Training Log Archive: bradc

Event: CompassSport Cup Heat
 

Up all night with a bad case of D&V. Not going anywhere today...

Event: Scottish Middle Distance Championships
 

Jog to the start. Creaky. Nearly followed the tapes along the road towards Braco until I got called back to the tiny sign that myself and two others had missed... oh well, extra warm up.

Scottish Middle Distance Champs, Gleneagles. Quite enjoyed my wee plod around the WVet course. But wait, what's that, I hear you say?

After four months off running my legs were sure to be well rested and, armed (footed?) with GG's cast-off Icebug dancing shoes as lucky talismans, what could possibly go wrong? A lot, as it transpired.

Had an early start as we had to get away early for Eilidh's dance show. When the guys started shifting the map boxes around when I was in the -1 box, and there was no layout to refer to, I asked and was specifically told which box to pick up my map from. I checked and the first control on both my control descriptions and the map was on a clearing, great. Control #1 (correct number) came up a little early, but, within my margin of error. I only realised something was amiss when I ran past #1 on the MAP 40m later and then found my control descriptions #2 on the way to map #2 30m later! After some hesitation I realised that by this point it was too late to go back because we had to leave by 12:10 to get to Eilidh's dance... but, yes, I know, check when you pick it up. My eyes saw "Vet", just not the "W" in front of it. Sigh. WVet course for me today, it was.

The 90-100s lost by this stage were compounded at #4 when I read my control descriptions (d'oh), saw a different number and ran on to fanny about in the vague stuff before again realising my mistake. 3 more minutes dumped, Beccy just arriving at the control as I left it. I shoved the control descriptions in my pocket. A**e.

So the rest of my course was lovely. Really enjoyed it. OK, my legs were like lumps of wood after 4 months of no running, so a plod was all I could manage, but, control flow was good and I only had a couple of 10s in-circle wallying incidents. It was great to get out, and my knee was OK until the first twinge at 6km, but it'll be fine.

As for the lucky talisman GG cast-off shoes? They're falling apart already! There'll be an allegory in there somewhere...

https://www.masterplanadventure.routegadget.co.uk/...

C • Unlucky 2

Stage 2 - Longer Ride - Tour of Watopia 2020.

Whee that was lots of fun! Got in a couple of great packs, really barrelling along, particularly the group I got into after pushing on on the first time up the KOM. Got caught napping on the second time up, though, and when I briefly relaxed they cranked it up and suddenly I was off the back! Managed to get a few together to form a wee pack again after a couple of km but the fast boys were gone. Great workout.

Fun in the terrain with the school running club

Stage 1 - Longer Ride - Tour of Watopia 2020.
The 400+ strong "group ride" predictably fragmented within 1km, but I found myself in a good group that seemed up for working together, and after a few km we started cranking, hoovering up solos and small groups with abandon. Unfortunately at 40 mins / 22km I had to go rescue my bread from the oven, dropping 2 mins, 50 places, and off the pack. I soldiered on, largely solo, for the next 15km or so, working harder than the leisurely mini-pack a minute ahead but unable to overcome their drafting advantage, until I saw a small pack behind and let them catch up. I then set about trying to increase their work rate and several seemed up for it, so we gathered steam and hoovered stragglers for the remaining 15km or so. Good fun, legs well used by the end of it. Roll on stage 2.

Steady reintroduction to cardio exercise. HR OK, a little high but probably just lack of fitness, now.

3 sets of pull ups, press ups, lunges, atomic sit-ups and single-leg squats. Sets interspersed with hip abductor exercises: monster walks and crab walks. Abductors/glutes properly screaming after those.

Late starting so slightly compressed session; no circuits as I had to leave for the committee meeting. Hip abductors sore after hammering them this morning with new physio exercises (probably a fruitless attempt to minimise knee pain)