Training Log Archive: Psuba

The Stickler - 2017 edition.

The skies have scared us giving us some showers at the start and looked quite dark - but they have gone away and the rest of the run was nice weather for a run - but some parts very muddy and puddles in places (as expected).

So, not being in very good shape I knew this was a training type event and wasn't gunning for my earlier times. I had 1 goal and 2 optionals:
- run the uphills as far as I could, preferably without any walks, even if it is a slow jog. Basically trying to eliminate as much of the 4 places where I had walked before.
- If I can, be sub-1:30
- If I can, stick with some clubmates as "pacers" (Alan, Jason, or Andy)

Well on this basis I can claim one partial tick....

The first plan to run the uphills lasted all the way until the beginning of the first climb... :( I probably lasted shorter than the first time I attempted this, so was pretty disappointed, but my legs just weren't cooperating. In recent training, it was my lungs that could not carry me, I solved that with the changed breathing pattern - this time it was my legs. Maybe doing those uphill intervals yesterday wasn't a great idea after all...
So Alan, Jason and Andy both got ahead at this point, but once it levelled out, I pretty much had the same pace so I could see them a bit further ahead. On the downhill, to around 4 miles I even caught Jason up, and almost Andy too. The uphill at the end of the downhill in the Shillingstone hills is a nasty one due to the switch of pace/effort, and I had to walk some of it both times before. This time I have in fact managed to not break down and ran this all the way - even though Jason was slightly faster, but this is the only win I can claim for today, so I'll take it.

On the steep street downhill to the main road out of the Shillingstone hills I took my first gel, as usual, leaving Jason behind - which lasted until the second drinks point where, given my lack of motivation to push, I actually stopped to drink and Jason went past. From this point on I never caught him again - I did see him for a while but my troubles started, as usual, on the second hill (Hod hill), this time not so much my lack of energy in the legs, but my sciatica started to play up... so I had to slow down and walk a bit more than my physical shape forced me to. I think I pretty much slowly drifted back from Jason at this point. The nest sections went as they usually do for me - overtaking lots of people on the downhills as I had better technique, they all coming back overtaking me on the uphills as I had less power - a couple of people yoyoing (myself included) on the long drag up to Hambledon, before coming again to the last steep downhill at around 8.5 miles, again overtaking a bunch of overly cautious people. As soon as I hit the bottom of the downhill, I felt something wasn't quite right though - I have effectively hit a wall. I have basically ran out of energy completely. Thinking back, it is obvious - whilst in previous Sticklers I have managed on 1 gel, this time I had a worse shape, so the same effort actually took more energy out of me and so the first gel actually ran out slightly earlier timewise, and as I was slower, this pretty much meant that I mismanaged my energy intake. It was at this point too late, of course, to remedy, so I just suffered the last bit way slower than I normally should - which meant that I missed even my 1:30 target, which, whilst not a great time, was still achievable at the top of the last descent.

As I have learnt, Alan finished 1:36ish, Andy 1:38ish and Jason 1:30ish, so really I had reasonable targets, but both finished ahead in the end. Ian did about 1:45 which is great for his age, not sure about the other clubmates/friends etc. I know RHF must have been way ahead as expected, hopefully enjoying the race but I really only saw him at the start and at the finish.

As it is, just another well organised event and a great running route, but not much personal satisfaction, unfortunately.

Bournemouth Parkrun #222

Did not have a chance to get out there in the week (travel + work), so needed something to turn the legs over before tomorrow. It will be painful anyway... so decided to use this as a jog to flush out the lactic acid and gremlins, and tick off another attendance but don't tire the legs much - and get to the NWO event after (it is a tight schedule) and run the Blue there. Got there just in time so no chance to find anyone, jogged off with the back of the field and steadily went through it until about halfway I caught up with Ian. Ran the rest of it together chatting and enjoying not feeling the need to push anywhere.

Not sure what my HR was doing in zone 5...

Backhome getting bread

Right, the road was closed driving to the NWO event, so had to turn back as I would not have made it there in time with the detour.

Decided to instead stop at Ramsdown and do some terrain running training, I need to pick that up anyway as the evidence of the last few races show - I am poor in terrain.

Jogged out to find a good spot and did 10x uphill terrain intervals, then jogged up the spur to the viewpoint. Lovely weather and great spot to look around in that weather.

Rainy morning but decided that's no excuse.

Skipped the relays yesterday as a.) I did not have a competitive relay having been bumped from the Spari #1 team (absolutely correctly) based on current form, and did not fancy driving 4+ hours just to run a bit at the back of the field and b.) I'd rather spend the limited time with family when I am over here.

That meant effectively a rest day so I had to put in some training today, especially seeing it is unlikely that I will be able to do so tomorrow due to travel + work.

So an early morning to get this done before work.

Ran up to the water tower on the Buda hills, a route we ran usually as the peak of winter training regime when I was little, but nowadays I use this to check my stamina etc. fairly regularly as this is a tough to medium climb all the way to the halfway point.

Not surprising that I was off by a couple of minutes from my time in the spring where I was in much better shape, but still not a catastrophe. I had to walk a little bit of the middle of the Diana steps, a shame but then did a bit of self-analysis and found that it really wasn't my legs that could not cope but my oxygen supply, so switched to a breathing pattern of 1 out - 2 in, which is more rapid than the 2-2 I have used so far on the most strenuous efforts. It was unusual and I had to force it a bit, but it seemed to work and I got a bit better through this section and was able to pick up the running mechanics a bit more. Not sure how much the slowdown was due to rain/wind/slippery surface, but hope to build on this going forward. Will be interesting to see how I do on the Stickler on Sunday.