of the event). I looked at the details for this year's event a few months ago, and there was some reason why I definitely couldn't do it on today's date, but I now have no idea what that reason was! Maybe one day I will get around to trying it.
In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
Jorge Luis Borges
Enter the Leeds 10k, it's one of the flattest and you should be able to push for a sub 39. Just leg it off the start as it winds through the shopping and bar districts, you don't want to get boxed in. After that it's straight out straight back. I've never followed a pacer, it never occurred to me to put my trust in some other bugger's judgement.Following my Bolsover 10K fiasco in December and my quest to get a sub 40 minutes, yesterday I found myself at Ashley Hall on the start line for the Hale 10K. Hale is a village to the SW of Manchester whose residents include Footballers, Coronation Street actors and a lot of Ladies that Lunch. Apparently, they like to think they live in Cheshire when in fact they are located in the borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester
It was a cool and breezy morning, especially so when I was stood for the second time in the portaloo queue, but I managed to get warmed up nicely on the half mile run to the start. Once there I joined the other 1,139 runners, many of whom were involved in the usual hugging and high fiving that tends to go on at these events. I found the pacer with the 40 min flag and my plan was to stick to him like glue.
Off we went through the village and then on to undulating country lanes that were closed to traffic. I ran alongside the pacer and at the the first KM marker a glance at my watch showed that we were at 4.15 min pace which I thought was a bit slow but put it down to perhaps a little congestion at the start. However at markers 2 and 3 were still over 4 min pace. Even whilst running, the simple maths of 10 x 4 = 40 and 6 x 4 = 24 was easy to work out so when we got to the 6KM marker and my watch showed 25.05 I was concerned. I felt reasonably comfortable so decided to push on as I knew that the last KM was slightly uphill and into the wind. I also started to slowly overtake folk which is always good.
As I usually deal in Miles it was quite pleasing as the KM markers seemed to appear very quickly. I managed to slowly pull back time so that by the 9KM marker I was at 36.09. I kept up the pace saving a little for the last few hundred meters but was unable to use it to full effect as there was a section of slippery mossy cobblestones followed by two sharp muddy bends to the finish line, the clock showing 39.59 as I passed underneath it.
As I leaned against a barrier getting my breath back I saw the 40min pacer finishing at 40.40! There were a few unhappy runners in his vicinity. My official chip time was 39.53 and 1st M60, mission accomplished. I won a £30 prize and free entry to next years event. Travs will have probably have come across the race winner who was Kadar Omar of Birchfield Harriers in 30.01. The first lady was Sophie Wood of Sale Harriers, 12th overall in 34.26.
I quite enjoyed the event and hopefully my time is quick enough for me to be selected for a Welsh age group vest at the Great Birmingham 10k. My road shoes have still got plenty of miles in them!
A pacer? In my day they were only needed by students trying to break the 4 minute mile.
When I was chasing road times (Abbey Dash in 36.xx as a Vet 40 since you ask) all I needed was a Garmin that "beeped" my necessary time at each mile marker.
If you passed your marker before the beep you were OK and if you didn't you needed to get your legs moving faster - not look to see where your pacer was.
And as for pacers in parkruns? I just don't know what the world's coming to...
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 24-02-2024 at 10:08 AM.
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".
Garmin ????? It must have been a very early one GrahamA pacer? In my day they were only needed by students trying to break the 4 minute mile.
When I was chasing road times (Abbey Dash in 36.xx as a Vet 40 since you ask) all I needed was a Garmin that "beeped" my necessary time at each mile marker.
If you passed your marker before the beep you were OK and if you didn't you needed to get your legs moving faster - not look to see where your pacer was.
And as for pacers in parkruns? I just don't know what the world's coming to...
Was it the size of a house brick?
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
With the postponement of the National XC, the rest of the group were prescribed a parkrun (or 15 minute road effort) followed by 8 x 1 minute.
For me it was another hill session. Upping the pace a little more and grinding it out for 40mins.
Completed the session again, but it was noticeably more difficult than the previous couple. I'm probably nearing (but not quite reached) my current limit. Still managed a bit of a speed up in the last few minutes, but it wasn't as spritely as the last couple.
The most noticeable thing about today was that i was never sure i'd finish the session until i reached the final 5 minutes... in the past few i've known by halfway that it was in the bag.
9.5 miles. With my injuries seemingly fading away, meaning a return to club sessions, and next week's Cardingmill Canter, i expect it'll be a fortnight before my next hill session when i'll wind the pace up a tiny bit more.
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