Training Log Archive: Mark3

Edit: 15th/141
http://www.holmfirthharriers.com/assets/documents/...
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Wow...tough race. I vastly underestimated the length of time this would take due to comparing the distance/climb with Kentmere last week and concluding it would be about 2:20 - if I'd taken the more sensible step of looking at previous results I might have twigged that 2:20 would've broken the course record...

Set off quite fast but elected (lol) to let the leading pack get away. After a mile or so and the first descent they were pretty much out of sight. This was quite steep and I took it quite gingerly, probably annoying the people behind me. Then also struggled a bit with the contouring along the narrow trod to Holme Moss. Once we got onto Tooleyshaw the going was a bit better (although boggy), I was more or less on my own now but one guy did pass me which was lucky as I then followed him and didn't have to worry about navigating.unfortunately just before the final descent to Crowden he stopped to do a shoelace and I overtook and then had to get the map out, curse at 1:50k and then guess - luckily I was right. But overtaken by some more people coming out of Crowden; not sure where they came from as no-one had been in sight;maybe they'd taken a worse line down and I'd passed them without realising?not sure.with them up to Bareholme but they dropped me going down to the stream and up to Laddow rocks. This was easily the hardest bit of the course as it wasn't only hands-required steep it was also a mixture of deep bracken, bilberry and hidden rocks, with no discernible trod.I think maybe a higher line might've been better here but I was following as wasnt sure which course sections we had to keep to the route and which it was free choice.

Once we got to the pennine way I got passed everyone that had overtaken since Crowden, one person after watching him falling neck deep in a stream (he remarked that he was now 2kgs heavier). From black hill to Holme Moss was a tough off path 2k through the boggy tussocks which I didn't remember from the map and found very hard.it was at this point I realised that the course was going to be further than the advertised 25.5k.

There was no one for miles ahead of me now so just tried to keep going at a reasonable pace to get away from the guy behind before the final climb.I reckoned I had at least a minute about 1k before it started.but then when we got there I saw someone ahead that I hadn't seen since the start, and I could still see him at the top, so I put in a bit of effort along the road and caught him with about a mile to go.felt quite bad overtaking on the road when he'd done all the proper fell running better than me...but not that bad. Pleased that I had enough left for 3 sub 3:50ks at the end (they were mostly downhill though).

15th place; happy. Gained a whole two minutes in that last mile!

Peter Bray won in an amazing 2:34, over 7 mins ahead of 2nd, pretty impressive.

My lesson is that for anything over 2 hours I need to take some real food rather than just shot bloks - didn't feel they were quite cutting it near the end.

http://www.parkrun.org.uk/wilmslow/results/weeklyr...

Glad I ran a recce lap in advance as the course description was very misleading as to the surface!

2 small hills twice each, but mostly flat course along a path by a river. Scenic. Not too busy. Overtaken by a small child after about 1k (3:30) but I don't think he did the whole course? He disappeared pretty soon anyway.

Pleased with the time after no speedwork for months now.

Easy along the river and back from Prestbury.

First race wearing new vest :) lots of Macclesfield Harriers there as it's one of our club races. Got to meet a lot more people which was nice. Good cake afterwards which is always the main thing.

Constant rain varying in intensity throughout. Climb seemed to go on and on... Probably in 12th or so place after the first few km but steadily got people back on the very quick downhill and ended up coming 5th; happy with that. New fastest mile in 5:10.

Some very slippery boardwalk sections and in the rain trail shoes were the right choice, road would've been fine in the dry.

First MH Track session.
Started with 4 c.360m loops on a grassy bank, about 8m climb each, all about 1:50. I was pretty tired after this; wasn't sure how hard we were meant to try.
Then drills; fairly similar to Bristol.
Then 6x400(60s); there were 12 but those of us racing tomorrow did 6.

400s: 78,80,80,81,80,79

Thought the garmin was broken as it was measuring these as about 320m - but it turns out the GPS was turned off, so it was just using the accelerometer. So actually ran quite a lot further than it says!

Not bad for about 3 months off. Took a bit of getting used to 'on your marksGo' with no gap, rather than Keith's 3-2-1-go. Also it's a nice old woman.

Bought the new vest, which is grey in advance - hooray!

Social and sedate. More road than usual apparently as we went to look at the scarecrows in Rainow.
Will make a good recovery run after racing on Sundays; good way of getting in some more climb compared to Bristol. Very scenic.