Training Log Archive: rcro

From Bassaleg getting some of the streets I missed last time and then out onto the lanes around Michaelstone and Penylan.

Stomach not feeling too great but got around ok and pace was pretty good towards the end. Some of the ups were quite steep though.

Bumped into Gavin Brace after I finished so good to have a brief catch up with him.

No idea what "circuit break" may actually happen - so this could be my last run away from home for a while.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4211522792

Getting the last 3 squares in Newport - all around Redwick. Turns out I got there only about 5 mins after Rhys left having done the coast path end to end from Cardiff.

Out to the sea first. Footpath a bit hard to follow as was signed in reverse (towards Redwick) only. Once at the sea wall (I didn’t see the sea!) thought about turning left and heading towards the border but opted out of the extra miles. Went for cattle herding instead, the cows being a lot less hostile than I thought they were around here.

Turned around at the point I walked to last week and then followed green dot paths after this. Back to Redwick was good, out the other side less so and bailed out to fields on the left and then had to force my way through a get that was turning into hedge to get back on. Maybe would have been better if I dived off to the right as there was a decent track that came back in.

Pace was pretty good despite the off road and adventures, and picked up more once on firm surfaces - did a little out and back to link up with where I got to on the time trial and didn’t really notice it. At the end dived off onto one last footpath that had a lot of gates and some shitty fields, but was at least a bit different than coming back around the shitty road again.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4206482688

Based on the marker at the church, the great flood of 1606 was only chest deep. More impressed by the “artwork” under the M4 viaducts by Sainsbury’s as I explored whilst eating lunch. Definitely more colourful and attractive than bare concrete.

Out in the daylight again - was going to be a short run but decided to mix things up a bit and loop around Gaer again, and get used to getting the elevation in. Then added the grass on, with a loop on some tracks I don't go down much. Finished with a bit of the new cycle path.

HR was rubbish for the first mile - 175 downhill, 120 uphill - then seemed to sort itself out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4203157024

Investigated a mileage discrepancy with these shoes - turns out I'd accidentally knocked off 2k from my Bassaleg run last week and a further km from a run a few weeks back. Not quite 1,400km yet.

Returning to the hilly route as going into winter and expecting that I’m going to be running from home a lot and in need of variety.

My memory from before was that my times generally were in range 38-40 minutes, today was 31:20ish. Not going particularly hard early on, just natural pace with increased effort on the uphills. But I did put some effort in the last hill to ensure the time remained good, and did ok.

Trod on something sharp just before the 1k point. The rubber on the soles and cushioning is fairly worn down now so was feeling it for a few minutes. Stopped at a road crossing to check shoes and be certain I hadn’t done a Burley.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4199256274/overv...

C • Trust me, you would know 1

Again lacking enthusiasm to get out. Ridgeway and Barrack Hill to be a bit different whilst still getting some elevation in - and felt like I was trying at the end.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4195066172

Another productive day of policy matching with short lunch and meetings where I didn't have to pay much attention! At this rate the Colonial problems will all be solved by next week :-)

Woke up and legs were feeling Sunday a lot more than they were yesterday.

Again not a super hard run, in the dark drizzle, but felt good enough on the run to extend to the full 7k loop rather than my plan to loop the Ridgeway.

Lots of people, vans, cyclists, roadworks on the pavement and several cars on the road at the wrong time so ended up taking a longer line than usual in many places - so the time was always going to be slow.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4190618797

Apart from getting a bonus hour of policy matching work done (it's very slow going...) have also managed to successfully extract another block of files from my dead Mac that I forget to back up when I USB hard-disked most other things a year ago - so a reasonably successful day!

Really no enthusiasm to get out today as seemed to get cold on the trip to Tesco at lunch and never warmed up again.

Went out late enough that the rain had stopped but meant it was dark. Pace was purposely easy.

https://www.strava.com/activities/4186482763