Training Log Archive: Jon X

Inverness Half Marathon
109th place, 97th male, 24th V40+

Entered this weeks ago as a prep race for London, as Roger and Fanni were doing it too, and my original plan of Reading on 22 March was no longer possible (anyone want my Reading entry?).

My calf problem has changed the landscape a bit since then so London is looking like a deferral, but decided to go ahead with the race as a good tester for level of fitness and endurance, plus a step up in terms of checking what the calf can cope with. A bit nervous about the latter as I would feel rather foolish to do the race and then break down during it....

So two main aims - get round unscathed and find that my fitness is good enough to get round in under 90mins.
Both safely achieved so v happy with that.
Although 6mins slower than this time two years ago is a lot...

A bit windy and a bit undulating, especially the climb from mile 3 up to a bit beyond mile 4.
Ran very consistently to plan of 6:45/mile to 10 miles (got there in 67:32 vs target 67:30) and then see if able to push on at all. Pushed on a little but only with the wind, offset by the headwind again in the final mile. Not exactly bounding along at the finish but still holding pace fine.

Great effort by Rog to run a new PB of 77:24, looking very good for London with 7 weeks prep still to go. Probably a different hydration strategy the night before London too....
Fanni a bit ill/injured so wisely skipped the race in favour of one later in the month.

Just under four weeks to JK. Calf still has a huge lump in it but seems to be coping with everything, just shorter reps and hill reps left as tests. Which are probably exactly the things that are needed in those next few weeks - JK M45 field looks very strong!
(and the flying time of new M45 Mr Walder at Gullane on Sunday is duly noted....)

Back to the car for the inevitable forgotten item. Got back to the event centre and briefly couldn't find my way back to Roger's car with all my kit in - time a little tight so that got a bit of adrenaline going, probably no bad thing.

C • hydration strategy.... 1

Training on a bunch of quality areas this week - today it was the second part of M21E from the 2000 British Elite Champs, with Rog.
Much fun but not navigating precisely enough, need to do better.

It just sort of happened....

Headtorch round Touch collecting controls 12-22 from the Long plus the two extra Short course controls.
All that snow last night - tonight I could run round with no need to tread on any snow at all!

And that boulder that was nowhere to be seen at control 19 last night?
It was there all along, less than 10m directly downhill from the pebble where the control was hung - enough snow has melted now to show it starting to stick out from the massive snowdrift where it was hiding!

Event: FVO Night #9 - Touch
 

Hanging flags for tonight's event.
Clear blue skies, lots of snow underfoot and snowy mountain views, a joy to be up there.
Tough running conditions though...

Putting out the rest of the flags. Kindly didn't hang the one at the crag foot on the NE part of the butterflies right in the middle of the 6ft deep snow drift up against the crag itself....

Up to the start and then collecting in the first loops (misjudged whether everyone was through them all, sorry Robert!). Forgot about the collecting when wearing my down jacket to the start so it was warm work!

eek

hmm