Training Log Archive: Leon

Well this was not ideal.
Had planned to do a trot down to Wrexham General from Minera for the train to Shrewsbury but had trouble finding the key to lock my Dad's door. Therefore had 29 minutes to get the train.
Luckily it is pretty much all downhill so was able to knock out 3.5 x 5:50's once I got going and just made the train.
Route choice coming into Wrexham was interesting, went past the Morrison's rather than the hospital which I think just about works road wise, but think there are some footpaths round the hospital which could swing it the otherway.
The backpack I was running with rubbed my back to bits, and I was now exhausted 90 mins before the parkrun...

Slowly down the Severn

Shrewsbury parkrun #1 - 6th - 17:00
Fantastic turnout of 250+
Course is 1.5 laps of park inc 1 hill and 2 downhills (so net downhill) then an out and back down the river, final lap of the park, and finish 300m down the out and back.
Sadly despite working my arse off, legs just wouldn't go fast enough.
This was a shame as it was a cracking race at the front, I had a good view as I clung to the back of the first 6 round the first lap but they stretched away on the second downhill. Certainly the guy winning at the turnaround point finished one place ahead of me so it was a battle royale. Managed a 5:18 first mile but only 5:38 for the second. Had a bit of a second wind and managed to push on and overtake the guy ahead for 6th. Watch said 16:59 but we all know what that means.
Pleasing to run that quick on tired legs, essentially done 10k of tempo work this morning.

Goosed

Meeting in Leeds at 10, so this meant a morning run.
Sheer purgatory, the second mile seemed to last half an hour.
Don't know how other people do this regularly on a work day.

Running with my Dad on the Holywell railway path, with some minute efforts for him along the way.

Racecourse and Millenium Bridge
Plodding along merrily

As I didn't go down to the club on Tuesday, thought I'd go tonight.
But no one else did.
So I was running with a promising kid called Kieran who has been up with me on the fartleks and we ran up through Middleton woods, round to the ridge and back on the golf course by which time it was dark so back on the roads to finish with 6x25secs hill sprints where he cleaned me up.
Pace of the run was good, 6:25 ave and felt very good.

C • There were only 10 of us on... 2

Down to the Knavesmire for a 3 mile tempo effort
5:58/5:41/5:32 miles
Have felt better and fresher but the effort was certainly there and could have kept going I think.
Hamstring a little tight running back to the office.

Up to Holgate windmill and back down Bootham Road
Just easy, legs felt OK, not great but head felt a bit under the weather as if as cold is coming, which wouldn't be a suprise given about 10 people have told me they've had one in the last week.
Finger crossed it won't develop further.

Ravensthorpe and Dewsbury Golf Club loop, with Mick
A great loop, almost all off road, with a long old climb from 2-3.5mi
Pace was relaxed but not overly easy, and I felt better the longer we went on. Perfect evening for running, cool, still.

C • Are we going to be seeing a... 2

Otley Golf Club loop.
Let's just say I was not feeling fresh.
But have felt worse.

Event: London City Race
 

1mi w/up around start, 1m w/down around finish feeling terrible.

London City Race - M21E, 13th, 56:07
A definite runners course, so a shame my legs were in bits after yesterday.
Honestly think I could have run 2 mins quicker at least if fresh, so maybe come about 7th. However, that's my choice to race three times this weekend and so I can't complain really.
Looking at the splits, only two issues really, otherwise just running a bit slower than everyone else. In actual fact set off a bit slower than usual on basis of long course & tired legs and a good thing I did or I really would have gone out of the back door. As it was just about managed to keep going to the end, was in a far worse state than yesterdays races.
If any one is reading, please provide a water station at some point next year and I will be very grateful!
Anyway, the two issues mentioned above, namely legs S-1 and 8-9, set off to 1 with the aim of going through the canopy marked running NE/SW at 2 o'clock off Westferry circus. However on running through the square where 9 is, looked ahead and couldn't see an underpass or passage, only some doors at the base of the builiding, which were shut. On the basis the final instructions said 'Do not enter buildings or indoor shopping arcades' I went round the the south. Clearly the map suggests it is passable but really it is the doors that put me off, I would think doors suggest you are entering a building. Looking at the splits everyone else must have gone through, and back 8-9 which I didn't do either. Perhaps I was a bit naive, but, and I've checked on street view, to all intents and purposes this looks like a building.
Apart from that, other observations
1-2 Went east and down steps
3-4 went under first bridge, slightly hesitantly, may have been better going over both bridges At least I didn't cross the uncrossable fence like the guy I saw out of 4.
5-6, should have gone east from 5 but went back through 3.
9-10, down steps
10-11, under DLR station
11-12 approached 12 from N overshot slightly
14-15, west route
15-16 west route, cut straight to under DLR via car park, could have zig zagged further E
16-17 Overshot slightly on underpass
18-19 spent a few seconds working out which side control was
20-21 kept thinking this was a trick and you couldn't just nail it down the river
21-22 to south of stables and followed path
23-24 came out at Mudchute and went south, should prob have gone north
26-27 via riverbank
27-28 approached from the north, closer look suggests south better
28-29 via Island Gardens

Still, much better than 29th last year, but simple courses this year.
Enjoyable all the same, great atmosphere

1. Mens Elite - Splits