Today's Training

[anthonykay]

One of my shorter routes, up to the Outwoods. On the way up, I was wondering if I might be the first person to drown while running along a public bridleway; and the water in the air and on the ground was complemented by a strong headwind.

No people out walking (I can't imagine why), but I was overtaken by another runner on the short stretch of road shortly before returning home.

I still have a set of lightweight waterproofs bought from Pete Bland Sports in the 1980's, long before the era of taped seams. They haven't seen much action, but I wore the top today. The Walshes were also ideal for the conditions.

[Travs]

Last night was one of those sessions where you just don't want to go, but it turns out to be one of the best sessions of the year....

I'd been in an office meeting for the thick end of 6hrs, so eating/drinking was a bit all over the place, the weather was really poor, and still feeling a bit tight from the weekend and tuesday....

So definitely wasn't looking forward to 12 x 400mtrs with only 1 minute recoveries.

The coach set me a target of 75secs, which i thought was achievable with a 2 minute rest, but a massive push off 1 minute.

As it was i started with a lacklustre 81... difficult to pace the first one with nothing to compare it to, so i proceeded with caution... sped up on the 2nd one to 78.... then from there it was 77's and 76's all the way to the end. It was a tough session all the way, but the final three were especially so, bent double after each one.

Was really pleased with the times, consistency and the work to stick it out to the very end. It also marks an improvement... i can't remember last time i did that session with short recoveries, but i'd have been struggling to get below 79/80secs for 12.

11 miles for the session.

Gained approval to do my own thing on the weekend sessions, ie a decent hill session rather than the club session.

Also i'm racing next tuesday night on the fells... Townbrook Terror, a 4km up and down from Church Stretton.

[Llani Boy]

Agreed, it was horrible weather out there for last evenings RATRun. So much so I wore my waterproof trousers which have done hundreds of miles tucked away in my bumbag and were gagging for some fresh air. Very comfortable they were too. Worn over running shorts they never stuck to my skin and did not restrict any leg movement.

Only two of us from The Wheatsheaf, Baslow for a steady, waterlogged run across Chatsworth park then past the Huntingtower and up to Hob Hursts House via the Rabbit Warren. Back across Gibbet Moor and down to The Robin Hood, along Dob Edge and then a return to Baslow across the park.

8.5 miles, 941 feet in 1hr 31 min. Just got into The Wheatsheaf in time for a bowl of chips and a couple of pints of Eagle IPA 3.6% from Eagle Brewery. Not the best pint and I suspect it is really a Marston's beer, like the rest of the mediocre ales on offer.

It was one of those runs, where weather wise I really couldn't be bothered to venture out, but glad I did as it was very enjoyable.

[Travs]

Continuous uphill session this morning.

1 hour.... 10mins tempo at 6% gradient, 5mins effort at 15% (x4)

9 miles including warm up/down.

A good morning's work. Will be some form of long-ish run tomorrow, 60-70mins... but not at usual pace, its been a hard week and got to prepare for racing on tuesday night.

[Marco]

With the roads unsafe to cycle with any intensity, I thought I'd try my own form of indoor uphill session.

Set the bike on the turbo-trainer up with high handlebars, and did 2 x 2 mins on a relatively large gear standing up. Keeping my torso straight and near-vertical it felt a bit like running up a 1:8 at a comfortable pace. Must have been a decent effort, as I recorded max heart rates of 154 and 158bpm respectively on my Scandinavian heart rate monitor with chest strap.

I think this might actually work for me, as it felt a lot more like running than cycling in a conventional, seated, position. I think I can easily scale up the 2mins interval to at least 5, and probably record some uphill-running type of heartrate in the process.

[Llani Boy]

In order to get full use out of my road shoes I signed up for todays Bolsover 10K. A flattish course on the plateau east of the town which always attracts a breeze on the exposed last two miles. I last ran it 2013 when it was my first race after 20 odd years of sloth! I got around in just under 45 minutes.

Todays field was 700 strong and as my friend Joanne and I sat, keeping warm in my car beside the course, about quarter of a mile from the start we decided it was time for a warm up as there was only half an hour before the race started. I got out of my car and was horrified to see the field of runners approaching me.

The race had started at 9.30, and not as I had somehow thought, 10.00. I shouted to Joanne but she couldn't open her door due to the volume of runners so had to jump out my side of the car. We ran against the flow towards the start hearing many shouts of "you're going the wrong way"! On getting to the start the timing mat was being taken up so we turned around and set of in chase of the field. It took us nearly a mile before we caught the last runner, a snowman, and for some reason both of us had a fit of the giggles.

We pulled ourselves together and got stuck into weaving in and out of the field. It became quite enjoyable continuously overtaking folk. By the end I had passed 507 runners to finish in 193rd place in a gun time of 46.45. My watch showed 42.09. I was only disappointed in the fact that I was hoping for a sub 40 minute run which I think would have been on the cards as I had plenty left at the and got seriously held up early doors.

Oh, and I got some deserved, serious mickey taken post race as it was a club GP and plenty of friends/acquaintances around.

[Travs]

Unlucky Llani, but well persevered.... i'm sure you could push 40mins.

A decent quality 65 minute run this morning, and 4 miles easy this evening in the rain, brings the week to an end at 73 miles. A very pleasing week's work, especially thursday's track session and yesterday's hill effort.

Next week is all racing.... tuesday night i'm doing the Townbrook Terror.... which is basically the first climb from the Stretton Hills race, followed by going down the (horrible) 2nd ascent on the Callow race. I'm not particularly looking forward to this descent, in fact i'd choose not to descend it in daylight, never mind with a headtorch.

However the benefit of the first climb (as Anthony will no doubt recall), is the start is straight into an uphill... which for me who aims to "get amongst it" on the climb, it will no doubt help.

Then saturday is the Warwickshire County XC Champs at Smethwick. Last year we managed a bronze in the Masters team, and hopefully we'll have a stronger team this year and can get in the medals again.

My race tactics will depend on the strength of the team.... if i'm likely to be a scorer, then i'll run my usual race, not going crazy at the start, and wind it up in the 2nd half.

However if i'm not in the fastest 4 on paper, i'm just going to go for broke and have to try and take some of the faster guys on over the hilly course, and see what happens.

[anthonykay]

Llani's story reminded me of a trail race last year, that started half an hour earlier than originally advertised. I had only decided a few days earlier that I wanted to do it, and emailed the RO who said that entries on the day would be accepted; but this meant that I didn't get the information sent to all pre-entered runners that the start would be brought forward.

I always like to arrive rather early for any race, so no problem there; but when the race briefing was held at 6:20pm, I thought that was a bit early for a 7:00pm start. It was only at the end of the briefing, when we were told to be at the start in 5 minutes, that I realised something was up. My change of shoes and removal of outer clothing was quick enough for me to be at the start on time.

[Travs]

I missed the start of the Lee Mill Relay the first year we went.

Due to some "stomach issues" I was behind a bush some distance away when the gun went. Managed to make my way through to mid-pack.

The issue however, was that I was running 1st leg for one team, and 2nd leg for another, so I had to catch and pass my other team's 1st runner. I managed this with a gargantuan effort on the descent, but only had about 20seconds to rest and change number before I had to set out on leg two for another hour in weather of the most abysmal kind.

[Travs]

Last night i made the horrific rush-hour journey across the West Midlands from the NEC to Church Stretton in appalling weather.

The occasion was the Townbrook Terror fell race, 3.8km from the town, up the "first descent" on the Callow race and over to Yearlet, then down the "2nd ascent" from Callow, steeply to the Townbrook valley, and then a mile thrash through woods back to the finish.

For a weeknight race in crap weather in December, and only 26 runners, it was a pretty decent standard field... i guess only the real loonies were out for this one. Straight into an uphill start and i was somewhat taken aback to find myself only about 10th for a minute or two.

Once the climb dragged out however, i moved through and was perhaps 4th/5th as we made our way to the open fell.

Once on the fell the difficulties started.... although the course was very well marked with luminous sticks, the swirling mist and rain/sleet made it difficult to see anything other than the cold breath in front of my face.... i was guided by the guy about 50 yards in front's headtorch beam which i could just see.

Inevitably the path was lost completely a couple of times and it was a tough slog back across to the marked route

Even the locals were struggling to keep to the route, and one of the pre-race favourites got lost and dropped from 1st to finish 5th. I reached the summit somewhere between 5th-7th, it was hard to tell, and held on grimly for the descent.... there were people all over the hill but i stayed as close to the markers as possible until i knew exactly where i was.

Lost a couple of places going down and i was now in 9th and under some heavy pressure from a couple of guys behind... luckily my flat work of late came to the fore and i was able to keep them at bay relatively easily, and apart from a nervy last couple of minutes when i wasn't sure where i was in the trees, i made it back in 9th, in 26mins. Almost 4 minutes behind the eventual winner.

Hard to know what to take from the race. Although i was relatively at the sharp end on the way up (which was the intention), it felt a lot harder than expected, and i walked too much of the admittedly steep climb for my liking.

But that said... the conditions were awful, it was incredibly slippy underfoot so in places running was barely achievable, and of course the visibility just made everything more difficult. Taking that into account it probably wasn't too bad.

If anything it was a bit of a reminder that i'm going to have to work damn hard to be in better shape for upcoming uphill races next year.... especially as i've just viewed the course profile for the World Masters and there is an average gradient of pushing 16%.....!