Training Log Archive: RobB

Beaten up. Poor Clare started being sick on the way home last night and is still in bed.

C • oh no 5

Day 2. We both decided that we would start the day and see how we felt with no expectation to finish. We dropped out half way through. My body and mind were just not in it and we were burning through our supplies quite quickly. It was a slow trog off the hill.

Delighted to hear about the results at the finish - really, really impressive stuff from Shane and Duncan (who, in my mind, is now the best mountain marathon runner in Britain). Great running from John and Doug too for third place.

OMM Day 1. Both OJ and I were pretty psyched on the start line. Both fit and healthy with some good training behind us. Unfortunately, it was not to be our day.

Our plan was to start competitively but sensibly with the expectation that we would catch and/or be caught by a number of teams. Despite sticking to our plan we were a bit surprised that Jethro and Steve Birkinshaw had caught us by 2 minutes at number one after only 16 minutes of running. We went a different route to 2 and didn't see them again till number 5. By this point quite a pack that had formed including Tom Owens & Alastair Andrews and John and Doug. There was quite a bit of banter at this stage and OJ were both eating and drinking well and feeling good; so good that we talking about making a bit of a break on the long, long leg to number 7.

Disaster 1 happened at control 6. My left shoe felt loose and I looked down to see that my shoe lace had snapped. I spent about 1 minute doing some make shift repairs and then OJ and I ran off to catch the pack. This we did but probably a bit too quickly - I couldn't help myself owing to the surge of adrenalin I had experienced. I had to stop 2 more time during the leg to make on-going repairs (with corresponding surges) until I finally had a brain wave and pulled the tie cord out of my trousers and tied it around my shoe. Sorted. Just in time for disaster 2.

The long climb to 7 had slowed everyone down and the rain had made it really cold really quickly. OJ was going through a bit of a bad patch (as was everyone). The disaster was that we did not sort realise quite how cold it was and we should have put some more kit on. Steve and Jethro had slipped away by this point and we were all a bit cautious coming off the hill to 7. OJ took a spectacular fall down the hill to number 7 (disaster 3) and managed a perfect forward roll before stopping himself through the ingenuous use of a boulder. We got to 7 eventually and set off to 8. John and Doug were well gone by this point and we were making very slow progress. It was still raining and OJ's shivering had got worse. We talked about stopping (well I talked and OJ just chattered) but decided to keep going with the hope that we would pull though.

This did not happen. Disaster 5 was a bad bit of navigation on my part and taking a bad route to 8. Basically we should have contoured and then dropped but we spent too much time contouring. Having looked at the map to relocate and then again at OJ, it was a clear cut decision that we needed to stop, properly sort ourselves out and get to the "relative" warmth of the finish.

Really frustrating. Made all the worse by the fact that we had 18 hours on a wet campsite, in a damp tent to keep replaying the day over.

Not sure how OJ kept going for as long as he did. A tough cookie.

C • Bad luck 14

Easy cruise from OJ's parents. Gorgeous day for it.

Run to work. Legs finally starting to feel a bit sprightlier.

Easy lunch time run. From work to Forge Dam and back. Did 3 x 1 minute on the way up and down.

Left achilles was still a bit sore but felt better after than it did before.

Run home via the gym.

Standard session is a pretty quiet gym.

Run up Rivelin with Dr Thake. Could barely see the path when we set off but it was ok after 5 minutes or so. Legs feeling pretty good, but left achilles got a bit achey towards the end.

Stumbled across this picture of OJ and I running in total sync (first time for everything). Even have matching scowls. The first picture in this gallery: http://www.relay.bingleyharriers.org.uk/gallery/in...

C • Spot which pair... 3

C • Photo 2

South Yorkshire XC at Clifton Park.

Big field today with a strong HH contingent. I started off very steady on the 4 lap course with the aim of running even splits. Must have been about 20th 1/2 way round the first lap. Slowly worked my way through on the second lap and was up to the leading pack of Rob (I'm a Kenyan in disguise) L, Tom, Rich H and Owen W. Once I made my up to Rob L he kicked and we had a good jostle for the next two laps. He kept surging and I just couldn't get past. Just managed to squeeze it on a sprint at the end. Good - but tiring - fun.

Great running from HH today - also good to see Owen running well again - despite only running about 4 times ("steady") a week.

C • Jealous 1

Warm up and down - giving the boys a guided tour of Clifton Park on the look out for Nails' (well hidden) magic touches to the landscape.

Great easy long run with OJ and Shane. Spent most of the run talking about OMM related tactics and tips. Gorgeous day out today. Spent pretty much all of it in terrain running up or down hill.

Steady run with Dr Thake. Good to catch up - it had been a long time since we had gone for an early morning spin.

Run to work. Feeling a bit sluggish.

Run to the gym and some strides / drills thrown in.

Standard session. Had to blag my way in as I had lost my card.

Run home from work. Up valleys, along to redmires and then home. Bumped into 2 directions (and Danger) in Endcliffe park so ran with them to Forge Dam. Ran rest by myself. Needed a headtorch for riv valley.

Run to gym and then work.

Quickie of a gym session.

Steady run home.

CompassSport Cup. Felt tired on the warm-up but got going pretty quickly. Orienteering wise I was pretty smooth, but got sloppier as the course went on - with a big blow out on the last control, which was very embarrassing. Really enjoyed the course which stuck to the nicest terrain.

Extended warm-down, firstly with Bendover, then Danger then MrsB. Very sociable.

Easy warm up. Very stiff.

Warm up and down. Almost ground to a halt on the warm down. Tired.

FRA Relays leg 2 running with Mr Johnson.

After a traditional Baker / Johnson faff at the start (note to self really should have learnt to check over hand over logistics by now - luckily Jenny was marshalling us from the sidelines) we started strongly. A stunning first leg by Rob L ( probably run of the day for me) we set off with an unexpected - but not unwelcome - 15 second lead.

The plan, was to run a steady leg and to hand over to the navigational maestros of Rhys and John in touch with the leaders.

We could hear Mercia behind us on the way to 2 but they never quite caught us. OJ set the pace all the way on the long climb to 3 and I having to work really hard to stay in touch. Thankfully the climb levelled off just as I thought I might pop. Started to feel better on the boggy plateau and felt strong on the descent.

It felt fantastic to have been able to have hold on to our lead - and was a nice surprise to have got the fastest time of the day on the leg (just).

Amazing team performance to take the win overall - with fastest times on 3 of the 4 legs. Also great to have shared the experience of my leg with OJ - I think we got it pretty much spot on. A good day.

Results: http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2011/BritishFe...

C • Relays 1

Run home from work after a long day. Through in 4 x 1 minute surges to get legs turning a bit quicker.

Run to gym and then on to work.

Standard fare. Gym was not as busy as last time.

Long run with OJ over Kinder. Basically, spent all our time running up, or down hill. Not feeling the terrain love today; so spent most of the run just trying to keep in OJ's footsteps.

Run to work. Was in my own world when I heard someone shouting at me. Turned out to be Dave Rollins who was up on BO business. I saw the below picture on Tessa's log and it totally sums Dave up - 100% supportive who will do anything he can to help athletes out.


Dave R

C • disappointed 2

Slightly longer run than normal to track as we have moved to Don Valley.

The session was 10 x 2 minutes with one minute recovery. Felt great on the first 2 but then it got much harder very quickly. Breathing was laboured and lactate started to build. Decided to stop at 7 as I was having to work really hard and was still going backwards. It was frustrating to be running slower than last week off more recovery, but not a surprise with the long runs last week.

Really struggled on the way home - slow and spacey.

Run around Dam Flask then on to work. Feeling much better than yesterday.

Gym session. Absolutely rammed tonight with lots of clubs. Frustrating having to fight for space.

Plan was for a long run, but feeling a bit off colour so decided just to take it short and steady.

Event: Langdale
 

Long and wet run. From home out to High Bradfield, Back Tor (miserable), Strines (depressingly felled), Dale Dike (where I nearly ended up running the whole way round), Lower Bradfield and then home. Felt fairly good running and tried to keep the pace just above a plod.

C • 2012 Intercounties 4

Run from home out to Beeley, along Middlewood Road and then back again. Idea was to keep the pace pretty high the whole way. Felt pretty good.

Knocked off work early to squeeze in a long run. Probably over packed my bag a little so took it even steadier than planned. Very windy on top of Burbage and horizontal rain is always nice.

Ran from work, took a loop round Burbage and then along Stanage, Redmires and home.

Feeling quite weary by the end.

C • Quite weary! 2

Run to work. Feeling a bit sluggish.

Track session. 5 x 1600m. Felt really tired on the way, but bouncier during the session itself.

Had convinced myself that I was just going to worry about doing 5 minutes rather than 1600m as didn't think I was going to make the distance. It was therefore a real pleasant surprise to do them all in under 5 minutes (4.57, 4.55, 4.55, 4.55, 4.54). Sometimes you really can't tell how you are going to run during a session - you would think I would have worked this out by now.

Long slow jog back with Pete, discussing the benefits of the traditional 2 week summer break between track and XC season.

C • Dreamy session 1

Plod to work. Legs feeling a bit battered but not too bad.

Run to gym and then home. Legs got progressively sorer as the day went on.

Standard gym session.

Leg 4 of the Ian Hodgson relay. Ran with Rhesus. He was on fire today and kept the pace up on the uphill and was descending like a mountain goat. We got the route pretty much spot on. Second on the leg.

Team were 5th overall. We can and will do better.

Very short warm up and a longer warm down to recover the car.

Steady run from home enjoying the sunshine. Headed out to High Bradfield then along the footpaths to Agden and back home. Took it nice and steady to save myself for Sunday.