Today's Training

[Travs]

Coming back from holiday to an absolute firestorm at work, training has been sporadic at best this week, with only 39 miles on the clock.

I did do a very quick 7 miles (treadmill) yesterday, and a similarly quick 9 miles (treadmill) today.

But will just consign it to history and look forward to next week.

Cardingmill Canter at the end of the week. Will get the club session in on tuesday but will obviously have to take it easy at the thursday session. Just hope i can keep some decent mileage going while work is manic.

[anthonykay]

Beacon Hill, Broombriggs and Windmill Hill, in 72m35s. So greater distance and (I hope) longer time than at the Cardingmill Canter on Saturday, but less than two-thirds the amount of climbing and descent. Unless my right calf stiffens badly tonight, I am good to go for the Canter (but this may still not be wise: when I did the Canter 4 years ago, it took more than two months for my calves to recover properly, and they hadn't even been giving me any niggles beforehand).

[Travs]

I'd imagine you could clear 70mins at the Canter with a good bit in hand, Anthony....

[anthonykay]

I'd imagine you could clear 70mins at the Canter with a good bit in hand, Anthony....

I've just looked at the 2019 results. I took 62m48s, so I do hope that my deterioration with age over the last 4 years has left me still capable of getting under 70 minutes.

[PeteS]

I've just looked at the 2019 results. I took 62m48s, so I do hope that my deterioration with age over the last 4 years has left me still capable of getting under 70 minutes.

Which prompted me to look at my previous results. I'll be lucky to get near them again but was surprised how little climb there actually is. Feels like so much more

[Travs]

Given the favourable conditions the other week at the Long Mynd Valleys, i'll be pushing hard to nick under 50mins. I'm pretty sure the couple of times i've ran this race before, it was pretty cold and windy... in fact the first year i recall the start/finish tent blowing away up the valley.

[PeteS]

Last time (2020) was very windy. I always struggle in the wind so hoping for much calmer conditions. Looks like it will be cold though and probably wetter than the LMV weekend.

[Travs]

After a disrupted week's training, i was a little nervous about last nights session.... 2 x 2 miles around the perimeter of the War Memorial Park in Coventry. If there's one session that finds out how your fitness is holding up, then its hitting the 2nd rep on this one and having a good 12 minutes to battle round and hold your pace. Such an easy session to lose a stack of time on the 2nd rep, if fitness not quite up to scratch.

First rep i started conservatively, and my usual rivals in the group started to pull away, but pulled them back on the hill and was able to leave them behind, with 12.21 (only 6 seconds slower than my pb round there, on a windy night)

2nd rep was mentally difficult as was out on my own... our little close packed group of 4 had splintered, a couple having done the National XC at the weekend didn't have the legs for it, and another fell off the back, and i was left to hold my pace alone. But was quite pleased to finish on 12.28

10.5 miles for the session on top of 4 easy miles AM, a solid day.

Can go into the Cardingmill Canter at the weekend knowing that i'm thereabouts with my fitness, and should have no qualms about pushing hard for a pb.

We've got 5 x 1km on thursday.... i certainly won't do the full session, perhaps a couple of reps only.

I may have mentioned this before... my focus on flat speed and mileage seems to have bought my overall fell performance on... but my uphills (as evidenced at Long Mynd Valleys), are not quite what they were a couple of years ago.... perhaps because i'm now more capable of pushing my effort across an entire race now.

[Travs]

Club night was 5 x 1km last night, but i elected to just do the warm up, drills, and have a slow run round whilst the session was taking place. Nothing to be gained from squeezing in a load of fast reps less than 48hrs before a race.

Still got 10.5 miles in (on top of 4.5 miles AM), but no intensity at all means i feel fresh this morning. A couple of very easy runs today should see me raring to go tomorrow.

[Llani Boy]

Half a dozen of us turned out for last nights RATRun from the Wheatsheaf in Baslow. A clear, cool and still evening saw us run into Chatsworth Park via the circular wrought iron kissing gate and then through a sea of eyes as we passed a herd of resting deer. Steeply up through recently felled woods towards the Hunting Tower followed by a sharp left turn and along Dobb Edge to The Robin Hood Inn.

Up and along Birchen Edge past the Three Ships, which are three massive gritstone boulders, to Nelsons Monument and then the TP. Down the surprisingly dry peaty path to the crossroads at the bottom of Clodhall Lane but before reaching the road we turned left and on to Gardom's Edge. Back to The Robin Hood and then a return to Chatsworth Park along a lovely grassy track, which was new to all of us, and ran under Dobb Edge past the Sawmill and Jumble Coppice.

Across the park to the kissing gate, which only holds 4 people, and in his haste to get in Geoff spun it around before I had fully exited the other side, causing it to jam my left arm between the moving and stationary parts. Of course, everyone pissed themselves laughing whilst I checked that my arm was still attached to my torso!

It is sore this morning.

Back in the Wheatsheaf, which is one of those Berni Inn type places, surprisingly good cheesy chips were washed down with even more surprisingly good Wainwright Golden Ale, 4.1% from Marstons.

A total of 7 miles, 975 feet in 1hr 9min. A run enjoyed by all and one which will be good to do in daylight.