Running1:25:53 16.19 km (5:18 / km) +930m4:07 / km ahr:174 max:190 shoes: Walsh PB Racer
Rydal Round FR - 2nd.
Just managed to dash across after work this morning to get there. Set off conservatively, given the heat and settled in behind Rhys on the first climb with Ricky and Garry way off front. Caught back up with Garry at the top of Nab Scar but lost a bit of time to him and Rhys when I missed a line on Heron Pike. Back on them below Great Rigg, passing Garry then chasing Rhys up the Fairfield climb. Kinda stuck to the plan to hear, wanted to be in contact before the descent started. From here pushed on a bit to catch Rhys and got level below the Dove Crag climb. Then it was just a case of trying to find the lines down the ridge to the finish, definiely owe Rhys one for shouting a few to me! Kept sight of Ricky but would have been a hard catch in the end. Managed to hold Rhys off on the fast stuff at the end to come in about 15s~ down on Ricky. Another really positive performance. Been a pretty tough week because I was front loading before the Scottish so had planned to take it easy, but these are cool races and it would be a shame to miss them with my limited time here. Think I could have gone better without a session yesterday but pleased that I feel confident enough to go after races at the minute and feel like I'm back to backing myself a bit now. Really enjoyed it.
Running warm up/down 35:00 [1] 7.0 km (5:00 / km) shoes: Walsh PB Racer
Various.
3 PM
Running15:38 2.74 km (5:42 / km) +257m3:53 / km ahr:173 max:189 shoes: Walsh PB Racer
Ambleside Senior Guides Race - 5th.
Despite being spanked from the earlier efforts, I haven't run a guides race yet and was loath to miss out on the fun. Knew I wasn't going to really be in contention but thought I could hold my own and enjoy it. Found the climb tough, just not much going on leg wise and felt pretty spent. Descended alright but just didn't have the legs on the faster stuff so Charlie pulled away on the flat with Josh, Matt and Si a bit ahead. Awesome fun though, will definitely get to as many more of these as I can before leaving.
Running warm up/down 20:14 4.2 km (4:49 / km) +27m4:40 / km ahr:133 max:155 shoes: Nike Zoom Pegasus 35
Running hills 43:02 [4] 8.05 km (5:21 / km) +445m4:11 / km ahr:141 max:181 shoes: Nike Zoom Pegasus 35
5x800m(+90m~) hills. This was a genuinely horrible session. 100m steep, slippery climb to the track before a continuous grind up for the rest, repeat. So kinda chucked straight in to the red then just trying to keep fighting that line until the turn around. Didn't really enjoy it until the final recovery down, not that I didn't want to do it, just think I underestimated how hard this would be! Good session.
Running warm up/down 21:43 [2] 4.37 km (4:58 / km) ahr:140 max:148 shoes: Nike Zoom Pegasus 35
Running1:45:54 18.04 km (5:52 / km) +932m4:40 / km ahr:156 max:183 shoes: Walsh PB Elite (2)
Little Man, Skiddaw and Longscale. Felt alright for the most part just ticking along but got tired coming off hills at the end. Pretty horrible middle hour of this, howling wind and wall to wall clag but makes for good training I guess.
Running warm up/down 14:31 3.01 km (4:49 / km) +50m4:27 / km ahr:148 max:164 shoes: Walsh PB Racer
Running55:29 9.33 km (5:57 / km) +732m4:16 / km ahr:157 max:183 shoes: Walsh PB Racer
Coniston Country Fair FR - 1st
Looking forward to this, always like Coniston as a hill and a place. Pretty much solo from the go but this was a fun race. Start was very sedate and felt cruisey until the moor where I decided to push on from the front and extend my gap. Moved well across the moorland section but never felt like I was reaching for it and hit the steep climb up to the quarry with a reasonable lead. Fine up to the quarry then it was prettt clahgy to the top and didn't really have much of an idea of lines so just hashed something together. Pretty nervy and hesitant all the way before hitting a trod closer to the tourist path than expected and worked my way to the summit. Decided to play it safe in fhe clag and take the same route down as I didn't fancy the arguably faster but riskier descent to the west. Didn't really know where to turn off but took a rough bearing and thought I'd eventually hit the quarry and then just keep it on my left before dropping. This worked but again, wasn't massively efficient or sure about it but pushed to make sure it wasn't a problem. Back down to the moor and checked back to see about a 40s~ lead over Tom so put in a dig over the moor and back down the track to extend it to around 1:25 by the finish.
Whilst it wasn't a massive turnout, this felt really good today. Winning a race outright has seemingly eluded me in past months so it felt great to cross the line with a big grin on my face and it definitely helped to put some demons to rest a bit. Only 3mins~down on the record but lost a lot on caution and hesitation on the way up and an inefficient line on the way down. Not saying that I would have got it by any means, but it's nice that even on what was relatively not a great run by me, I can still shove out some reasonable times. Found a nice consistency in recent weeks and feel much more settled with my running. As I said, I know this wasn't a major race and the competition wasn't stella but a win is a win and I'm relieved to have gotten one! Hopefully a fun end to the summer with some good races lined up until the end of September.
Running warm up/down 18:44 3.04 km (6:09 / km) ahr:144 max:165 shoes: Walsh PB Elite (2)
Running1:59:10 16.78 km (7:06 / km) +1294m5:07 / km ahr:157 max:185 shoes: Walsh PB Elite (2)
Coledale Horseshoe in the split. Felt fairly strong and good to move on some steep rough ground. One minor ankle roll coming off Grizedale but otherwise just keeping it easy throughout.