Training Log Archive: Becks

Quick strength session - had better make the most of the gym seeing as I probably won't have it past October.

Back squats 4 x 5 40, 40, 45, 45
Lunges with OH Press 4 x 8 20kg
Bent over row 4 x 5 30, 30, 35, 40
BB Roll outs 3 x 10
Single arm landmines 20kg 3 x 10

First time I've used my abs in a while, tomorrow will be interesting!

Cycle in - desperately need to pump my tyres up, cycling is hard work!

Hmm, I must still be tired from last week. This was supposed to be a relatively easy cruisey 4 miles at 7.30, which actually required the effort of a tempo run! Still it was mostly uphill, so I guess that makes me a little less pathetic.

First time in a very long time! Felt good! Can't believe I'm home by 6.15 having done all that training and loads of work. Amazing.

Feeling surprisingly sprightly, but promised myself an easy week so I am having one anyway. There has been a hideous amount of work done over the past four days, so tis probably for the best.

Next week I start getting fast again! Yes yes, I know it's coming up to autumn, but I always start the miles too early and get ill. So I'm going to spend a bit of time speeding up from my finely honed plod while I have little time, then go for the miles when I figure out where on earth I'm going to be by Christmas.

To work and back.

Ha ha, shouldn't have said that! Evening jog with Rob and I felt horrible - tight legs and tired - cycle was a struggle too! Oops. I think that means I need to eat more (in space of more, maybe the word "better" should be inserted - falling out with Olga is meaning my veg box is being seriously neglected).

Work and back.

Lovely sunny evening recovery jog with Rob. Out to Criaglockhart and back. Gorgeous light!

Photos!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/faintgirl/sets/721576...

At last, the Great Wilderness Challenge. We arrived to disappointment - the marshalls staying overnight near Shenavall had had to be airlifted out as the rivers were in spate, and far too deep to cross. So the route was changed, to 22 miles from Poolewe, along Kernsay loch, the more southerly edge of the Letterewe ridge (the original route but backwards), over one of the cols, back over and then a retrace of steps, finishing along the road the original route does.

So we hung around for an hour or so then got to the startline. I was feeling nervous but excited, I really had no idea what to expect. The pace was a bit quick for the first half an hour, my heart rate was up in the high 180s and I knew I wouldn't be able to maintain that. So I let the boys go, and settled to a pace hitting around 185 on the hills, and the high 170s on the flats. This seemed to work well, and I eased into that good cruising feeling when we got onto the flatter bit after the woods. That stayed, and when I hit Carnmore checkpoint I refused the offer of a glass of cold Riesling, and set off up the climb. It wasn't as steep as it looked on the map, and was all runnable, although I walked bits when that turned out quicker. I was at the top a lot sooner than I expected, and heading a lot way down the other side of the ridge. I suffered a bit from the choice of trainers here, not enough traction on the muddy paths. We dropped a loooong way to the next checkpoint, then turned back up over the ridge.

Got stuck for a few minutes behind a snoking walker that wasn't pleasant, and had my worst point of the race when the flat col seemed to go on for ever. When we hit the part of the route we'd already run, I knew there was only one major hill left, and dug in a bit deeper. Down to the wood, then onto the vehicle track and back to Poolewe. I'd remembered this as the shorter way back to Poolewe when it was actually longer, and the hamstrings really tightened. Luckily I'd been to-ing and froing throughout the race with a Chris from Peebles, and we pushed through together and kept the other running. At the top of a hill on the road I swore loudly and had to apologise to some ladies on the walk, but they giggled and said it was fine. I then rounded a corner to see Brooner and Grassie looking like they were struggling, and couldn't resist trying to get past. This gave them a bit of a boost and finally the bagpipes were heard in the distance, the digital timer appeared, and it was over.

Brilliant race, even with the distinctly second rate route. I would love to come back and do the full thing next year.

Photos to follow soon!

C • Brilliant 1

C • Nice work 1

C • Modest 3

Short run to work with 8 90 second efforts - not all out but cruisey fast. Felt okay - still scared about Saturday!

C • beats 1

After a weekend of feeling like absolute crap, I managed to get to bed and actually sleep at a decent time last night, slept well, and felt good this morning. So I ran to work a long way wearing the MudClaws - a little bit of worry under the right arch but the tape there seemed to prevent too much damage - slightly thicker socks and tape should do the trick I think. Kept the pace cruisey and felt good - pack was heavier than I hope it to be on Saturday. Good!

C • Count me in ... 2

Run into work with the Mudclaws, trying to join up as many small patches of grass as possible! Meadows, base of The Seat, in front of Parliament, the awesome green bit next to London Road, Gayfield square, a bit of tarmac on broughton St/Canonmills, more grass on Bellevue Crescent, Water of Leith, Inverleith Park, in. Surprising amount of grass, probably at least 25 minutes. Nice! Bit of blister under left arch - need to tape.

Sponsor me please! Great Wilderness Challenge http://www.greatwildernesschallenge.info/ is next Saturday. As you all know, the training has not gone well, so I need to impetus of lots of money for charity to get out there and go for it!

The charities nominated by the race are:

Red Cross
Children 1st
Highland Hospice
Crossroads

It's an old school sponsor form, so please pledge your amount below and I'll catch up with you after I've run to collect the dues.

Cheers!

C • Here y'are 4

This week I have been stuck in the lab for far too many hours, on a gruesome mouse foetus holocaust mission. It is now half over, but I have no energy for anything vaguely training related. I have been cycling in but only from Rob's so even for me, it's a bit short. Need lots of sleep before next weekend!

Ridiculous "run" home, stopping multiple times to call Rob, walk because I felt sick, go to the toilet, then I finally got properly running only to bump into Lobban and chat again. Feeling better by the end, but rather pathetic in general.

Picked the absolute wrong time to cycle a long way into the lab wearing normal clothes. I am now standing at my desk wearing a denim skirt that is actually dripping. The monsoon penetrated my goretex too and my top half is soaked to the skin. Just glad I was having a black and not white day! Nice cycle though. Got chatted up by a man cycling back from Asda. "Haven't I talked to you down here before?" Errr, no.

Started off jogging to the start, then got chatting to Trish Coombs and switched to a brisk walk, which was very pleasant. View of Schiehallion at the top was awesome!

C • Didn't realise it was Schie... 1

Plod plod plod. If I want to start orienteering again, I seriously need to do some speedwork. Navigated well today, a couple of small misses, and kept going to whole way, which was tough with my little legs in the heather. But it was a plod, and not a race. I have raced SOLs this tough before, and fared far better. I am really pretty disappointed with my shape at the moment. It might just be a lack of terrain fitness. I hope it's not something more sinister.

On the upside, I ran in my new MudRocs, and despite a severe test, I have no blisters. A couple more runs and hopefully they should be GWC ready.

I wish I knew where my life was headed. I hate not knowing.

C • onwards and upwards 2

C • The North-West 1

Somoe jogging and stuff.

Hmm. I have to put this as intensity five because of the heart rate, but it was a struggle all the way - not in a good pushing myself way either. I was doing well in the intricate bits but not so well on the flat slogs between. Partly the heat, partly having no hayfever stuff, and partly just not being terrain fit I think. Pretty poor. The guys just ran away on the flats, and there was nothing I could do about it. On the upside, I orienteered a lot better, and was very happy with a couple of spikes in particular.

Was going to go for a short jog in the sunshine when I reached Perth, but went nowhere on a very hot, ridiculously overcrowded train around Dalmeny for about an hour. No energy to do anything by the time I arrived!

Having one of those stressed out struggling to get out of the door weeks, so I ran to work and did 8 of AliC's 30 seconds sprints on the way. And feel much better as a result. Yey.

Warm up run to the start of the WRE at Dalruzion. Tired. Pulse was higher than it should have been. Hoped that once I got a map in my hand in a great new area that would all be forgotten.

And it did feel better for a whole 3.5 mins, until I totally screwed up number one. Stopped too soon on the first green because I just drifted from the cairn, dropped down too low, realised I was an idiot who was now below the crags, then ran back up and finally got it. Must have been 3 minutes down already. That was my second worst mistake, but the entire thing was scrappy and slow. Just couldn't find a rhythm in my running, apart from going to six, where I promptly dropped way too low, relocated off 7 (shhiiiitttt), and had to go all the way back up again.

So yes. Men's elite in a tough forest after a big week's training: silly idea. I am also concerned at how high my pulse was. It has been a tough week, so probably just tired. The area is great - I will look forward to going back when rested and up for it, then I can do it some real justice!

Graeme: the section in the open from 10-13 was just cruel!

C • 6... 7