Training Log Archive: Jon X

Welsh Championships M21L, Cefn Bryn on Gower. Open fell rather than dunes today, pretty straightforward to be honest.

Ran pretty hard but yet again couldn't concentrate to the end, missed two mins at #18 and another 30s at #20.

Clive Hallett won in 63:39 so not tooo far behind today.

6 people ahead of me on M21L, two of them M45, two of them M35 and only two of them M21....

Welsh Short Champs, Oxwich Burrows on Gower. Good open sand dune area but would be harder if the fences weren't on the map. Ran pretty well until got a little excited at the end and missed the last two. Could have shaved off a couple of minutes or so and got under 24, Clive Hallet won in 21:41. Good time from Matt Halliday too in second place.

To start/back from finish.

Sore shins today for some reason. Given the minging weather then glad to use that as an excuse to finish the month the way I started it, with a day off.

Rest is very important.....

C • Rest ... 1

Up early and into Hyde Park for some joyous early morning intervals before work.

Repeated the session I did on 21 Nov, starting every 5 mins and doing 4 reps of approx 1100m.

That day I did them all in the range 4:12-4:17, today I did 3:57, 3:57, 3:59, 3:54, so a decent improvement over the three months (although it was absolutely pouring with rain last time which may have slowed me a bit).

Third one was a bit slow - caught myself daydreaming a bit half way through it and had to pick the pace up again.

jog out/back plus drills

In Birmingham during day and down to London pm - met Phil Marsland for a couple of laps of Hyde Park, haven't seen him for ages so was good to catch up.

Finished at Phil's house in Notting Hill where a fine meal and fine wine awaited......

.....however unfortunately we both also had more work to do during the evening, this was the run back to my hotel straight after the meal....wouldn't want to miss logging those attackpoint minutes.....

Trafic logjam in Stirling so even later to training than normal, warmed up in Hermitage Woods looking for where the hill session was this week, found it during the first rep so only missed the first minute or so.

Hill intervals not track or terrain this week - Lard had sorted out a loop containing three progressively shorter sections of Hermitage each with steep climb and then a flatter run off at the end, followed short jog to start of the next one. Good plan by him, it was ideal - plus on the evidence of Carnethy then the run off is definitely something I need to work on...

It was incredibly muddy which made the first very steep hill difficult to get up even in terrain shoes, was pleased just to be able to keep going up it without falling over!

Missed the first part of the first rep but did all the rest, Ross was disappearing at the front which was making me work hard, plus Stalker Barrett had graduated from internet stalking to lurking in the forest and was doing a good job of keeping the pressure on during each rep.

Good big group of us tonight- gathering each time definitely meant more recovery for those at the front than those at the back. I wasn't complaining!

Didn't time the first set (we did three sets, down from Jase's original ambitious plan of five!) but the other times were:
(set two) 3:08, 1:42, 0:59
(set three) 3:07, 1:41, 0:56
Pleased to keep the times consistent as the last set felt harder, did have long recovery between each rep but these were slightly shorter on the third set than the second set.

Really enjoyed the session and great to see lots of people out. Glad I made it as I am missing lots of FVO training in the next three weeks through work and holiday - by the time I return we will be back to nice flat speedwork!

C • Man of many words ... 2

After a day made up mainly of motorways, airport lounges and aeroplane travel, at 8pm managed a creaky trot round Stirling Uni and Hermitage Woods. Very wet and soggy underfoot- haven't seen it this muddy all year.