Training Log Archive: runnermdj

Ran Leg 4 route : Alva Glen CP - Wood Hill - Tilli Glen - The Law - BC - BE - The Nebit and down by south ridge, left to zig zags & gorse bush path. Packs a lot of climb into 8 miles and felt it, worked fairly hard! Great run though and legs going ok. About 61mins to The Law. Mist coming in & out, nice and cool, but fresh easterly which was a headwind on the main climbs.

Had to scrap plan A of a run from Alva over Ben Ever, Blardenon & Dumyat to Blairlogie when I found a left foot mudclaw and a left foot o-roc in my shoe bag - doh! So was left with my Adidas Kanadia walk about shoes (never run in them!) to make do with. Wanted to keep them dry and needed to avoid the rough, but also wanted 90+mins of hill running so ended up doing the GG time trial route twice, from the farm at Alva, up the landrover track to the plateau between Craighorn & Ben Buck. The climb is 4.34km and 473m ascent with varying gradients so an excellent training route (especially if you want to keep your trainers dry!).

Ascent times - 28.54 & 29.06. Was cursed by a headwind on most of the climb, the only sheltered bit was the relatively flat bit just over halfway up. And the headwind was definitely worse the second time around. Cool & misty above 300m with some wet snow at the very top (melted by second rep). Only the Nebit col gate open. Ran it more tempo than flat out, and pleased the times were so close. Will have another go some time with lighter kit and hopefully a favourable wind (and only do it once!). Turned out to be a good session though given the earlier shoe catastrophy!

GG TT splits...
http://www.attackpoint.org/racesplits.jsp?raceid=1...

C • Hardcore 10

Men - Splits

Men - Splits

Ran across to the park to meet Marco, Fionna & Ed, then ran up Hunter Bog, Pipers Walk, Knoll, Nether Hill, Crow Hill, Dunsapie Loch, Whinny Hill and down Dry Valley. Ran back via StA square & Dundas St. Dry, cool and breezy to start but got hit by freezing rain coming off Whinny Hill and all the way back. Felt quite good and took it relatively easy.

Run up to the canal plus a couple of strides.

Session on the canal with Marco & Fionna. Didn't really need a tough session today so kept the efforts controlled, more tempo than intervals. Stats :

effort (recovery) : pace, distance

10min (2min) : 5.52m/m, 1.71mi
8min (90s) : 5.51m/m, 1.37mi
6min (1min) : 5.42m/m, 1.06mi
4min (1min) : 5.50m/m, 0.69mi
2min : 5.37m/m, 0.37mi

Bit of a headwind on the 8, 4 & 2, the 4min in particular. Felt ok.

Run back via the gardens & Dundas St

Run across to the park plus a bit extra.

Tried a loop on Arthurs Seat at lunch which is given as a recommended route in this month’s Trail Running Magazine. Main reason I tried was that I thought their recommended time of 20mins was a bit ambitious! Anyhow, ran it fairly hard and here’s the splits (route is supposed to finish via radical road but it’s closed!)...

Start at boulder at foot of radical road
Arthurs Seat (via Dry Valley & knoll) : 10.11
Nether Hill (via Crow Hill col) : 12.06 (1.55)
Col at top of Hunters Bog : 15.26 (3.20)
Top of Crags : 19.20 (3.55)
Finish (boulder) : 22.21 (3.01)

Distance = 2.18 miles
Climb = 290m

So 2.21 slower than the trail magazine time but I reckon the radical road finish would be about a minute quicker. The descents are tortuous in the main and I don’t know them that well so more time to come there. Stuck to the path all the way down Nether Hill but know there are grassy corner cuts.

So sub 20 may be possible for me (a big maybe!) via the radical road, improving on the downs and perhaps start a little more aggressively. Though conditions were perfect today.

So I must be slower than the average Trail Running magazine reader!

Ran round St Margarets Loch then back to the office via Leith Walk.

Ran over to the park, round Queens Drive clockwise and back with Marco & Fionna. Fairly easy pace. Lovely weather for it though still breezy.