Training Log: ColmM

2x 5min, hadn’t planned lots (3x 5min), but still had to cut out the middle rep as ankle got sore.
Running with Emily, the pace had felt easy until it started aggravating and I could tell doing the 2nd would be silly. Doing the 3rd wasn’t necessary either, but I’d gotten it to settle so hopped in anyway.
Maintaining a little bit of speedwork has been good for me, but the ankle doesn’t always find it easy.
Got to keep on top of the gym, but I think in this case the lacklustre gym session last night mixed with the legs after the weekend was a little much.
Still, we race tomorrow.

Easy solo craiglockhart pre-gym

A sad gym sessions as we spent most of it waiting on a squat rack that never came free. Still got mediocre work done, but none of the good stuff.
Think I might try get some yoga in soon, that would probably the best thing for my ankle issues.

Short blackford pootle with Thomas. Ankle a little stiff but mostly alright, heel is quite sore from yesterday’s pounding too.

Ben Lomond
Yikes. Had a real shitter.
Didn’t sleep enough quite any evening in the last week, but this is pretty par for the course so didn’t think too much of it, but compounded by the heat, a lack of hydration and slightly heavy legs, I capitulated pretty quickly.
I felt alright on the initial fire road with Tim, and as we turned up the forest it started to feel a little like hard work. I was reduced to a walk far sooner than I should have been and started to slowly creep backwards. I tried not to worry because nobody was going away particularly quickly, but I was cooking very hot already. This continued and the walking got slower and slower out on the mountain. I could see a couple of others struggling a little ahead and tried to hold solace, but it was hard to get away from the negative thoughts. I resisted the mental urges to dnf, that would have been truly embarrassing, and then soon saw Tim & Eddie slowly walking up ahead which finally provided some hope.
Ellen came by and I thought she might drag me up to them, but nope she went straight through me, and I trudged after them. Eventually I did get to the two of them and joined the weak brigade.
We suffered up together, the mental failure and lack of self-respect was a bit embarrassing, but I also genuinely didn’t have more to go faster in me. I told the boys I still wanted to scalp them on the way down, so after a short team pit stop for water and treats at the top, we started going down actually quite quickly. Both set off too fast for me, Eddie was flying, I still felt wrecked. On the steeper grass I got back by Tim and Thomas Knox, and the three of us faked a battle down the hill, but lower down my legs did start to come undone again and I had to give in a bit.
Hearing from Sasha (&eddie, who gave up again) that Thomas was near gave enough surge to do the forest descent quick, and then just struggled safely home.
So I scalped Eddie & Tim, great day.

Another recce of next week’s handicap. Some good line analysing with Tim, followed by a run over to Stockbridge to link up with Steve, finally followed by a run over to Dash’s for a short BBQ appearance.
All in all a bit more than I bargained for, probably not perfect for tomorrow but not taking it too seriously.

Carnethy reps - parlaauf triplets with Sam & Tim.
Tough session running 2 laps on / 1 lap rest (~4min on / 2min off), with a varying partner for each lap. So one lap with Tim, one with Sam, then one rest while they went together.
The dynamic made it pretty tough! Shorter recoveries than most sessions and the nature of running with a couple others with varying freshness meant you really worked quite hard.
Lots of fun, felt like I was running strongly, with Tim & Sam. Good work.