Training Log Archive: Duncan

Fed up of being told to think about injuries so went and was going to decide whether to race or not on my warm up. Taped the ankle multiple times to be safe and went to test our the first couple of fields on the climb. Running uphill was fine and descending as I normally do was too so was up for giving it a good go.

With the ankle I've not run for a fortnight and hadn't done much before that so knew I was a bit low on fitness but thought I might be okay if it was steep enough to slow people down so that muscles were the limiting factor not lungs.

I made sure I was on the front this time and we set off. My tactic was the same as Arncliffe - to dig in and stick right behind whoever was at the front - except this time Hector showed up and went out fast from the start. He got a little gap just on the road but on the steep muddy rise into the first field I got on his heels. I went across the track in 2nd with Jack Wood behind me and up the next long field it was an orienteering 1-2-3 at the front which was cool.

Everywhere was really wet and we crossed into the next field and were climbing a sodden quad bike track which was pretty tough. By this point I was definitely feeling the pace and saw a Ted Mason train coming up a parallel track to the left so dug in a bit more. After the tracks came together though Hector was slipping away and I was definitely holding people up. In the few meters before and after the fell gate I snapped and dropped from 2nd to 9th.

Onto the open fell part of the climb I was a few meters behind Jack and could hear a guy behind me slowly gaining on me. Near the top he passed me then Jack but we all wern't too far apart at the summit cairn.

They went on the 'Ted Mason rough heather route' to the right but I stuck to the traditional mega rocky straight down route I did last year where I could see where I was putting my dodgy foot. The Halifax guy who's been at the other BOFRA races this year was about 30m in front but I didn't gain much on him by the foot of the rocky section and in the fast less steep field he got way ahead. Came into the lowest field as Jack was entering a little lower down after his route choice. Thought I might just be able to get him but it was too far. Finished 10th +2.03, the guy who over took me near the top was 7th.

Glad I did it. Was fun trying to stay with Hector and was surprised I did for so long but the hill was twice as high as at Arncliffe and I knew my fitness would struggle to handle it. Maybe could have pushed harder on the fell part of the climb. Just don't seem to be able to do this descent fast, not so good on steps so maybe that's why the first rocky bit is slow and the lower field isn't technical enough.Perhaps some course practice would help.

Went out with baggy shorts and a fleece thinking I was going to take it easy but that didn't last long. The ankle wasn't complaining and it probably ended up being the hardest I've ever pushed on a bike. Maybe rests are underrated.

Went to see a physio; told me to MTFU and start using it properly. Was really stiff so did some simple flexibility work. Went for a jog, started off scared but was happy to push it in a straight line by the end. Left hamstring super tight, right hip-flexor super tight. Will be walking normally from now on and might try a bike tomorrow.

More walking: slowly with foot not straight.

Quite bad. Swollen. Hopped around a lot.

Wharfedale is usually a pretty successful hunting ground so was keen to have a go. This was a new race for me and looking in the calendar it was short but didn't look as steep as I'd like.

Got entered and went to have a look at the course which turned out to be a bit like the Kilnsey Crag race. There was a good 4-500m of flat fast track between some dry stone walls then it began to tilt up into a steep field alongside a broken wall. At the top of the first field you passed though a gate and then did a triangle with a steep first side to a flagged cairn, then along an undulating ridge run with patches of limestone to the second cairn, before a grassy shallow diagonal back to the gate where you went back the way you came up.

It was a championship counter with a few guys I didn't recognise but who looked quite fast so was looking forward to a competitive race. Did feel a bit weak during my warm up but thought I'd be okay on a short race (the record was 10.15). After having a fairly decent run at Ambleside the other week and seeing how some of the faster guys ran I decided my strategy would be to dig in and tail either Ted or Nixon to the summit, however hard it was, and just see what happened on the way down.


The start was quite narrow and I wasn't on the front row so got boxed in a bit away from the leaders where Todd was pushing it. It was really hard to overtake with the walls close on either side so me and Nixon who was also fannying around had to make a bit of an effort to get past whenever it widened.

When we got into the field though everyone slowed and there was bit more room. Ian Holmes went to the right of the wall but I followed Ted and Ian to the left. I wasn't finding it too hard and was thinking that my cycling must have been paying off seeing as I haven't been doing that much running. It turned out that following Ted was a pretty good tactic as after the gate he was in first and I was in second.

We turned at the top with me right on his heels. On the flat part he didn't up the pace too much and I was comfortable behind him and passed him as we approached the second cairn. As we turned I could see the two Ians were not too far behind but was happy to run my own race on the descent.

The first part wasn't too technical and from the cheering as we went through the gate it sounded like Ian had overtaken Ted. On the steep part I maybe lost a few meters in the middle but not that much and kept Ian behind me as we hit the flat. This was where I was expecting everyone to come past but wasn't feeling too bad (probably 'cos it was so short) and was keen to finish the job properly.

I don't think I pushed absolutely as hard as I could have as I wanted to save something in case of a sprint finish but he didn't seem to be gaining any more on me. Couldn't relax though until the finish line and ended with Ian about 5-10m behind me and Ted the same behind him. 1st.


Very very pleased to have won a race from some big fellrunning "superstars" as the commentator called them, lol. Was not what I had been expecting at all when I started. Tactics worked perfectly and was almost bit annoyed I hadn't got to the turn behind Ted/Holmes so I could see how our descending compared! Think maybe I was lucky I didn't get pushed too hard on the flat finish with my lack of intervals. Roll on the bank holiday weekend!

*Went over on my ankle on the descent somewhere and it is now pretty screwed - no running for while - not sure whether I would have sacrificed a win for an un-injured ankle - probably would have.

C • Well Done!! 3

Average there. Good back and got onto the tail of a pretty fast roadie on the way up Parry's Lane.

4 by a mile round West Dene which was a nice change. 5.26, 5.21, 5.19, 5.39. Was about as good as could be expected.

Out from Ralph's and cut down to the River with my dad. Along but then I lost him after I went to the toilets so just guessed the likely route to the park. Up Something Terrace and then could see Richmond Gate so all was fine. Just did a small loop rounds some woods and between some lakes then back. Feeling sloooow.

TTed up to the North Road entrance looking good but not feeling good. Was a bit more damp and slippy than expecting but nothing went wrong. Felt like the first loop went on for a long time (unfit/out of practice/forgettIng the route) and was slow on the hills. Second loop much faster in 16mins.

Cheering on the Brownlees with Ralph from various trees in Hyde Park.

Up Park Street and Brandon Hill pretty hard, down to the JWR roundabout, and a loop of the harbour back via Queen's Square. Forgot it was the 100m final so should have stopped and watched that in Milennium Sq.

Home, Anchor House, downstream along the Ure to the island, cut away from the river and got caught by some aggressive cows, along the road to Foxes Corner and the second right footpath towards BL, it was getting late so thought I should cut back across the fields to home but didn't really know where I was going so zig-zagged quite a bit and would have been faster finishing the run I'd planned :/