Training Log Archive: rcro

Event: Summer Street Challenge
 

Street O based at Pittville Park in Cheltenham.

Some quite involved legs but was planning ahead well and no stops for navigation. Think the routes were ok. Significant tailing off of speed after 5k - but to be honest wasn't particularly quick before. Quite tired anyway and had 1 hr standing on a train (had reserved a seat but no way of getting into the carriage to claim it...) and 2 mile walk with heavy bag.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1808041007

Slow paced recovery jog to keep legs moving after yesterday. Wouldn’t have wanted to go faster. Got an email today confirming I did sign up for the AXA 5 - so that will be my first road race since the last time I did it... (not counting the FoD trails HMs)

C • 34:08 2

Return to Coleford to pick up my new vest - bit of a weird cut if you have a thin body.

10x 400m alternating between "5k" pace and "1 mile pace" - but in practice it was "quite fast" and "as fast as possible". Good news is that the consistency was there with the slower ones all in range 1:26-1:27, and the fast ones 1:14-1:15. Interesting to compare versus track 400s with Lliswerry (on a proper surfaced track...) a few years ago - which was consistent 1:18s. Again a mystery as to where this improvement in speed has come from.

Actually a really nice group to train with, helped by a few more under 30s doing this session vs last week. Made it much more enjoyable than it would have been. Given the aim for this season is racing, may make an effort to come up more often in the winter in preference to some of the less nice/convenient MDCs.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1803693041

Appointment with doctors was cancelled by them at 8.30 this morning - less than 2 hours notice (leaving me with a wasted day off work). That's 50% of GP appointments and 90% of dentist appointments I've had booked in the last 18 years that they have cancelled. Whilst there are undoubtedly many people who go above and beyond in the NHS, there are also quite a few who aren't in the business of treating patients.

C • Not much of a mystery 2

Another mystery success. Hadn't planned to run this at all, and legs didn't feel up to racing. Only came as the intended explore around Wigpool was postponed and spending a day at home without talking to people isn't really a good idea at the moment.

Jog to start went badly, but started steadily - past by a few, and then overtaking along the gradual down to railway line, holding and gaining places on the way up to be in 7th place coming on to the fell. Breathing wasn't fantastic, but some of that may be linked to trying hard - I didn't start walking until the steep climb near the mast.

The most surprising aspect of this was that I was still in 7th place at the finish. Paul Dodd was just in front at the trig, and of course shot off as I took descent more gingerly and I never saw anyone again with no-one in sight in front or behind. Made for a fairly stress free descent, just running at a natural pace and being able to see where my feet were landing.

Over 2 min improvement on my PB for this course - and I don't consider myself to be in peak health/fitness/freshness at all. Maybe technique has improved? I really don't know where the speed has come from (excluding whilst properly ill)

MDC 3rd and 7th, but incredibly poor showing from the club meant Gareth was third counter and lost an easy team prize to Mynydd Du (5th, 10th-ish and 20th-ish)

https://www.strava.com/activities/1801000821/overv...

Run today has helped dry the shoes out a bit. Started out pretty sodden.

C • Well done. 1

Giving Henry some navigation training practice before he heads off to Sandhurst next month, running my course from JK on Llangynidr, in hideous weather...

Needless to say it didn't all go to plan but plenty of lessons learned, and, all told, did find all the sites we went for (as confirmed by comparing GPS plot with the race). No repeat of my big mistake on 1, but almost exactly did same thing on 3-4, with us opting for the "head north until the hill ends" technique to get out of having lost track of exact location. Pure chance that we hit on the exact right feature to hide from the weather!

Bailed out at 8 and went back as both Henry and Ben needed to be in showered and cleaned and in Gloucester for 3.30 - and we were pretty cold and miserable. Generally, they were doing OK, and Ben seemed a lot more confident with going ahead. I wasn't fully in the zone as putting my attention into making sure they knew what they were doing and balancing against getting too cold.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1798423656

First time trying a new meeting place in Raglan - think I saw Ifor's mum getting into her car.

Didn’t have a good night and got quite worked up on the drive over so was feeling absolutely terrible when I parked - to the point that even standing and walking was a struggle.

For all that, the run went surprisingly well with my fastest time in this (normal) direction, and fastest on the revised course. Basically spent the whole run within 8s of Henry and was closing back up to Ben near the end.

Glad the run went well as was worried the day was going to be hell.

Moved on down to Glasshouse to get a second run in whilst over here - up May Hill. Not confident of the way, and started right down the bottom by the pub so not competing for Ben’s slow segment. Views pretty good from the top and the sun was shining for half of it.

As part of Monmouth traffic busting dropped into Garway after to see the Jacks Dash race. Not really my thing but may give it a try one day.