Training Log Archive: SarahD

Jogging around at athletics club. Took the sprints a bit easier this time - didn't try to race E!

S+C workshop at Glenmore. Good intro to some basic lifts.

Fun relay. A bit of time loss at 1 (not got into map or Oing), 4 (night O reflector only), 5 (didn't seem quite right to me). Then got going better and enjoyed it.

From G'more Lodge round the back and across the road onto tracks above Loch Morlich. To C'gorm C fb, and on to Loch an Eilein, round the loch and back same way to LM. Then back round the loch to GML. Lovely ride. Years since I've been through most of this stuff, great tracks and not too many people. Pleasant morning

Jogged out to hang a few controls for training, then round the board walk at Uath Lochans with E.

Long run with J from ToEss, out on the Firmounth, then round behind Baudy Meg. Should have been longer but my legs were dead and it turned into a shuffle. At least the hamstrings weren't specially sore any more.
Think cycling might be a good plan for tomorrow.

Lap of the woods in Aboyne before circuits. Hamstrings still tight but not as bad as yesterday.

Worked a wee bit harder than last week on the circuits, but was v careful on the abs stuff.

Another stretch back home.

Short easy loop round H'head. Hamstrings feeling v sore after last night. Stopped to stretch them after a w-u, but didn't help much. Hoping the run will ease them out a bit. That and some more stretching later.

Found myself a target for early next year:
http://www.endurancelife.com/event-new.asp?series=...

Not good ;-(

Back to Aboyne for the winter. W/u to the green and back again at the end.

AS drills. Felt like I was finished the session by the end of this.

4.5' tempo, then 10 x 1'+1', then another 4.5' tempo. Felt hard. Going ok at times, not so at others.
Impressive turn out, especially from the Maroc contingent.

Very stiff.

Running around at athletics club. Joined in the sprints and flailed myself trying to beat E. Probably not very bright.

Trip down to Glentress as a b'day treat for E, with JG for company. Did the full blue loop (16km or so). Boys ground their way steadily up the hill in impressive style, then left J and myself behind on the descent (no surprise there). Really fun trail with nothing too over exciting.

Feeling a bit beaten up this morning - guess I'd better back off from training today.

With J from Corsedarder out to caper enclosure, right at the end down the track for a way, then tried to cut across to the lower hill. Didn't quite work and ended up back in the caper enclosure, then back the same way. Probably a bit longer than I should have been doing this week, but mostly didn't feel too bad.

Wee jog round the woods in Aboyne with J as a w-u before circuits.

Ruth's circuits. Took it easy but will still know about it tomorrow. Especially the stomach I fear.

First lunchtime H'head run in a long time. Didn't feel quite as bouncy as last night, but nice to get away from the desk. Need to be a bit careful not to overdo it this week.

Round the 2 bridges at GT with JR and TR. Good brisk pace but legs felt fine. Really happy with recovery.

Bit of jogging around at athletics club. Legs not bad considering - hamstrings feeling the tightest bit.
Still buzzing from Saturday - what next ?

Bit of a grim day in Grinderwald with the cloud right down - we were so lucky for race day. Had most of the day spare so set off for a walk anyhow, hoping that active recovery would help my legs in the longer term. Took a bus as high as my free ticket would take me to Ober Gletscher, then traversed back by a path along the slopes if Schreckhorn, round above the Unter Gletscher and then down to Gletscherschlect. Would have been great on a nice day, but bugger all views today. Legs didn't like going either up or down hill and I was walking very very slowly. Out for ~3h.

Awesome, awesome race and very very happy to have got so close to 5h.
Weather conditions on race day were perfect - bright and sunny with some high cloud, but cool. Bumped into Robbie S whilst warming up (he finished in 11th place in 3:08). It was really nice to have a pre race chat and put a big smile on my face at the start.
The race plan was simple - to cruise the first half in ~ 2h leaving plenty in the tank for the second half and ~1800m of climb. Set off slightly faster than this, but knew that the first 10km were the easiest. The first climb is at 11km and after taking it steadily I was rather worried to feel my left calf already, but tried to put it to the back of my mind. At the only railway level crossing at 15km I managed to arrive just as the half hourly train was pulling out of the station - a 20 sec stop and subsequent congestion. Between 17 and 19km there are a few single track sections of path and this caused some stop-start running putting me out of rhythm and losing a bit more time. So having been a bit up in schedule reached the half way point bang on 2h, feeling pretty relaxed but not quite as much so as I had hoped.
The climb begins at 25.5km and it didn't take long to realise I was a lot stronger than most folk around me on this. It felt good to be passing lots of people and kept my spirits and energy up no end. All those long hill training sessions had paid off. I still had concerns about cramp, and once I got to 3h I was expecting it to kick in any time. To my relief and amazement it never happened and once 4h had passed I was very happy. Even more so as I passed more and more people suffering the dreaded fate. I managed to keep running the easier slopes where others around me were walking and continued to pass lots more people.
At 38km a short descent was finally too much for my lower legs and the cramp tried to kick in, but never made me stop. By this stage the vast majority were suffering equally as badly. I still had energy for the last steep climb at 39km, but unfortunately the single track mountain path made it really difficult to pass others, and there were a lot of people going very slowly. I think I'd have broken 5h without this congestion, but as that had never been part of the plan ( I just wanted to go sub 5:30) I wasn't at all worried. The last km is downhill and to my surprise my legs were able to cope with this. I had a huge smile on my face as I finished.
The views throughout the race are fantastic and the finish is in such an amazing location. What an experience.
A few surprises
- the first half is certainly not flat and the race profile doesn't show half of the undulations.
- I wasn't expecting so much congestion at various times during the race
- It was mostly on back roads with a lot of track running, so my lack of tarmac training wasn't a problem.

I'd thoroughly recommend this to anyone looking for a special challenge, but make sure you save your pennies first. Switzerland is extortionate.

C • Nice one! 2

Tried to find a flattish route for a short run out, but not easy in Grindelwald. Feeling a bit heavy and sluggish - something to do with the lunchtime pasta and snooze me thinks. Would have been better to get out earlier, but took a bit longer in Interlaken than planned. Legs fresh though.
Much brighter day and the Eiger is looming impressively over the town.

C • All the best for tomorrow! 1

From the hotel in Grindelwald. Picked up some signed footpaths from behind the station and headed up the side of the hill into wodland behind the town. Felt rested and running relaxed. Good to give the legs a reminder about running uphill. Wanted to keep going, but common sense prevailed.
Eat, drink and relax for the rest of the day now. Cloud down on the mountains but briefly caught a glimpse of the Eiger through a gap in the cloud. Hoping it will lift later.

Travelling out to Switzerland for the Jungfrau Marathon on Saturday

2 bridges at GT widdershins. Started fairly steady but wound up into quite a pacey run for me, with Joe W, J and E on his bike all looking a bit more relaxed. Didn't feel great at the start, but much better once we got into it. Last proper run before the w/e.

Bit of jogging around at athletics club

Junior training at Cambus - warm-up jog, then shadowing FW. Lovely day.

Too nice not to see a bit more of the day, so a wee pooter on the bike with E. Across the road to Drumnagask and WHW, then back by DW. Glad that E decided he need some rests on the way back up the hill.

C • should think he did 2

Easy ride from Aboyne along to Dinnet and back the same way on the DW. Had planned to go a bit further but faffed for 10 mins with brakes and then didn't fancy having a thrash. Stopped on the way back to pick some rowans to add to the season's bumper harvest.

With J from Torphins up round Learney and back through the woods by the village. Found a new track off the hill which gives a few more route options. Legs a bit tired from last night but going steady. Had planned a slightly longer run, but this will do.
Foot felt fine today - weird.

Cambus Canters. Felt really flat and a bit down before the run - not sure why, but maybe not enough running this week to keep those endorphins going ;-) Once I set off, felt pretty good on the hill and attacked it pretty hard. Caught a few, but seemed to be caught by even more. Finish time was a few secs quicker than the last one, so happy with that. Not exactly been training 5km pace recently.
Great turn out.
Calf was fine and foot felt fine during the race, but got really sore again when I went for a warm down.

Decent w/u with J. Cut w/d short when foot started hurting.

No time, but no real problem with resting again.

Relaxed run round the 2 bridges. Foot felt ok - phew. Still not so sure about the calf though.

Stuffed up head today, but legs not feeling too bad - until I jogged round the field with the kids at athletics that is.

Leg 2 of Comrie relays with Marie. Good run and enjoyed it apart from a few niggles. Worked hard by M especially early on, but finished feeling within myself. Descent didn't seem as bad as others had built it up to be, although OB might not be feeling that tonight.
Fun day.

Jogged up to start of leg 2 from the race start - ~22' and a good w-u. Gave the first bit of hill a reccie too, until realising that the first runners were coming through.
Set off for a w-d but my foot was sore so stopped fairly rapidly...
As soon as I set off on the w-u my R foot was sore on the inside. Not a clue where this came from and can only think that my shoes were done up too tight yesterday perhaps? Gave me some gyp through the race, especially on the climbs. Also felt a twinge of cramp in my L calf again, but never came to any more. A bit worried about this for JF.