Training Log Archive: TH

Very slow potter up another Munro. Really quite tired today. Not surprisingly. Met Murray about every 15 minutes which was nice, but just enjoyed losing myself in thoughts and the hills. Going up was generally ok, not fast but moving. Going down was worse! I didn't go up the second one with Murray as I thought it would only ruin next weeks training by adding on another hour or so and I was slowing Murray down a lot.

Really exciting things were that we saw a Merlin and snow buntings and a raven doing the funny flying loop the loop things that they do. We also saw 2 golden eagles on the way home. Yes Murray spotted the first one. Well done.

So the plan was to see Murray at the top. He wasn't at the top. Cloud, snow, ice and a drop the other side was though. Swore. Swore again. Put jackets on. Started descending. Thought better go back to car but no car key. Worried Murray was out somewhere on the ridge. Luckily saw him below after what seemed like ages. Shouted. He looked at me but didn't see me and ran off. About 5 mins later I contoured across and got his attention. He persuaded me to go to the summit. That was enough for me thank you. I am a southerner and proud.

vertical km up to ridge of the 5 sisters. simulation. tried for "race pace" as I have no idea what that is. HR missing for first 15 mins but it looks like I was pretty steady in the 159-165 range. Just around the 80% mark. So there is improvements to make but how is the question. Sport scientist in me thinks I need to improve the muscles locally. Maybe weights with calf muscles. Maybe shorter faster steep intervals. Or just experience. Can these races be run at 90% like at 10km can?

Afternoon hill run because I had been a wuss and not done the full planned expedition this morning and this was the bargain I struck at the top.

Another vertical km, not quite to the summit of the Munro, but the preceding one. Had thought I'd struggle to go fast after this morning's effort, but managed a similar time of about 50 minutes for the climb section. Similar gradients but slightly fewer rocks. Felt good at the end.

Then went on to the Munro and it was nice to actually run 'with' Murray for a bit. Then popped across a valley to the side of another hill before a nice path descent. But there wasn't much climb after we'd hit the munro, pretty much all downhill for an hour or so.

Much nicer weather and great views.

first munro of the weekend. taking it easy to recover from track session. hamstrings awful! didn't help with long car journey i suspect. groin and itb unreliable on the way down but never actually fell. was going to comment this week that groin been much improving in recent weeks, maybe with more stretching.

Morning jog with Hollie round the meadows. Had stayed late at work last night just a little so was going to do a minor subtle protest by turning up fashionably late. This meant it wasn't such a rush and I had a lovely run with lovely company.

Back and hamstrings better than yesterday pm but still like a granny.

Track session with cat. Work-home-cse-meadowbank-cse.
12x400m usual highgate session but up north. Metronomic in 77 apart from one going round some kids in 78. Helped to have Cat breathing down my neck and she very sportingly ran the last 200s of my last 2.

Legs better as they tend to be after a good morning run. Encouraging thing is that these are the sorts if times I would hit last year in a competitive group session when I felt fast. Now I feel like I have more to give but that some elastic bands in my legs need to be loosened.

Chiropractor at Napiers afterwards. Funny time for many reasons which aren't worth wittering about here. Summary is she is good. She clicked back and shoulders. She doesn't treat too many elite athletes I can assume, but she has lots of experience, seems very confident in own ability and I trust her for the time being. I did come out feeling like I'd made her day. A bit like an archeologist who has just found a very rare dinosaur skeleton. You don't get backs with complications like mine everyday.

A bad run.

Tried to run this morning as felt so tight - woke with glut/hamstring pain in the night. Got round the corner and turned back and decided to stretch. Did that and some glut strength. Helped gluts. Hams still painful.

Evening was not as planned. Late at work. Others moaning about how no one listens when we complain about work. Glad it's not just me. Got implicitly told off for not volunteering for some other work. When I finally left I had forgotten to do the post by 5 so had to detour round the west end to find a postbox that was going after 7pm.

Run itself was an hour aimed at a decent tempo. It was painful. I wanted to give up after 20 mins. It hurts to run. Back and hams.

On a positive note, murrays exam is over tomorrow.

Hyman intervals. Hamstrings a killer despite good stretching. First one was 4.40. Didn't understand how I couldn't keep up with Andy D who ran around 4.30. Just hurt. Warmed up and persuaded graeme and rob to keep me company. Very kind. Started 5 behind them and generally caught them half way ish and pushed on together to finish. Andy D just got faster and was in top form and no use for pacing! Glad to finish with 4 good reps around the 4.30 mark. Little windier than previous weeks. But hamstrings an issue. Groin less so.

Morning run to shake out the legs. Can't remember where I went but fairly certain I did go out!

From work to the seat for a few climbs keeping it easy on heart rate though. Caught a guy up descending which is unusual. He tried to keep up puffing away do was quite fun to cruise along in front! At the cse after 65 mins. Saw claire for a quick gossip and to continue to marvel at how she does it. Then some weights. Felt easy for 3 sets of 8 at 35kg do will increase next time. Noticing new hamstring flexibility helping for better technique. Sore as hell tho! Hurt more than ever! Run back after