Training Log Archive: Jon X

More of the same weather wise, went for a walk along Stanage and headed back from there via Stanage Pole and then south side of Redmires. Easy first kilometre and then stretched out a bit, feeling pretty good although to be fair it is pretty much downhill until the last few minutes back up into Ranmoor.

Gorgeous day in the Peak District, ran from chez Chapman in Hathersage - Stanage Edge - Stanage Pole - Redmires - Headstone - Rivelin - Golf Course - Sandygate - Ranmoor.

Pretty cruisy pace but feeling like I am starting to recover from half-marathon/JK now. Top reservoir at Redmires was virtually empty which was a bit surprising, had been expecting sun glistening off the water rather than an expanse of mud!

changed my entry for National Event / BEOC Long to be M21E.
celebrated with another day off.

Dithered all day about whether to run, evening seminar ran on late so I took that as a sign.....

C • so what was it about then!? 3

Glorious evening in London so rest day off the agenda and instead a jog down through Hyde Park, round St James's Park, and then back the other way round Hyde Park as far as the bridge over the Serpentine.

Couldn't believe how many people were out running, plus it looked like I had just missed a 5km race or similar, the stragglers were still finishing. Probably a good thing as I would have been tempted and I definitely did not need to do a race tonight!

FVO posse post-JK recovery run from the uni, nice to get out, nice to run easy pace.

JK Relay, 1st leg, M120+. This was a lot of fun! M120+ is the same relay as Women Open (all one mass start), so the pressure was on to try and beat the girls back....not least Abii for the FVO girl's team.....

Got #1 clean but couldn't quite live with the pace being set by Martin Ward for SYO and Roger for FVO first team - pretty soon there was a pack of 6 people up front with me about 20/30 secs back and a similar gap to anyone else behind me. It all seemed pretty physical and I just couldn't go quick enough to catch back up.

Went round the green out of #5 where the others had gone through, this was slower and then they seemed miles ahead, however I was too far behind to have seen that most of them had also had a shorter gaffle at #6.

In my turn I had a shorter gaffle at #7, and on the way to #8 I could see Roger and Rich Barrett heading back across at the front of the lead group, not too far in front. However I was on a bad line to #8, in the forest when I should have been on the ride, then on the ride where it would have been quicker in the forest.

Ended up left of my control and got caught by a whole group at the flag including the leading women. There must have been a much better line on this leg as I lost 1min30s rather than the 30s it felt like at the time - lost sight of the leading group here too as their control was slightly closer to the spectator control (saw them punching to my left as I headed back east to mine).

Easier running after that, through the spectator control and round the last loop, brutal uphill finish though. Tried hard but not sure how fast I was going! Came back in 10th place (where we would also finish) which was a bit disappointing after spending the first 2/3 of the race trying to get on the back of a leading group of six. Did beat the first women though and avoid getting beaten by Abii on any splits! My time was about 2min 30s behind Roger's great run to come back in the lead - Rog was still buzzing with the excitement of a close race when I got to the finish.

Very glad we persuaded Dixie to stay for the relays as he extended FVO 1's lead on leg two - and Lard flew round leg three to extend it further and bring FVO 1 home for the win!