Today's Training

[Llani Boy]

Having had surgery last year I would recommend that you practice getting on and off the turbo trainer before your operation. I think it is possible to get on the turbo trainer without using one of your shoulders if you go from the correct side, but there is probably a technique to master. I found using a small stool helped me to step over the cross-bar, which I could then push to one side with the side of my foot to pedal. I also set up my turbo trainer alongside a wall so I could lean on it for support while getting on and off.

Best wishes for your surgery

Thanks for the advice Marco, a couple of things in there that I had not thought about.

What I have thought about, and am still pondering, is pedals. Whether to keep my SPD-SL clipless pedals (always confusing as you are clipped in) and cycling shoes to start with or fit some flat pedals for the first week or so until I have some idea of my shoulders limitations.

[Travs]

Club session this morning, and a threshold run.

I extended the distance up to 10km, in a time of 39.01.... have since received a ticking off, as threshold pace efforts shouldn't really be over 20mins in duration.

But still a good run out in the wind and rain.

9.5 miles in total.

[Llani Boy]

A lovely run with a pal this evening. We started from the layby just up from the Crag Inn, Wildboarclough and followed Peak and Northern Footpaths Society path No 379 which traverses the hillside over farmland to Oakenclough. Up the delightful Oakenclough and over to the Hanging Gate pub where the landlord told us he was looking forward to the 12th April, aren't we all!

Along the road towards Ridgegate and Trentabank Resevoirs but before reaching them, a right turn into Macclesfield Forest. By now it was getting dark as we headed uphill on the forestry track but still without headtorches unlike the Mountain Bikers flying downhill towards us ruining our night vision. We continued on the track and met two pairs of other runners and some more MBers all lit up like landing aircraft!

We then turned right, and turned our headtorches on, near Highmoor Brook onto the paved footpath which leads up to the summit TP of Shutlingsloe. It was claggy by now and the old problem of our lights reflecting off it slowed progress. Once at the summit it was straight off the other side, down the race up route, steeply back down to the Crag Inn.

A total of 6.68 miles and 1,394 feet in 1hr 9mins. Drier than expected underfoot and more people about than expected, but none of them aboard a tandem!

[noel]

I know those tracks well LB. We were on the first bit of them earlier in the day (but on foot, not on a tandem!).

[Llani Boy]

I know those tracks well LB. We were on the first bit of them earlier in the day (but on foot, not on a tandem!).

I'd forgotten how long the drag up through the forestry from the road to the start of the slabs was!

[Llani Boy]

I know those tracks well LB. We were on the first bit of them earlier in the day (but on foot, not on a tandem!).

Noel, when we hit the road just above Lower Nabbs Farm I noticed a stile and sign leading onto the OA land to the right. When we reached the TP on Shutlingsloe I was tempted to return via the ridge over Mount Pleasant and Piggford Moor down to that stile and then have a lovely finish back across those fields to the Crag Inn. Due to it being dark and claggy and not knowing the terrain we decided against it.

Is there a path/sheep trod there?

[anthonykay]

Noel, when we hit the road just above Lower Nabbs Farm I noticed a stile and sign leading onto the OA land to the right. When we reached the TP on Shutlingsloe I was tempted to return via the ridge over Mount Pleasant and Piggford Moor down to that stile and then have a lovely finish back across those fields to the Crag Inn. Due to it being dark and claggy and not knowing the terrain we decided against it.

Is there a path/sheep trod there?

A few years ago I walked down from Shutlingsloe over Piggford Moor to the road above Lower Nabbs Farm. From what I remember, there was a path, but not the sort of path you would want to negotiate in the dark! Anyway, Noel will be able to give you a much more accurate answer.

[Travs]

With a track race looming in three weeks, i'm turning my rep sessions more towards turning up the speed, rather than endurance (i'm fairly happy i've got the endurance to manage 3 and three-quarter laps of the track, its doing it at sufficient speed).

So just went out this morning to run some 400mtr reps.

Did 5 in the end.... 74, 74, 72, 72, 71

Very quick for me... on a typical 10/12/16 x 400mtr rep session i'd be looking more like 80secs/rep, but was having a nice easy jog back rest period between each one.

But a nice confidence booster that i can hopefully have a good bash at getting under 4:55 in the 1500mtrs.

6.5 miles

[Mike T]

This is quite interesting - on the age related decline in performance in a group of marathon runners:

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles...0210311_arts_A

[PeteS]

I think my age related decline is well underway...

I've had few injuries over the winter which have now turned to persistent niggles - runnable but annoying. Lockdown has meant no trips to any of the big hills I frequent so had to make do with local footpaths, bridalways and the odd trip to North Worcestershire hills. I think a combination of the injuries and lack of any really challenging terrain in what feels like an eternity have knocked my running mojo for 6 and I've struggled of late particularly on the climbs. In an attempt to offset this, I set off up the Clent Hills this morning with 2 ideas in mind. One to avoid the main paths - even the smaller, less well known ones are busy at the moment - and secondly to notch up a decent amount of ascent at whatever pace I could manage.
So, in what turned out to be a largely off-piste affair involving far more brambles than I would have liked, I clocked up 630m in about 9.5km. Had to round it up to 10km of course but felt much better for it. Onwards and upwards.