Training Log Archive: rcro

Making the most of driving up by doing a bit of parkrun tourism. Between a very Welsh me and a kid from Bedford I think for the furthest traveller.

Paced myself for 21ish as didn't want too hard - and was bang on time at half way. Then in the last mile set about catching the 21 min pacer and passed with half a mile to go.

Tough finish as the head wind was fairly strong (sadly, it was also there, but less strong, going out from the start), but coped ok.

https://www.strava.com/activities/358708122/overvi...

Drive up to Inverness was fine until Inverness - just over 3 hours non-stop but had trouble getting back across Inverness from Eden Court after

3.2km Men Red course - basically an extended version of the ladies' courses.

No major mistakes - just hesitant into 1 and missed that I could exit 7 to the south.

Pushing fairly hard - to see how I compare to world class athletes. Turns out punching properly rather than with SI air units is quite a bit slower!

Quite nice run, but as it was actually fairly easy had to take it hard to get anything out of it. Good start to WOC, maybe not so good for GB but tomorrow is another day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/358983538

C • running hard 2

S6D - Nairn Sprint - Men_Red - Splits

Event: WOC 2015 & Scottish 6 days
 

Driving up to Glasgow today - had hoped for slow, easy, stress free but other motorists had other plans and lost 40 mins due to a "crash" (was barely a dent - but shut three lanes) by Walsall and another hour at Lancaster for reasons unknown. At least from Kendal onwards it was lovely!

Usual tricks of looking for people I recognised - saw David Hunt, Potters and HOC Fords. Heading the other way were lots of brand new buses on delivery, Bristol MW, Leyland PD2 and a First Great Western HST carriage -so plenty of things to try and liven up the journey. Still gladly resting in a very posh Premier Inn now.

One note for driving back next week - the M6 to M5 link is down to one lane, this afternoon the queue was all the way back to Wigan...

Home from work late and pretty tired after collecting watch from sorting office at 7am(!). Spent an hour or so fiddling with it getting it working and trying to get it to not sync every single activity I did with old watch and still ended up having to do a double-hard reset to get GPS to work since clearly it only partially synced sports settings. On the plus side, it appears to working, has now synced completely, via the Mac, and for the first time ever did actually find the right start location!

Out to Gaer the top way and trying to get some hills in whilst keeping it easy paced as been suffering from yesterday a bit. Quite a lot of the paths on Gaer are now much more overgrown and brambly than when I was last out a week ago so made the pace very slow at times.

https://www.strava.com/activities/357546224/overvi...

Intervals with Lliswerry. A fairly stupid session that Ifor would rightfully hate - 30s efforts with decreasing rest of 2:30/2/1:30/1 (4 sets) - more of a test of changing speed quickly and taking the right-angled corners flat out.

Seems I was running fairly well for doing no efforts in over a month, but legs were desperate to do some clockwise running by the third set.

Apparently sessions are usually balanced towards more effort less rest - but good to see 50-60 runners out doing intervals given it is smaller club than Westbury.

https://www.strava.com/activities/356817810/overvi...

C • Stupid Session 3

MDC run along the coast from Nash Point. Into a very strong and turbulent wind.

Apart from wind was quite nice out with some steep climbs. Quite interesting at the turn around. Almost felt like you could do a sprint map of it.

Came back along the beach which, for me, was a mistake. No grip on the rocks and did some quite big slides and a fall could have meant serious bang to head. Very slow and the pebbles have pretty much killed my shoes.

Should have dropped out of the beach at the ladder but wasn't keen on the extra climb. Went back up at the next opportunity and left others along the beach and was managing 4 min ks with the wind behind - much faster than the 7-8 min/ks along bottom. Seems I've got another KOM (1/38) - but it's hidden and so not shown in my feed, but 2/41 and 8/94 on others where I didn't feel too quick clearly show was going ok.

https://www.strava.com/activities/356168254/overvi...

Came back through Cardiff, as assumed it would be better than the sat-nav suggestion of via Ogmore (!). Wrong... After two days in a row there can now confirm the impossible in that Bristol isn't the worst place in the world for driving in - given how easy traffic signal phasing and sequencing is I've no idea quite how they've managed to get it so wrong. Rush hour via Bridgend and Ogmore was actually just as quick as 9.30pm through Cardiff! Won't make that mistake again

Recovery run from yesterday. Timed it well to be in pleasant drizzle imbetween heavy rain and sunshine.

Used the down to warm up and then reasonable effort up the hill. Looks like second overall going up Gaer Road which is good for not really pushing - and might well have got the KOM on Risca Road (which finishes pretty much outside my house) had it not been stupidly set to go both sides of the Handpost junction - where I had to wait 20s... Why not just make segment end at the traffic lights?

Good that I'm able to run ok, and pleased to have motivated myself to get out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/354535345/overvi...

Interesting that the Garmin also can't get the start location right.