I'm in 100% agreement with you on this. I Hope it goes well for youOriginally Posted by Travs
I'm in 100% agreement with you on this. I Hope it goes well for you
Last nights RATRun was from The Shady Oak at Fernilee. On a cool, still evening we crossed the road and set off downhill into the Goyt Valley. Over the river and up the other side to Windgather Rocks via Overton Hall Farm. Fantastic 360 views including Jodrell Bank to the SW and Kinder, bathed in golden evening sunlight, to the NE.
Along the ridge to Oldgate Nick then down into the, now mainly felled, forestry on Hoo Moor before returning to the River Goyt and back up to the Shady Oak.
Just over 6 miles and 1,240 feet in a steady 1hr 9 min.
Very underwhelming cheesy chips were washed down with Wainwright Golden Ale 4.1% which was far too cold.
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
Total for the week 81 miles (boosted by yesterday's 17.5 miles). Steady and unspectacular, churning out easy miles, but needed after last weekend.
This week... track 10,000m on wednesday night, which at least will be on relatively fresh, if not "track sharp" legs. Then next weekend downhill training on the Long Mynd.
Did the 10,000m last night.
As always with track races, there were a few nerves warming up and on the start line. There's just something about it.
Ran 39:38 in the end... i won't lie, that was a disappointment and i had been hoping to sneak under 39mins at the absolute least.
That said, although my legs were fairly fresh, i've done no speedwork or hard flat sessions for the best part of a month, due to recovering from races, then missing club sessions due to work, so perhaps it wasn't too much of a surprise... i felt like i could've continued for another 5 or 6km at same pace, but there just wasn't much speed in my legs.
Certainly not going to dwell or worry about it, i know i'm going fairly well on the fells when it counts, and last night was just thrown in as a "bit of fun".... although my next track race in about three weeks is a 3000m in the county champs and i will actually train for that, otherwise i'll get nowhere near a respectable time.
As expected, was a tough race mentally... stayed with another runner for the first 10 laps but in the next couple of km he pulled out 100mtrs on me... by the end he'd got half a lap on me. A very spread out race, the last place guy came in in around 46-47mins and i must've lapped him three times, and i was lapped by the winner three times, as he cruised to around 32mins.
The lap counter just seemed to be there to remind us how grim it all was... got to 10 laps to go and you think you're nearly there... not a chance!!
Hill reps in the Outwoods. Did all six of them in times between 2:33 and 2:37. So I'm fully recovered from the cold I had at the beginning of April, and I really need to do some races now. My original plan to do Longtown-Llanthony this Saturday was stymied by the fact that we have around 15 people coming for lunch on Sunday (although with no-fault divorces coming in, my wife wouldn't even need to tell the court that I had left her to do all the preparation alone on Saturday). But there are several possibilities for races in the following weekends.
It was good to read Ken West's piece in the Fellrunner magazine. He's still doing hill reps at the age of 75, so I've got a while to go.
Don't forget the brilliant Four Fans 9th July Anthony...
No, I can't do that, my sister is having her wedding anniversary celebration on that day. And I can't do the Mount Famine race because that's the day of my cousin's 80th birthday do.
I really must get my hectic social life under control. Start by telling my relatives to look at the FRA and WFRA calendars before organising any celebrations.
Should make your 25hr track race in October interesting, maybe a little more mental Training on top of the physical training will be on the cards
All the best
Last edited by JohnK; 21-04-2022 at 09:47 PM.
Last nights RATRun was from the newly refurbished Queens Arms in Taddington. Only four of us set off on a bright sunny evening, but with a cold wind, over the A6, and across fields before dropping into High Dale and up the other side. A track took us down to Brushfield from where we followed the Cressbrook Crawl route down into Monsal Dale.
Back over the A6 at White Lodge before up Deep Dale to Over Wheal and the along the rutted Bare Jarnett Road to High Mere. back down into Taddington via High Well.
Just under 7 miles and 1,182 feet in 1hr 4min. A lovely run out.
Back in the Queens, which has been nicely refurbished but thankfully is still a proper village pub, cheesy chips were washed down with excellent Moonshine 4.3% from the Abbeydale Brewery.
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
Today's planned descending course/session was again postponed due to illness, but not to be deterred i went out on the Long Mynd on my own for a stiff training run.
Trying to keep with the theme of descending, i picked a route which packed in a lot of ascent/descent in a small area...
Up the Cardingmill Valley and a left turn onto the first climb of the Cardingmill Canter race, then following the first half of that route along the top. But rather than turning back down into the C.Mill Valley, continued straight over Burway Hill and descending down to the Townbrook Valley, and from there began the 1st climb on the Stretton Hills race.
From the top of Yearlet took the nasty "Callow descent" into Ashes, then straight back up Yearlet on the Long Mynd Valleys ascent.... this was a mentally tough part... descending off Yearlet in about 3mins, then basically having to turn round and spend 15mins climbing back up.
Then followed the final mile or so of the Long Mynd Valleys route back into C.Mill Valley.... seeing i was alright for time, then continued up the opening Long Mynd Valleys climb up to the Golf Course Fence... then yet another diversion over the final climb and descent on the Cardingill Canter route, back down into the valley and back to the start.
8 miles, four good climbs and descents, possibly 3500ft of climb, approx 1hr40.
A good morning out topped off with a bagful of Lamb Samosas in Church Stretton before the drive home.
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