Training Log Archive: OJ

And again. Almost got out tonight. But didn't.

I thought about going for a run. Then I cracked open a beer instead.

C • Curry and beer next wednesday? 9

Had a sort of migraine this morning, bit odd as I've never had one before. Delayed reaction to cooking inside the tent with solid fuel?

C • any such reaction 11

That's it for the season. Shame to end on a big disappointment, but there have been some big highs in there too. now it's time to have a rest and get the niggles better before starting some winter training. The plan is to indulge myself for a few weeks and to do as little running as possible, i.e. some commuting and the odd jog for the sake of my sanity. Next up? 3 Peaks at the end of April.

OMM, Brecon Beacons with Ben Abdelnoor. Well we got round, but it wasn't quite what either of us were expecting.

Day 1 started badly with a minor navigation error to 1, but nothing serious. Then we got on with the long leg (20km+) over the whole map. I chose what looked like a realistic route to the S (unbeknownst to us there was a better route to the N on an unmapped(!) long distance footpath that a few teams knew about, but that's by-the-by as the winning team came our way too). Not far into this Ben hit the start of a low point that lasted for the rest of the weekend. We shovelled the food and he rallied but he was clearly grinding it out, when I would normally expect him to be giving me a hard time. Things got more interesting when Nick and Gustav caught us up and we ran with them to the finish - this was good fun and the only time we ran with another team all weekend. A disappointing day but I was relieved that my back and shin behaved and that I didn't get hypothermia. Ben was relieved to have kept moving. And after a warm dry night (I think we may have carried too much kit) we were well up for a chase.

Day 2's shortened course started worse with a chasing start cock-up. We arrived at the start in good time but had the wrong start time in our heads. When the start officials noticed us and called us through late they then got confused and kept us on the line for 3 minutes, before working it out and telling us 'oh, you should have started ages ago!' 6 minutes binned and instead of a 2 minute deficit to the team in front we were 8 minutes behind. I just could not work out why everyone was out of sight even though we had gone out hard. But in the end, Ben's low continued, I made a bit of a navigation mistake and we didn't see a team all day - a shame as I think a pack race was just what we needed. Until the run-in that is, where we Ben spotted Tom and Hugh up ahead - we reeled them in and sprinted past to the line. Cowardly tactics, but we had to get something out of the day.

So a catalogue of mishaps, but anyway, we finished. Although day 2 was laughably short for an OMM elite course - even the full version would have been less than 4.5hrs for the winners. I'm glad that didn't stop Nick and Gustav winning - they deserved it, Nick in particular after trying for such a long time. It was good to run with Ben and I would certainly do it with him again, although he says he has added this to his list of races never to repeat. Let's see.

C • There's always next year... 3

OMM day 1.

IW. BHP.

Rudimentary run to work.

HFW, starting to feel a bit perkier?

IW, fairly battered still and back stiff.

HFW, BHP, better.

Almost trained. But came to the conclusion that all I want to get out of this week is to get to the OMM startline healthy and rested.

Event: British Fell Running Relay Championships (FRA Relays)
 

FRA relay, Llanberis. Ran leg 3 (nav) with Lloyd. Usual strong start from cap'n Little put us near the front, Rhys and B8ND ran a great pairs leg to pull out a crucial gap on the main contenders, leaving us to provide Kris with a comfortable buffer over the chasers. It all worked like clockwork, we got the right lines (lots of contouring) and hit the controls well in spite of the somewhat damp and windy conditions. Kris didn't know it but he had 11 minutes in hand, not that he needed it. Perhaps most impressively of all the B team ran a great set of legs to finish 3rd. A grand day out in rainy Wales.

C • Over 5 minutes lead! 13

FRA recce with PeteH after a long drive. Just missed the rain and had some good conditions, well worth the recce as it's a confusing area with lots of fenced off slate mines and slag heaps. Then Lloyd took us on a hunt for secret tunnels in the quarries.

IW, BHP.

Up to Loxley Common and some cruising on the golf course. Such a nice moonlit evening that the lamp was barely necessary. Moving better.

C • Cruising on the Golf Course? 2

Hero's session, 3x up, 2x down with a couple of minutes jog between the efforts. Ups in 5.23, 5.28, 5.37 ('cruising'), downs in 3.54, 3.29 (went for it). Not particularly good times and felt like hard work, but good to get a faster one in before the weekend. Need to let the back settle again now.

IW, BHP, feeling better than expected.

HFW, also good. Back and hip markedly better but still niggling. Need to work on them over the next few days.

OMM training from Cutthroat Bridge with a 5kg pack (heavy, but not as heavy as Alex). Started off with the Rothmans up to Back Tor, then struck off on my own to Marjory Hill, down into the Derwent Valley, up and over the Grinah ridge, up to Alport trig, Fairholmes, back via the Salt Cellar. Distinctly OMM-like conditions with low cloud, wind and rain, but I wrapped up well, ate well and stayed fairly happy. Bothered by my back and hip, but there seemed to be a bit of an improvement after 3hrs, so I am resting my hopes on that. Lonely out there in the cloud, didn't see a soul after I left Alex until I got to Fairholmes, so about 2.5hrs - it feels as though no one ever goes into that part of the Peak. I did have some company though...a lone crow stalked me for about 5km along the Marjory Hill ridge, flying ahead and waiting on rocks or the path until I caught up, when he would squark and fly ahead again. I got a bit disturbed by this - was this a portent of doom, or was he waiting for me to succumb to exhaustion so that he could pluck my eyeballs out? In the end I decided he was lonely too and wanted to be my friend.

C • Nobody goes there... 6

A bit of a fail of a day. It was mizzling and I used every procrastination technique in the book before getting out for a run. Managed to get it in before dark and attempted 5x3/1s but abandoned an effort of the Coppice. Just not feeling it.

IW, BHP, Crosspool, tired.

HFW via 5xBlake Street in 50, 49, 49, 51, 51. Hard on the lungs but felt alright, seems to have helped my gluts to get working again.

Anyone fancy a long one in the Peak on Sat/Sun am, planning 4hrs but company would be nice for any of it. I will even carry food and drink for you! Anyone?

C • jump 4

Hilly road run trying to keep it steady. Felt surprisingly good and hip/back not as bad as I had feared. Lots of stretching and exercises to try to loosen it off.

Long 'un, mostly with a headtorch, on the 3 reservoirs route. Carried a 4kg pack full of rocks. I'm not going to lie, it was a struggle. Foot niggled but got better, hip niggled but got worse. Hungry and tired by the end. OMM not far off, one more long one then time to rest.

IW via Parkwood. Trying to move well, but not really succeeding. Tired legs.

Ground out an hour. Up to Loxley, round the golf course and home. Plan to use golf courses more in my nighttime training over the next few months.

IHMR leg 4 with Nails 'pin cushion' Northrop. Great day for racing in the hills with low visibility and a bit of rain, but not at all cold. Set off not far behind leaders Borrowdale and although we ran a solid race there was never any danger of us catching them. Kept the dream alive until St Sunday crag but had to admit defeat on the final descent and cruised in for 2nd. One day...

On the plus side the chest survived the descent and don't seem to have any ill effects post race.

C • Weird 8

Cruise up Rivelin, feeling pretty good.

IW, still a bit ill, still a bit sore-chested. But I felt the urge and need to see if the Hodgsons is still a reality.

HFW moving faster feeling better.

Another day off and finally got around to visiting the doc for an all clear on the lungs.

C • Yay! 1

Pretty rough today although improved as the day went on.

Ill and busy, the symptoms have all come out today. Or it could be a new one as Alex has got I'll again.