Training Log Archive: slow-twitch

Among the beech trees (and gorse) at Maidstone Park, a place I'd all but forgotten about until I passed a sign pointing to it the other day. It was harder work than I'd hoped for, so I've decided no more running for me this year.

Knees had not been complaining about the walks up and down hills so I finally convinced myself I couldn't spend this much time around the old home town and not get some hill running in. Didn't expect to stay out for quite so long though (thought an hour would be doing pretty well), but I think that was a nice surprise rather than biting off more than I could chew. From one of the Alex Road carparks on Mt Vic, on and off the southern walkway as far as Mt Albert, through the golf course and Berhampore to flank Mt Cook (not really getting back in to the town belt as much as I'd hoped as was getting aware it was turning into a significantly longer run than what I'd made other plans around), cutting through the Massey/WHS campus to finally head back UP to the car. (I don't recall seeing any embargos relating to the W6 races...) Anything level to rolling felt good, but I walked far too many uphills, and far too many downhills turned out to be sealed or concrete. But the knees feel surprisingly ok today and my calf only started pinging a little bit on the final climb up through Mt Vic.

C • Good 1

Another walk up and down a hill - this time Mt Kaukau from the Simla entrance, with some nice company (and the nice company's parents). Really have no idea how long it was other than far less time than expected and that was with a fair bit of mooching around at the top. So we'll call it an hour though I think overall it was a bit more.

Up and down a hill in the Mt Holdsworth neck of the woods. Would have liked to go further, but when you don't really get started until about 3pm... Lots of birdy noise and plenty of things in flower around the tree-line made for a nice walk

Last Eastside jaunt for the year. Passed on the fancy dress again (there were ideas circulating but the required co-conspirators were lacking) but still didn't seem right to go hard. So was planning on taking it relatively easily most of the way then going for it in the last km. Got that half right - the accelerator pedal was missing when I hit 4km. (Still scrabbling round looking for it). I think I'll blame the conditions - was the first truly muggy night of the season. Still, it wasn't that long ago that 24 minutes was very definitely not a 'cruise'...

C • Pedal 1

Final urban rogaine, Pukete. Thought I would be going quite slow but once warmed up, found myself adjusting first loop plans significantly upwards (but then dropped a couple near the end when I was beginning to worry about the bonus point window). Mysteriously 'lost' 5 minutes going over the hill on the 2nd loop and thought I would end up dropping all my alternative finishes for a straight run back from 19, but with a burst of speed picked up 2 more and finished with plenty of breathing space. Can't help thinking I could have done things much more efficiently if I'd really thought about it but my priority for the night was to get back early enough to get the final series results processed promptly and still have a nice run!

Eastside. Reverse direction, which some claim is slightly faster though it seems to me the toughest part of the course comes at an even worse time this way round. Last time I was there for 'backwards day' I think I ran exactly the same time as the week before... Regardless, I doubt it would be 24 seconds faster, which is what got knocked off the PB tonight. Because I felt I was ready to have a crack at a good time I started in the front row, which I don't think I'll be doing again for ...ever - at least I know what a 4 minute km feels like now, but I'm a long way from having more than one of those in me. Not surprisingly slowed down somewhat, but getting to the 4km mark and seeing that I just needed to cruise a 5 min km to be in my PB range was the psychological boost to not break into a walk. This will hurt tomorrow but I'm happy right now!

C • PB ! ... nice... 1

Urban Rogaine, Cambridge. Feeling out of sorts for the first couple of kilometres, especially after starting off with a massive stair-climb (not the ideal warm-up), but got into it physically by the end of the first loop. Mentally on the other hand - constant mind-changing on the second loop and I thought I was going to blow it as a result, but ended with a comparatively good score. Not sure where the last few minutes went, given I'd been weighing up a further side trip on the way home - I should put in a vote for 46 minute time limits in future, seems I could plan those to perfection!

C • 46min! 2

Back to Eastside after a couple of weeks' break and no expectations. Especially as I was feeling a bit flat and slow both beforehand and all the way around, and got completely isolated for at least a kilometre in the middle when I could have used a bit of extra push. So I probably shouldn't feel too bad about missing out on a new PB by 4 seconds... what, hang on?!?

Nice relaxed pace riverside run with one of the Jens and Carisse from work. At least it was a nice relaxed pace for me, I did notice the conversation got a bit one-sided so I hope I didn't push them too hard!

Urban rogaine, Riverlea. A deceptive little map and some clever course setting - I wasn't by any means the only one taking penalties tonight! Felt slow out of the start (that may be just because I was trying to keep up with Sarah and Lani) but got round the first loop in good time without dropping any of the potential sacrificial controls. So despite spending record time on the bonus had time on hand to extend my planned second loop (rather than the half expected reduction) helped by a good running pace. Although probably broke even on that - if I hadn't added 3 controls between 24 and 25 I would have had time to pick up 7 & 8 and been back in plenty of time rather than 1 minute over. But hey, it's all about getting a decent length run! Only noticed the knees on the stair climb up to control 1, but I'll wait til the morning before I call that an improvement.

11-15-17-19-20-18-16-13-12-B-1-5-6-22-23-24-30-28-27-25-9-10-F

C • route 1