Well, it's been a hell of a few weeks. First the Cardington Cracker, left nothing out on the course there, totally spent. A week later, the Turkey Trot. Nipped 3 minutes off my pb there, again, didn't finish with much in the tank. This'll become relevant later.
Saturday 14th. Headed up to The Endurance Coach for a VO2 max session on the treadmill. I was just expecting the usual "run on the treadmill until you can run no more", but it has changed slightly. Unfortunately. So there's the usual warm-up. Next up is a standing jump. My wife tells me this measures leg power. Next up, the standard run until failure. Or, in my case, run until my elbows go tingly - usually a sign that I'm going to fall over and my arms won't support me.
Generously, there is a small break. Then, the incline gets cranked to max (15%), speed goes up to 10k pace, and they time how long it takes you to fail. Again.
Felt extremely light headed after this session, so I went into the Endurance Store for a coffee and a chat with Richard Bardon until I felt normal enough to drive home. Stats remained mostly the same, I lasted a minute longer or so though. 16 week plan to smash the Highland Fling to follow, starts on the 6th of January. Can't wait.
Saturday 21st December: the Tour de Helvellyn. As I have mentioned before, there were a lot of fast runners entered into this, so I was looking forward to seeing how I stood with them, although Marcus Scotney was a DNS and Andy Mouncey was taking easy.
The weather I can only describe as "interesting". 70+mph winds, some rain, some surface flooding. And it was a headwind the whole way out.
So, I was feeling good as I set out at 8:15am. That good feeling lasted for about 6 miles when I realised that a) I had somehow stopped my Garmin just as I had started it, and b) I couldn't get any real speed up. I came to terms with that briefly, until Andrew Higgins caught up with me. We had a chat, and I kept with him until nearly Sticks Pass where he disappeared into the distance. At some point Ed Catmur trotted past me, and Anthony Bethell passed me just before Grizedale Tarn.
I just kept trotting along, feeling great but unable to race. On the climb out of Howtown I noticed a funny white thing poking out the side of my shoe. Great, shoes dying. At the top of the climb, I must have caught it on something, as the whole Dynamic Fascia Band thing twisted sideways, so I had to stop and remove it. At this point Tracy Dean caught up with me, and then I had to shift along a bit to keep up with her, as she knew the way back and I didn't!
I finished in 7:24, in 21st place. Disappointed with both the time and the result, but still very happy with how well my legs fared, and that I can happily suck back TORQ gels for 7.5 hours with no stomach issues. Looking back over the previous 3 weekends, I can see why I was flat for the run.
Thanks TORQ for fuelling my run, sorry it was a bit pants!
Today (Friday 27th December) The Notts AC Xmas Relays. Teams of 4, 2.4 mile course. I hate short runs. Got round in 14:24, legs felt a bit flat, unsurprisingly. Our "A" team came 2nd, then team I was in 18th. My eldest daughter, however, was truly awesome, doing the 2km fun run in 21:22, and running the entire way! Not bad for a 3 year old...
Friday 27 December 2013
Friday 13 December 2013
A fell race, and a road half marathon.
I should do this more often really.
On the 1st of December, myself and club-mate Kieran travelled down to Cardington, Shropshire, to run in the Cardington Cracker, a 9 mile, 2600ft fell race. For once, it wasn't either 2 feet deep in snow, or covered in sheet ice. My best time previously was 1:31, and somewhere around 30th, and I had heard that it was the final counting race for Mercia's championship, so I wasn't hopeful. Also, couldn't let Kieran beat me!
Managed, for once, to get a good start and not get baulked up the first incline, with Kieran just in front. A short sharp climb, a small descent then it's straight up the side of the Lawley. Damn near vertical, so lucky it's not that big! Somehow kept close to Kieran (he's pretty epic up the side of a hill), then it's a lovely descent, where I nipped past him. A slog over couple of fields, then up the side of Caer Caradoc. Not as steep as Lawley, but goes on a bit longer. Kieran in front again, but not getting away (Amazing how, out of the 200 people there, the only one I was really focused on beating was my club-mate...). Down the ridge, then down the side (bloody steep), vaulted a fence (thankfully nailed it as there were witnesses), to the stream, across then a looooooong runnable climb. Or at least, should have been runnable. This is where I lost any hope of getting in the top 10. Downed a TORQ gel, but still had to walk most of it (although did pass someone who was "running" up it).
Down a road/bridleway thing then up Hope Bowdler hill, towards Willstone Hill. It's undulating along the top, and hard work. Spotted Simon White from TORQ on the top. Vaulted another stile on a descent to keep close to Kieran, then passed him on the steep downhill from Willstones. Tried to push it up the other side, but my quads weren't willing. Pushed it all the way along the top, then down the final fields to the finish.
Managed to get in front with 2 fields to go (superior stile technique), and managed to hold it over the line. 12th place, in 1:24:43. Kieran in 13th place, 1:24:45. Extremely happy with the time, and my performance up most of the hills. Definitely wouldn't have achieved the time or place if I wasn't racing with Kieran, top10 next year!
The 8th of December was my yearly road half marathon, the Keyworth Turkey Trot. I quite like it, it's scenic, not flat, and The Derby Runner do a stall there that I make my yearly road shoe purchase (this time, Mizuno Ronin 5, £30, stoked). Had no idea what was going to happen in this race, as my last real road race was back in February, where I achieved a 5 mile pb. I made no targets, no goals, just to run. I stuck with that until I saw a pack of 3 Long Eaton runners in front, a couple of which had been lording it over me for Notts AAA Summer League whilst I was feeling "off". Sensible thoughts out, race on.
By the time mile 3, and the "hill of doom" had passed, we were down to a group of 3 - Mark Boot, from Long Eaton, and the eventual V45 1st place (10th or 11th overall). We stuck together until mile 10, where Mark fell off the back of me,and I fell off the back of the other bloke (also, at this point recorded my fastest ever 10 mile time of just over 1 hour!). Overtook 2 more runners between there and the finish, crossing the line in 1:19:54, cracking the 80 minute barrier and coming in 13th out of 850 or so. Also, only 5 minutes behind 1st place.
Almost makes me want to do a flat one, just to see how fast I could go.
Mondays sports massage, however put me off - the most painful ever. Even after 40 miles, my legs feel loads better than after 13 on the road.
Things up and coming. I have a VO2 max test tomorrow (Saturday 14th), with a 16 week training plan to follow to get me sorted for the Highland Fling. A week on Saturday, (21st) I have the Tour de Helvellyn. That's going to hurt, as I'm up against nearly the who's who of British Ultra-running. Ed Catmur, Marcus Scotney, Steve Birkinshaw, Forest Bethell, Andy Mouncey. It's going to be hell just to get into the top 10!
On the 1st of December, myself and club-mate Kieran travelled down to Cardington, Shropshire, to run in the Cardington Cracker, a 9 mile, 2600ft fell race. For once, it wasn't either 2 feet deep in snow, or covered in sheet ice. My best time previously was 1:31, and somewhere around 30th, and I had heard that it was the final counting race for Mercia's championship, so I wasn't hopeful. Also, couldn't let Kieran beat me!
Managed, for once, to get a good start and not get baulked up the first incline, with Kieran just in front. A short sharp climb, a small descent then it's straight up the side of the Lawley. Damn near vertical, so lucky it's not that big! Somehow kept close to Kieran (he's pretty epic up the side of a hill), then it's a lovely descent, where I nipped past him. A slog over couple of fields, then up the side of Caer Caradoc. Not as steep as Lawley, but goes on a bit longer. Kieran in front again, but not getting away (Amazing how, out of the 200 people there, the only one I was really focused on beating was my club-mate...). Down the ridge, then down the side (bloody steep), vaulted a fence (thankfully nailed it as there were witnesses), to the stream, across then a looooooong runnable climb. Or at least, should have been runnable. This is where I lost any hope of getting in the top 10. Downed a TORQ gel, but still had to walk most of it (although did pass someone who was "running" up it).
Down a road/bridleway thing then up Hope Bowdler hill, towards Willstone Hill. It's undulating along the top, and hard work. Spotted Simon White from TORQ on the top. Vaulted another stile on a descent to keep close to Kieran, then passed him on the steep downhill from Willstones. Tried to push it up the other side, but my quads weren't willing. Pushed it all the way along the top, then down the final fields to the finish.
Managed to get in front with 2 fields to go (superior stile technique), and managed to hold it over the line. 12th place, in 1:24:43. Kieran in 13th place, 1:24:45. Extremely happy with the time, and my performance up most of the hills. Definitely wouldn't have achieved the time or place if I wasn't racing with Kieran, top10 next year!
The 8th of December was my yearly road half marathon, the Keyworth Turkey Trot. I quite like it, it's scenic, not flat, and The Derby Runner do a stall there that I make my yearly road shoe purchase (this time, Mizuno Ronin 5, £30, stoked). Had no idea what was going to happen in this race, as my last real road race was back in February, where I achieved a 5 mile pb. I made no targets, no goals, just to run. I stuck with that until I saw a pack of 3 Long Eaton runners in front, a couple of which had been lording it over me for Notts AAA Summer League whilst I was feeling "off". Sensible thoughts out, race on.
By the time mile 3, and the "hill of doom" had passed, we were down to a group of 3 - Mark Boot, from Long Eaton, and the eventual V45 1st place (10th or 11th overall). We stuck together until mile 10, where Mark fell off the back of me,and I fell off the back of the other bloke (also, at this point recorded my fastest ever 10 mile time of just over 1 hour!). Overtook 2 more runners between there and the finish, crossing the line in 1:19:54, cracking the 80 minute barrier and coming in 13th out of 850 or so. Also, only 5 minutes behind 1st place.
Almost makes me want to do a flat one, just to see how fast I could go.
Mondays sports massage, however put me off - the most painful ever. Even after 40 miles, my legs feel loads better than after 13 on the road.
Things up and coming. I have a VO2 max test tomorrow (Saturday 14th), with a 16 week training plan to follow to get me sorted for the Highland Fling. A week on Saturday, (21st) I have the Tour de Helvellyn. That's going to hurt, as I'm up against nearly the who's who of British Ultra-running. Ed Catmur, Marcus Scotney, Steve Birkinshaw, Forest Bethell, Andy Mouncey. It's going to be hell just to get into the top 10!
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