Training Log Archive: simonw

Intended on a long ish run but developed a bit of a sore throat and runny nose so MTB it was. Very busy out as expected.
Felt ok to push on after a while so kind of did monkey trail, mostly cruising behind bike wankers and willy wavers. Carried on and did FTD as well.
Caught up one guy just after werewolf drop but he picked up some speed and I nearly lost it trying to stay with him. Talked about the Stanton Sherpa he was riding when at the bottom. Turns out it was Dan Stanton himself.

Finally felt good enough to bag the Brocton lane - Fredas Grave KOM. as weak as it is probably won't last long but conditions were good for it.
Wasn't up for much else so just a pootle after that.

First run since High Peak 40.
Must've really pushed it on Saturday as the calves are still mashed.
Managed to keep a steady pace but couldn't have gone any faster.

Random ramblings over the chase.
Over to tackeroo as usual and let a posse of full bounce brigade go first down the dog. Rolled down just pumping it and still caught them. Decided not to continue due to the congestion. Headed back a slightly different route the other side of Abrahams. Nice night for it but legs so weak and sore after yesterday.

High Peak 40.
10th place and a PB by over 20 minutes....Go figure, as they say.

Not expecting anything this year except a world of pain from about 20 miles onwards. So with bugger all run training this was a bit risky but I was interested in seeing the outcome of an off season summer of 'maintenance dose' running mixed with a fair bit of mountain and road bike.
5th attempt on HP40 so for the record, from memory
2009 - 8:17?
2010 - 8:07?
2011 - 8:40?
2012 - Didn't run
2013 - 7:04 22nd place
Gave Roger a lift there and entered on the day. Said I'd run with him for a bit but would probably not be able to keep the pace for too long. Felt quite relaxed until Tony from Emmerdale showed up. Thought I'd better pull me socks up as I wouldn't be able to live with it if he rolled in ahead of me.
Started up in the top 15 or so and the pace was quick through the park and up the main road, 7min/mile. Mellowed a bit at the first climb and stile crossing then quick again all through Goyt Valley to CP1. Kept with Roger and Janson but was huffing and blowing. Even Janson said it was too quick this early on. He should know as he's just won the thunder run(120+miles 24hrs). Downhills were daft. I was on 6:25s and Rog was pulling away
The pace leveled slightly after around the 7m mark but Rog was like a coiled spring and kept pounding the descents then walking the climbs. Janson was taking the piss just running everything, proper steady. Too quick for me so I let them go at about 15 miles and lost sight of them way before Mam Tor.
With another Stoke chap Mark Cornes now and we kept swapping positions a few times and in doing so both running the road sections well without stopping and well paced. Through Tideswell and Monsal Dale. All runnable and still feeling strong.
Climbing out on to Monsal Trail surprised to see Rogers green shirt only about 200 metres ahead. I gave chase and just about caught him as we crossed the A6(Deepdale nature reserve).
About 33miles we hit the long 2.5-3 mile road Section. Mark, Roger and me all arrived together in 10th 11th and 12th position. I spent a bit longer eating jaffa cakes and supping orange squash at the CP so Mark and Rog had about 150 metres head start on me. Mark pulled away to cement 10th place. Rog pulled away put slowly. He was out of sight until Cave dale 2 where I'd catch him again. He was asking me for food and had gone hypoglycaemic. I had eaten 5 gels, 2 nakd bars and had nothing to spare so we walked to the penultimate CP which was a couple of minutes up the hill.
Rog helped himself to a slice of victoria sponge that had just been cracked open but I'd seen 2 runners closing in. I decided to open a gap on them and continued to feel good so just kept running. They did get closer but I held them off to take 11th place. (only about 25 minutes behind Janson in 4th.
Probably my best ultra run to date and with no training really except for a very slow Lakes 100 and a steady Stone circles a few weeks ago.
Felt stronger as it went on and actually had some desire to run it fast and compete. Legs are probably stronger due to the cycling and I know the course well. Weather was not too hot but apart from that unsure as to why it went so well.
Marcus Scotney won in 5:20. 30 seconds outside course record. I can't fathom that speed.
Emmerdale geezer finished over an hour after me.

Ride over to follow the dog. Kept it mellow and flowy again round the dog with no stopping apart from seat lowering and raising. Trails are riding nice tonight if a little loose and dusty.

Free pack of super bike top trumps in MBUK this month. Shaun Palmer's 1996 Intense M1 is worth 99 points, only seconded by Jason McCroy's stumpjumper. How much? PRICELESS!!! I guess that means it's worth nothing because the identical 1996 intense M1 I've got in the shed got no interest at all on ebay. Media hype..

Chase with Fly...again.
trying to do a faster one but dog not running well after chasing a fox and blowing up

Chase with Fly

Morning plod on towpath with Fly

Don't know what this was all about. Just riding around.
Top of cutting to Brook Lane? Tim Bishop 24.0mph WTF

Here we go then. It's mid September and that means 2 things.
1. I'm almost a year older
2. It's now dark enough to go out on the tarmac without being seen.
First Big Block of the season. A mellow one at that. Don't want to peak too soon.

Ride to Satnall Hills for WM junior squad training. Said I'd help shadowing but was more like coaching. I'm not the man to be coaching anyone on navigation but convinced myself I knew what I was doing. Maps with no paths seem to help. Or is it paarths. I'm not posh enough for orienteering

Sneaked away from the O training and did a quick follow the dog.
Tried the full Tackeroo - finish(many strava variants of) and slowed it down to keep it flowy. Smashed my PR despite hold ups from plodders.
Seem to be getting quicker on most segments so bike fitness looks like it's improving. Top 100s looking possible with a few bike tweaks.
Interesting to see how the running goes when I pick it up again.
Summer seems to be running 'off season' for me now.

Steady on towpath with pooch

Follow the dog and Monkey trail from home. A bit weak on the speed front. Too much sun casting shadows on the trail.

From O to home

Cool down run with Matt

Domination sprint around Wildwood.
Going OK until #9 where I picked the wrong tree. no control so assumed it had been nicked (not unusual around here). Clean for the rest with minimal fumbling considering the punch card system. 30 seconds clear of MattH but all for nothing.
Ran around to check after and found correct tree. Muppett.

Bit of a shakedown ride. It was so nice out thought it rude not to. Bumped into Chris Hedley so rode with him for a while(still on singlespeed).
Rockshox reverb would be a nice addition to my bike. Amongst other things.

Brocton - Chase - Bednall - Teddesley - canal route.
Crackin' day for a slightly longer run. Fly behaved well around the sheep on Teddesley estate.
Run only spoiled by the sight of a drunken elderly couple both with a regency mahogany sideboard tan stark bollock naked lounging on the front of their narrowboat. Appears they spend most of their time like that judging by the lack of tan lines.

Event: British Middle Champs (UKOL)
 

British Middle champs M40 - Brereton Spurs
Very rusty skills wise so used my head a bit and went very cautious for the first 4 or 5 controls. Loosened up on 5, 6, 7 then entered the 'spurs' proper so slowed it right down again. Over exuberance in the past around this area has resulted in great frustration...and we don't want that do we.
Different controls close to 10 and 11 kept me on toes but wasn't falling for it. I can actually read the numbers on the boxes now without them being 6 inches from my face..this helps immensely.
14 was difficult. Even with early start time there were parallel grooves along the proper ones which I dropped into. Lost a minute or so so not a complete disaster.
Struggled on 19, it was all a bit busy so instead of head scratching located 20 which was easy and went back from there.
Straight lined 20-21 and intercepted Winskill who'd taken the path, ended up on his heels for 22, 23 then he seemed to drop too low for 24 so I went my own way only to end up there at the same time.
A train developed for the last few so played it safe and to not push luck too much on the first event in months just rolled in.
Great course on a good area.
14th M40 won't set the world on fire but I'll take it just for the lack of perceived frustration.

Attempt at a long run scuppered again. The boy phones me to say he's rolled his ankle while bmxing in the new wildwood concrete bowl. Ran back to pick him up

Pyramid interval set of
1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 off 1 min recoveries
Felt like blah for the first 4 sets then clicked ok and been alright since

Bit of FTD from Tackeroo. Chubbies on boing boing bikes getting in the way so sacked the idea.

Tried the bike instead. Still feeling rough. Ambit threw a wobbly. First time for everything I suppose. I went nowhere near Bilston! Stopped it near Chase Road corner to start again.

Post sickness test run fail. Sick as a dog and very weak. Walking the hills. Picked up a bit later on.