Training Log Archive: Mark3

Weekly average distance now exactly 50 miles in 2019.
Daily average ascent up to 413m, so you'd think I'd be better at hills really.

When it was 19°C leaving the house at 6am this morning I knew there would be thunderstorms coming...
...and I was right - they arrived halfway to the race and continued for the first three hours of it.

Level of rain could fairly be described as 'biblical' at the beginning. First few runners disappeared at the start (but mixture of pairs and relay teams and all sorts so didn't really know who the competition was) so just ignored everyone and did my own thing. Very glad of the gpx and of having printed a waterproof map - other people trying to hold together soggy route instructions didn't have a great time.

Fairly slow due to conditions, through woods and alongside a stream, very muddy and paths didn't exist the the time. The Pennine Way, the Burnley Way is not.

Lots of people cutting corners here and there I think; two guys overtook me doing this and I didn't catch them again until three hours later.

Terrain uninteresting until just before CP1 where there were some lovely views during a brief rain respite. Just after though, it started again and was continuous all the way across the moorland section, which would probably have been the nicest bit. Started chatting to two of the guys I'd been running with (first pair at the end) at this point - found out afterwards one of them had been a guy who waited for the ambulance with me at Pendle. Small world.

Hips starting to feel pretty tight by Hurstwood but had to push on! Probably didn't do enough of a warm up in the rain. A few more bits of nice terrain to CP2 and then a dull road section before a section where the path was so indistinct (read: not there at all) that they'd had to flag it. Best view on the race though: descent into Portsmouth - in fact, Portsmouth looked nice.

Felt ok on the climb up to Thieveley Pike and got away from the group I was with, then running well across terrain I'm good at (boggy moor). Pretty foggy so no view from up here. About 3k later the two guys caught me again - they seemed good at road but bad at bog - one of them came 3rd or 4th or something at Old County Tops so must be pretty good; I guess he was slowing for the other guy in the pair. Anyway, ran all the last 7k or so together and then I outsprinted them on the last 500m on the canal at the end - turns out I do have a reasonable turn of speed when required at the end of an ultra!

4th solo I think, although 45mins down on the winner! That's an impressive time if he was navigating - I'll tell myself he recce'd it.

Disappointed to be 10 mins slower than last year. It was a much hotter day (not a cloud), but I thought the drier rocks would more than make up for it - sadly not. Slower on every single segment! 61st.

Started briskly along the 3k run-out. Tried cutting the first corner up to Wetherlam just to see if it was faster, expecting it to be the same; if anything Strava shows it was slightly slower that way despite slightly shorter. Similar route on climb up to summit I think; basically just diagonally up, staying with the pack. Stayed away from the path at the summit and just headed W this time which seemed better. Mostly on the path along the ridge bit cut a few corners where the path seemed to know what they were doing. I had totally forgotten about the climb up to Swirl How along the ridge! But not a big one. Then I don't remember contouring around Great Carrs either, but that's a significant deviation from the path and feels it - I guess it was in the clag last time.

No problem finding path down to Wrynose as it feels like that's the main route. Same route up Blisco to last year, but need to remember that when doubling back to come back down, it's not the first turn to the N after the steep down bit, it's the one after that. I've done this both years and staying on until the next one is much better and would also bring you out directly on the right trod. One to remember for Langdale.

Then there was a bit after the obvious stream crossing where there's a significant short descent down a reentrant, which I'd totally forgotten and was unsure we were going the right way. The trod then starts to descent but keeps contouring. I'd forgotten that bit too. But eventually got to the wall/fence crossing before the steep bit and I knew where I was.

After the steep bit, after being overtaken the whole way around up until now, finally started to get my own back - and they came thick and fast. Maybe 5 by the road and another 10 up Lingmoor. Because this is a short race for me but will be long for a lot of people, they were definitely fading.
Looks like I took a similar line to last year down, but this year I was less nervous as I knew would come out in the right place. Passed at least another 5 on the way to the finish.

I think this wasn't a bad run, it's just last year was particularly good; particularly for the conditions. I didn't feel like the head was affecting me, only drunk maybe 300ml/500ml so nowhere near running out. Clif bar up Blisco was a good call as per.

Pasta Bolognese at finish was worse than the pasties last year, cutbacks I guess. It's probably a Brexit thing.

C • Cutbacks 1

Much better than yesterday.

I am not better.

First few miles felt like a newborn deer - like none of my limbs knew what they were doing. I guess that's the 20 hours sleep talking. Then ok for a bit- then whenever my HR went up at all I experienced what I can only describe as a warm tennis ball rising up my throat...this subsided when I slowed down and then came back when I sped up. This was exactly as pleasant as it sounded; had to jog/walk the last 4k or so. No other symptoms whatsoever.

Probably too much too soon, but had to be done to determine if racing at the weekend is going to happen. Will try another run tomorrow and hope there's no repeat!

First time I've had 2 days in a row off work for illness I think ever.

Managed to spend the whole day awake. Better than yesterday at least.

Slept for 20 hours today.

Nothing hurting which is nice!