Training Log Archive: ba-ba

Bumped into Faz (cycling tan on show) and Rachael before Parkrun.
COuldn't chat afterwards as had to bail to the bogs.

Probably my slowest Parkrun ever (non ice affected anyway). What do I expect?
Started fairly hard but then the front 2 went off never to be seen again. I'd say I eased round but it was more of a struggle at the time, before getting done in the last 20m by some guy who really wanted 3rd.

First 2 ran a second either side of 16:00 at Donny on Wednesday. Whilst I felt tired but good on Monday and Wednesday, today I was just tired. Chill out before Lingmell now - need to do some good sleeping.

Some thrashing about on Blacka for the 'ShUOC exotic weekend'.
Quite nice actually, when I wasn't in head-high bracken (which was thankfully for a very short amount of time)

Still feeling very tired so chilled out.

Recovery. Feeling tired.

Bamford Carnival.

At lunchtime I was feeling well up for this. A bit less so once there but was moving OK in the warm-up. Dave Lund took up the pace at the start and I went with and pushed a bit. Once through Thornhill Steve F, Jack W, Dave and a Manchester Uni lad (in purple, thought he was Porter Valley Plodders, that would have been embarrassing!) got ahead. By the summit Steve had a good gap and I was ~30s down on Jack and Dave, ~15 on the Manchester lad.

The first bit of descent is gentle and grassy. Was working hard but on this kind of grade, at the top of a descent, the gaps don't really close that much. Was just about to hit the first steeper, technical bit through the gorse when I twisted a bit going round a gentle corner and my right heel came out the left hand side of my shoe. There's been a little separation between sole and upper for a while, but they've lasted well and been very stable until now.

Initially my forefoot stayed in so I could go fast enough to overtake and gap the Manchester guy. However once off the soft dusty track and onto the rockier then roadie bits, the shoe disintegrated a bit more, I ripped the sole off and jogged in to save my feet, waving the sole at everyone who passed.

A bit disappointed as I was just about to light the afterburners and had Dave and Jack in my sights - felt like I was descending well. Ascended OK, was just a little bit too jaded to stick with Jack and Dave after Monday. Looking forward to Lingmell next weekend!

Shoes had done just shy of 400 miles, most of it racing hard, so were nearing the end of their life. Whilst I retired them from A races after Duddon, there's still enough grip on them for dry peaks races. I wonder what kind of forces I put through a pair on a balls-out descent?

Tired this morning.

Loxley, then went across some new paths - which weren't as grassy as anticipated - to Wandsworth, then back along the valley.

Rough plan is to engineer a peak for the end of August/Early September. This will cover Burnsall/Grasmere (maybe Trunce & Kilnsey), 'boro 10km the next weekend, then the English Champs race at Guisborough 3 Tops the weekend after. I need to plan the next 6 weeks and try to get at least 2 good sessions in a week.

Trunce. 1st. PB by 38 seconds. 3rd fastest time this year behind Adam and Brendan Moody.

Obviously still feeling it in my legs from Saturday. I was also feeling it in my head as, after gapping Shaun on the 1st descent and maintaining most of my gap up through the quarry (running for more here than last time, but still opted for a power walk after the right turn) I managed to get lost at the top of the woods again, this time going too far right.

This meant I was behind Shaun for the descent - not what I wanted as this is where I like to build a gap. However, it meant we had a proper race back. I got ahead at the 2nd river crossing (Shaun fannied about a bit) and whilst I lead for the rest, he was right on my on the road, sheltering from the wind and sticking to me when I upped the effort ever so slightly. Surged at the last river crossing and put it all into the hill up to the gate. A bit of a breather once through it and every time I head Shaun's breathing get a bit closer on the track I upped the effort level for a few seconds to keep the gap. Slowed down at the end for future PB purposes, but only saved a few seconds.