Training Log Archive: rcro

Event: Midsummer on Gower Weekend - SBOC Local Event (Summer League 2)
 

Green course on Merthyr Mawr (west).

Flow and navigation not all there and wasn't really confident going to 1. Quite a lot of terrain and rough so was trying to stay on the paths and elephant tracks as much as possible.

Some trouble at 5 cost me a few minutes. Contours not totally as I would have expected and a few other people looking around. I thought control would be to my right but allowed myself to be distracted by the contours to the left.

7-8 crossed fence and went along path but was pretty sandy so not sure it was better. Looped the whole hillock at 12, then thought I was on the path to NW of control at 13 so made parallel error. OK into finish running back through the start.

Overall legs not moving well and tired - but reasonable result.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1625527093

Event: Summer Street Challenge
 

Urban on the new map of Longlevens.

Moving quicker than I have done for a while, but clear demonstration of loss of pass from missing speedwork, alongside general tiredness.

Reasonably nice course and most of the time took the best routes. Only most of the time as the best route on the long leg 9-10 was the same as where I ran on 5-6-7 so instead went the shorter more interesting route through the fields, across the pipeline, but ending with a lot of steps. Definitely slower.

HR kept dropping out.

Seems NGOC is unhappy at the low attendances, but nobody wants to actually go out and advertise or promote the races... I'd previously said I was stepping back, and with so much work on I don't have the time to do this even if I wanted to.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1623635457

SWOC local based on Roath Park. Fairly straight forward with lots of running legs but enjoyable enough on another hot and sunny evening. Legs still struggling to get going but at least today was another sub-9 hour day in office.

Again, "they" need to learn to put a flag on the finish, especially when so close to the start! At least no clear box put next to it today! ;-)

https://www.strava.com/activities/1621478526

MDC run on Mynydd Bedwellte. Legs wrecked from another long day sat at my desk in work (originally was supposed to be holiday, then a "short" 7 hour day in office, then extended up to 8 hours when the trains were cancelled) - so took 5k to get moving and making poor progress on the descent to Abertysswg, on the tarmac and heading back up the main climb.

Really struggling on anything rough or rocky (which was quite a lot) - these shoes really don't give the ankle any support. Once it got smoother was moving quite well and did a reasonable effort up to the trig near the end.

Good route and nice evening to be out. Pub cheap and cheerful with two courses and drink for £9.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1619416206

Train home was cancelled and had to stand on the next one. Didn't feel like doing anything once home so just went to bed.

Nobody seemed to want to run today so left on my own to start doing some Transfan training - it didn't go very well.

Fairly standard clockwise Neuadd skyline route with the option of adding Fan y Big if the climb up Cribyn felt too easy (not taken up). Pretty hot day didn't help.

Tried fairly hard up the first climb and that took everything out of my legs and nothing "in the tank" along the ridge. Cut the corner a bit to avoid the rocks but found the terrain more energy sapping. Was at least able to keep moving on the path.

Reasonably good time up the last bit to Corn Du (9s off PB) despite some hold ups on the steep bit, and 3s off PB Corn Du to Pen y Fan (and that PB is actually very good). Slow on all the downs made worse by tiredness.

Last 1/2 of Cribyn was walk - was able to run most last time. Fairly gentle pace back down the Roman Road as worried about tripping as tired. Seems a bit rougher than last time I was here as thought there were quite long stretches where you could run mostly rock free on the sides.

Pete Ryder and Sam Gregory were coming the other way off Pen y Fan.

Good morning to be out - but warmed up quickly as I was driving there, glad to carry drink with me.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1614320603/overv...

36 bites from yesterday

Due to annual leave being cancelled and nobody around wanting to do anything managed to sneak in an extra parkrun so that I'm back on course for my 50th Forest parkrun on my birthday.

Pretty hot and sweaty again. Ground was mostly dry except the wet bits, but a lot by the sawmills was unexpectedly slippery and came close to going over completely a few times on the first lap (was more careful second time around!)

Everyone seemed to start really quickly as I didn't feel particularly slow. Had to put in a lot of effort in the first k to get into a reasonable position (14th?) to avoid getting held up on the rooty bits. Kept putting the effort in and was passing people the rest of the way to finish in my usual 7th place.

For feeling like it's a slow time, still comes in at 6th fastest in last 2 years, and 3 of those better times were in better conditions. Just need to teach the legs to go faster again.

Lots and lots of mosquitoes today.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1611407581

Nothing to do so went for a token snake hunt to fill out time and not expecting to find much due to time of year and undergrowth being up. 5 adders and two grass snakes - which is quite a good haul. No lizards, but two of the adders looked quite fat.

A little jog trying to stick to off-road as I hadn't brought my trainers. Pace slow anyway but much slower because quite a lot of forestry work been going on and the contractors have seen no need to keep the footpath clear. A bit more stopping around the end to check on the snakes.

Hot day to be out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1611720839