Training Log Archive: bradc

Aborted attempt to join the group in a walk up to Top o' Selside. It's scarcely believable that it took us so long to do so little - but the route chosen UP the hill was absolutely minging and far too hard for little legs. Particularly when those little legs were Jamie's and he had been woken up several times in the night by Eilidh (although not as much as his parents had - I think we managed 1-2 hours sleep). By the time we finally got to the track he had had enough and I had had enough of his interminable moaning. Bailed, and, of course, found a very much nicer route back down to the car. Drank lots of tea and waited for the others.

Tarn Hows, on a lovely cold morning. Heather's birthday O, devised by young Mr Ackland: two ca. 2km loops in some pretty tough terrain. Fearing lumbar meltdown I opted not to "lumber" another person by taking part in the two-person relay, but just see how far I could go a mono. Jogged along very easily and carefully, well, as carefully as one could in pretty rough terrain, but found the flags easily enough. The ache from down below hadn't increased noticeabley at the end of lap 1 so I soldiered on to lap two. Something of a mistake, of course, as I pretty soon started to seize up, and the shortened stride-length shuffle rapidly became less voluntary and more mandatory. Stiff as a board by the end. Enjoyed it, despite moving very slowly on the course, and even more slowly in the car park afterwards. Great day to be out and very sociable.
HR readings way off - too cold and moving far too slowly to generate sufficient sweat to make good contact!

A group stroll up Black Fell after the O. Very good for my back, it helped loosen things off noticeabley. Good banter and cracking views from the top - one of the best viewpoints in the Lakes. I haven't been up here since the last time I did the Coniston 14 race with a Martin Hyman - organised raid in the mid-90s; a run up Black Fell was the traditional Sunday post-race activity. Felt just as creaky now as I did then, despite then having run a very hilly 14-mile race in 85ish mins on the Saturday morning and then having attempted a walk up the Old Man on the Saturday afternoon!

Not an ideal time to finally get struck down by the kids' vomiting and diarrhoea bug of last Friday night - immediately following a large Burns Supper. I started going green at Jan's but held it together until getting home... up all night on the loo with my head in a bucket. All Thursday in bed. Yeuch.

Day 2. Slightly further. I had a couple of sharp twinges from the R hamstring within the first 20m, but ignored them; things settled down into a dull background throb after that. Generally OK thereafter, but towards the end of the run I was definitely approaching the limit of the "comfortable" zone. Think I'll have to consolidate for a day or two.

Before and after, again. Stiff and sore beforehand; too MUCH standing at my desk! The secret is in the variation, as in most things...

Both before and after - stretching / mobilisation, and self-flagellation (massage). Certainly helped loosen things off.

Right. Day 1 of rehab the proper way: run (not shuffle) for a very short distance, trying not to break the pain threshhold, stabilise it, then slowly increase. Still some way to go to stabilise at even this short distance - hamstring achey - but it's a start. Great oaks / small acorns, and all that.

A select group, led again by young Mr Whitworth. Very stiff in my R hamstring, and it didn't really ease off; my back was sore but still reasonably flexible. This sort of thing is good for it. I know it is.

Two sets, 35/10 and 20/5. Was careful not to blast it, and didn't do any off-mat impact exercises; tried to land softly in the burpees, too. Back tight afterwards but no worse.

Jogged gingerly down to pilates/circuits, and then gently back up hill afterwards, the latter with Marcus for company.