Training Log Archive: bradcIn the 31 days ending Dec 31, 2009:
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Thursday Dec 31, 2009 #
Running (Trail) 57:08 [3] 12.25 km (4:40 / km) +128m 4:26 / km
ahr:154 max:166 (injured) shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus 11
In Telford today - coming down with Beccy's cold. Headed out to Lilleshall monument at a reasonable pace, but was feeling out of sorts by the time I got there (5km) and was less energetic on the way back, the long route through Granville country park. Pretty cold but absolutely none of the promised snow.
Wednesday Dec 30, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
Another enforced rest day in the great tour of Britain. Packing, driving from Dartmouth to Telford, via a stop in north Birmingham to visit great-granny Lesley in hospital. Long day on the road.
Tuesday Dec 29, 2009 #
Running (Road) 41:51 [3] 8.52 km (4:55 / km) +273m 4:14 / km
ahr:145 max:165 (injured) shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus 11
A miserable day in Dartmouth, fit for little else than a run, and a short one at that. Everything from Beccy's parents' house begins with a steep downhill and ends with a steep uphill, but my achilles didn't protest too much. My Xmas belly did though.
Down to town, along the sea front to the castle, back along the roof of the town, and up the very steep country road. Very pictureseque, and very soggy.
Down to town, along the sea front to the castle, back along the roof of the town, and up the very steep country road. Very pictureseque, and very soggy.
Monday Dec 28, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
More family duties - a full day trip to Paignton Zoo (very good).
Sunday Dec 27, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
Packing, travelling from Marnhull to Dartmouth; family duties.
Saturday Dec 26, 2009 #
Event: WIM Boxing Day Canter
Running (Road) 41:41 [4] 9.62 km (4:20 / km) +77m 4:10 / km
ahr:155 max:167 (injured) shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus 11
KILL OR CURE! Fed up with this silly achilles - just went out for a good steady road run.
Friday Dec 25, 2009 #
Running (Terrain) 57:50 [2] 10.61 km (5:27 / km) +79m 5:15 / km
ahr:139 max:158 (injured) shoes: Inov8 RocLite 305
A very stop/start run from Granny's, trogging through fields, trying to follow non-existent paths across ploughed mud, over stiles... tedious. Legs very slow and heavy , heel sore, feeling out of shape.
Thursday Dec 24, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
Another day on the road, from Telford to Marnhull in Devon, where we're spending Christmas with Granny. Didn't get there until 3pm.
Wednesday Dec 23, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
Packing and travelling to Telford. Seven hours on the road - held up for an hour around Manchester. Just us and 10 million other people on the roads for company. Spectacular views of snowy hills all the way through the Borders and Lakes; no snow south of Manchester.
Tuesday Dec 22, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
The start of three days usefully enforced rest for my achilles. Meant to be travelling down to Telford after Beccy's works Xmas lunch, but sensibly delayed until tomorrow because of poor weather forecast for SW Scotland and the Lakes.
Monday Dec 21, 2009 #
Gym (Cross-trainer) 30:05 [3] 6.7 km (4:29 / km)
ahr:143 max:159 (injured)
More time on the X-T; this time it was on the high-stepper, which varied height and range of the leg motion. That's me trying to mobilise the achilles. It got pretty sore at the top of the range, though, so I cut the session short.
Strength training 20:00 [2]
5 mins warm down and then upper body weights.
Sunday Dec 20, 2009 #
Gym (Cross-trainer) 50:09 [3] 10.85 km (4:37 / km)
ahr:150 max:166 (injured)
Achilles not up to running, so another rampant cross-trainer session was on the cards, despite it being a gorgeous day for a run in the snow. Pushed pretty hard.
Strength training 25:00 [2]
Stretching, core and some weights.
Saturday Dec 19, 2009 #
Running (Trail) 54:48 [2] 9.76 km (5:37 / km) +216m 5:03 / km
ahr:148 max:163 (injured) shoes: Inov8 RocLite 305
A very wintry run out from the house. Headed up out the back, across via Kippenrait to Waltersmuir Resvr. The plan was to hoof up to the hill, head for Cocksburn Resr, then down thru Mine Woods to BrofA and back via the Park of Keir - but the darkening sky and increasingly sore achilles dictated a more direct route, along the fields next to the Wharryburn then down into Kippenrait Glen, up the golf course and home. Wise choice - the drizzle turned to sleet 15 minutes from home, which very rapidy became heavy snow.
Very slow. OK, much was off track, in bog, or hopping fences, but even given that it was a pretty pathetic effort. This sore achilles is a pain (on many levels). I think I'm going to have to stop running altogether for a couple of weeks, which is the last thing I want to do over Christmas! Poop.
Very slow. OK, much was off track, in bog, or hopping fences, but even given that it was a pretty pathetic effort. This sore achilles is a pain (on many levels). I think I'm going to have to stop running altogether for a couple of weeks, which is the last thing I want to do over Christmas! Poop.
Thursday Dec 17, 2009 #
Running (Trail) 40:13 [3] 8.33 km (4:50 / km) +39m 4:43 / km
ahr:149 max:158 (injured) shoes: Saucony Grid Jazz Omni
Another lunchtime plod - well, more of a splosh - this time from the Alba Innovation Centre in Livingston. Snowing, on and off, heavy at times; but not nice fluffy stuff - nasty soggy stuff. Paths very muddy and greasy, so much slipping and sliding. Beats black ice, though. Achilles... great! No, I lied.
Wednesday Dec 16, 2009 #
Running (Trail) 34:48 [3] 7.15 km (4:52 / km) +113m 4:31 / km
ahr:152 max:164 (injured)
A late afternoon steady run out to Ashfield, back via Laighills and the town centre. Amazing light on the hills, the Doune wind turbines looked positively demonic! Achilles still very unhappy, boo.
Monday Dec 14, 2009 #
Strength training (Pilates) 30:00 [2]
Last FVO Pile-ates of the season...
Strength training (Circuits) 25:00 [3]
...followed by "Challenge Lard" (that boy is flexible) - 50 press ups as penance! - and comedy races. On the last race I nearly decapitated Heike with my shin but just managed to avoid tripping over myself and landing on her. Only minor injuries!
Sunday Dec 13, 2009 #
Orienteering race (Urban-O) 1:00:06 [4] **** 9.67 km (6:13 / km) +145m 5:47 / km
ahr:154 max:171 (injured) shoes: Inov8 RocLite 305
INT event at Craigmilliar - long course, 8.1km.
Having run through here many, many times when I lived in Edinburgh, and having read Graeme's comments, I was very keen to go to this event, and rightly so - it was a cracker.
A real mix of intricate quarried woodland, open land, paths, condemned tenements (!) and modern urban development, a constantly changing challenge involving lots of head-scratching and comedy route choices and errors! I certainly made a few of the latter, but ran pretty well and was only about 10 mins down on winner Oleg, so I'm happy with that.
I'm even happier that my bad achilles survived. It threatened, and was achy pretty much all the way round, but it never went twang, and after much icing and calf massage in the evening it feels ok.
Having run through here many, many times when I lived in Edinburgh, and having read Graeme's comments, I was very keen to go to this event, and rightly so - it was a cracker.
A real mix of intricate quarried woodland, open land, paths, condemned tenements (!) and modern urban development, a constantly changing challenge involving lots of head-scratching and comedy route choices and errors! I certainly made a few of the latter, but ran pretty well and was only about 10 mins down on winner Oleg, so I'm happy with that.
I'm even happier that my bad achilles survived. It threatened, and was achy pretty much all the way round, but it never went twang, and after much icing and calf massage in the evening it feels ok.
Saturday Dec 12, 2009 #
Running (Trail) 39:14 [2] 7.1 km (5:32 / km) +180m 4:54 / km
ahr:139 max:157 (injured) shoes: Inov8 RocLite 305
First run out since last weekend - a wee test for the injured achilles. A toss up between soft stuff that unfortunately went uphill, or nice flat but hard tarmac. The former won; I headed up through the wood and then did the Gathering Stane loop. Achilles sore from the off really, but you've got to push the fringes to improve; hm. Probably 25 minutes too long, but I'm impatient to get back running. Tomorrow will tell.
Friday Dec 11, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
I really fancied a lunchtime run but I think it's too early for the achilles... should have done something else, though. Poof.
Thursday Dec 10, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
Concentrated on enjoying my hangover. :-(
Wednesday Dec 9, 2009 #
Gym (Cross-trainer) 35:00 [3] 7.2 km (4:52 / km)
(injured)
Another day without running... today's cross-training of choice was on the... cross-trainer. 30 mins hard, 5 mins warm down. No achilles probs; set the machine to step high and therefore put no strain on the calf. Allegedly.Technology. Must be right, then.
Strength training 15:00 [2]
(injured)
A wee bit of stretching then lots of core exercises.
Tuesday Dec 8, 2009 #
Cycling (Road) 1:32:33 [3] 39.78 km (25.8 kph) +330m
ahr:130 max:155 (injured) shoes: SPDs
Hmm, can't run; it's not raining; must be time to dig out the bike, then!
Thornhill circuit, clockwise for a laugh. Dull and cold, but I was well wrapped up. Road surfaces awful - particularly on the Doune-Dunblane road. On the commuter and being careful with my achilles, so definitely not a fast time. Whoops, rather a long lunch break. :-)
Thornhill circuit, clockwise for a laugh. Dull and cold, but I was well wrapped up. Road surfaces awful - particularly on the Doune-Dunblane road. On the commuter and being careful with my achilles, so definitely not a fast time. Whoops, rather a long lunch break. :-)
Note
Ha! Totally excellent. I have discovered the amazing Attackpoint plugin that allows me to export my training from SportTracks directly into AP. My vote for best piece of software of the year!!!
Monday Dec 7, 2009 #
Strength training (Pilates) 30:00 [2]
(injured)
It's getting harder all the time...
...you've gotta love those rotating planks, feel the burn! Ouch.
...you've gotta love those rotating planks, feel the burn! Ouch.
Strength training (Circuits) 30:00 [3]
(injured)
1 set of 45/5 and 1 of 30/5. Great! Well, apart from not being able to do anything that involved exercising my right heel :-(. Had to substitute with core exercises instead. Ouch. Again.
Sunday Dec 6, 2009 #
Event: Glasgow Park Champs
Orienteering race 20:24 [3] ** 3.43 km (5:57 / km) +30m 5:42 / km
ahr:146 max:163 (injured) shoes: Jalas Black FLX
Glasgow Park Champs, race 1: Springburn Park. Men's Open: 2.9km +35m.
R achilles very bad from the off - was very sore this morning, after yesterday's race, and during warm up. Choice of dob spikes was a poor one: we ended up running on a lot of tarmac and it only exacerbated the hobbling. Legs shot after yesterday too, and I couldn't see the controls - no flags! So, all in all, a terrible run.
R achilles very bad from the off - was very sore this morning, after yesterday's race, and during warm up. Choice of dob spikes was a poor one: we ended up running on a lot of tarmac and it only exacerbated the hobbling. Legs shot after yesterday too, and I couldn't see the controls - no flags! So, all in all, a terrible run.
Orienteering race 15:57 [4] ** 3.15 km (5:04 / km) +65m 4:35 / km
ahr:150 max:163 (injured) shoes: Inov8 RocLite 305
Second race of the GPC: Kelvingrove Park. A more interesting park, hillier too, but simpler navigation than Springburn. That didn't stop me making a couple of 20s fluffs due to not reading the map properly! Trail shoes were much better, so whilst my R achilles was still sore, it was manageable. Particularly after the two brufen. So, a better run, only 3m40 down, but still slow: my legs were still on strike.
Running warm up/down 15:00 [2] 2.0 km (7:30 / km)
(injured)
Due to the necessities of split starts and dashing between venues, I managed only a short warm up for both events and no warm down - not good.
Note
(injured)
Sadly race 3 proved to be a non-starter for me. We only had 7 mins between our starts, and Jamie was asleep in the car, so one of us had to stay in there with him. Easy decision - bad achilles, and Beccy's brownie point mountain = Brad in the car. I could, I guess, have dashed out after she'd ran, grabbed my map and done the course anyway, but given the half-hour delayed start it'd have been 3:15 before I'd begun the course, Jamie had woken up & was bored, so it was another easy decision - home, James. Sense prevailed. My achilles will thank me for it. A bit disappointed as I have fond memories of Cathkin Braes (yes, really!), but this time it was not to be...
Saturday Dec 5, 2009 #
Event: East District XC Champs
Running race (Cross Country) 40:25 [5] 9.6 km (4:13 / km) +120m 3:58 / km
shoes: Walsh PB Extremes
EDXC Champs at Livingston. Started off reasonably well for me - i.e. steady / middle of the pack. Can't do fast starts! Hence it was a surprise to catch and pass Fraser about 2/3 the way around lap 1 (of 3); he was decidedly off colour and feeling rough. Colin E also came up in my sights a bit earlier than expected, i.e. I saw him from very early and caught him halfway around lap 2. Given that I'd also passed Alan Smith (running as an Ochil today) early on, and even got John S shortly after passing Colin, I was wondering if I was having a good day, but it didn't particularly feel like it. The new course was very muddy in places, particularly the (many) corners, and I was finding that I was having a very 'peaky' run - strong on the grindy bits but rubbish in the mud and weak in another couple of spots too.
Lap 3 dawned and it was clear that I hadn't been saving my best til last. It was going to be a hang-on-til-grim-death race. Thus it proved. Laps 1 and 2 had been about the same, 13:20-13:30; lap 3 was 13:50. Alan S, who had been bemused by my wonky changes in pace, finally passed me back 1/3 of the way around the lap and took 20s out of me. John S HAD saved something for last - he's a racer, you see, not a punter like me - and sprinted past on the last downhill just before the mud-fest finish. Colin ended up about half a minute down and Fraser, despite feeling mince, was only about a minute down, so well done him!
I think I need to do more longer threshhold runs to get my speed stamina up - and to buy some spikes!
Lap 3 dawned and it was clear that I hadn't been saving my best til last. It was going to be a hang-on-til-grim-death race. Thus it proved. Laps 1 and 2 had been about the same, 13:20-13:30; lap 3 was 13:50. Alan S, who had been bemused by my wonky changes in pace, finally passed me back 1/3 of the way around the lap and took 20s out of me. John S HAD saved something for last - he's a racer, you see, not a punter like me - and sprinted past on the last downhill just before the mud-fest finish. Colin ended up about half a minute down and Fraser, despite feeling mince, was only about a minute down, so well done him!
I think I need to do more longer threshhold runs to get my speed stamina up - and to buy some spikes!
Running warm up/down 25:00 [2] 2.5 mi (10:00 / mi)
shoes: Walsh PB Extremes
Not enough warm up, as ever, and, oooh, sore sore sore achilles on the warm down with Will and Fraser. Ouch.
Friday Dec 4, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
Racing tomorrow - and Work Xmas night out in Edinburgh tonight. Oh oh.
Thursday Dec 3, 2009 #
Gym (Cross-trainer) 45:00 [3] 6.1 mi (7:23 / mi)
ahr:149 max:165
A disjointed day, culminating in a trip to the uni sports centre to renew my membership. Given the expenditure and the fact that my knees were feeling a bit 'elderly', I duly made use of the facilities and beasted a session on the cross-trainer. I'm definitely getting fitter, at last; I can push harder on these sessions, my HR is lower and my recovery is faster. Time to up the level, then!
Stretching warm up/down 5:00 [0]
A wee cool down.
Wednesday Dec 2, 2009 #
Running warm up/down 20:59 [3] 3.89 km (5:24 / km)
ahr:145 shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus 11
Warm up: jog to track, 4 laps, 2 sets of drills;
Warm down: 3 laps and jog back to the car.
Warm down: 3 laps and jog back to the car.
Intervals 30:00 [5] 7.4 km (4:03 / km)
ahr:164 max:171 shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus 11
5 x 5 mins with 60secs recovery between reps.
Only a day late... all on my onio at Craigswood track in Livi. Intervals are no fun on your own, but on the positive side it wasn't dark and sleeting! I found this mentally quite tough on the last two reps. In both, I lost a bit of form in the middle of the rep but rallied and finished strongly. Ultimately I was pretty consistent, if still all too slow:
1: 3:38/km, 1375m
2: 3:37/km, 1380m
3: 3:40/km, 1364m
4: 3:40/km, 1364m
5: 3:40/km, 1360m
Hard session. Need lots of these, dammit.
Only a day late... all on my onio at Craigswood track in Livi. Intervals are no fun on your own, but on the positive side it wasn't dark and sleeting! I found this mentally quite tough on the last two reps. In both, I lost a bit of form in the middle of the rep but rallied and finished strongly. Ultimately I was pretty consistent, if still all too slow:
1: 3:38/km, 1375m
2: 3:37/km, 1380m
3: 3:40/km, 1364m
4: 3:40/km, 1364m
5: 3:40/km, 1360m
Hard session. Need lots of these, dammit.
Tuesday Dec 1, 2009 #
Note
(rest day)
Not an intentional rest day - Beccy got home too late for me to be able to go to intervals. Better late than her try to race home in the sleet from the far side of Dundee, though. I can do my intervals tomorrow. I should have just planned to do them at lunchtime, like Lard...