Training Log Archive: Mal

Slightly shorter Rivelin loop...not feeling training really so just messed about a little.

OMM Day 2
A course.....1st overall!
Two really good days on the hills separated by a disgusting night in a wet tent.
Arrived at the day 1 start in time to see Rich and Llwellyn leave and take a different route to everyone else we saw. Started off well and treid not to overdo it along the path then bearinged in at spiked it. Number 2 was the start of our weekend mantra....straight is great, went right over the top of the hill which turned out to be a good choice as the running was good. Bit of a slog out and back to 3,4,5 with mist closing in around 5 which made it a bit tricky. Caught up a big group just milling around before the control but we knew we had to go further. A big down and up across the valley where Crickmore felt a bit crap but kept grinding away and on the northern route for our first big route choice. I went through a horrendous low at the start of the track struggling to overtake a middle-aged couple for a bit until my food binge had kicked in and we ran up the rest of it. Started cramping up on the descent in to 6 across the tussocks but they abated once Rich and Llewellyn appeared on the right. Out route-choiced them on the first half of 7 then went through another low at the beginning of the black mountain climb ate a lot then felt fine for the second half. Straight over the top which got a few odd looks from Rich and Llwellyn at the overnight when we told them.
Nice 30min lead at the overnight and the night was good whilst we were eating then it got a bit crap. At 10:30 Crickmore told me he was going to the portaloos and didn't return until 6am! He was soaked and freezing...I just tried to keep warm by facing down and trappping as much warmth as possible. Woke up at 6 and got the tent down by 5past....didn't want to spend another minute in that place!
Second day we were bouyed by the bad weather courses, pushed reasonably hard up the first climb and then took it a little easier just to make sure the nav went right. The long leg felt tough starting off across ice-like limestone, then slogged it across the tussocky marshy hillside then back up and over the mountain were the bad weather hit. Trot across some peaty bog then blown up another hill to the control then a horrible descent along some forest tracks with a final 'killer' climb which I had to get a mars bar in to get up a 2min climb! Finished and kit checked, then shivered back to the HQ

Event: OMM
 

OMM Day 1

Easy plod down to MASH to understand what the fuck is going on with the stats in my dissertation, on to the garage then down from Crookes

Up to the car then to uni from the garage

Still feeling a bit tired so giving today a miss to hopefully feel better for the weekend

Easy up Porter with the boys, head torch again didn't work for some reason, not having much luck with them at the minute.

Feeling it

Pre-breakfast Recovery loop with Wright and Crickmore

COE-Goodwin-Weston park-COE

Feeling very tight in my glutes, ITBs and hips and a bit of DOMs everywhere else.

Long session led by Rach, skipped the tuck jumps. Feeling tired by the end of it, sitting in to strides

Event: British Fell Running Relay Championships (FRA Relays)
 

FRA Relays Leg3
After having been mega excited for this for the last 3weeks it finally arrived.
Tom brought us back in 7th on first leg right up there and not too far behind Little Rob, Jonny and Neil came back in about 9th/10th I think again still not far behind the Dark Peak first team. So me and Pete Hodges went out hard! Attacked the first hill catching Leeds, Helm Hill, Eryri and both Calder Valley by the end of the tapes. We must have been in about 3rd or 4th I think but I'd gone a little in to the red and just followed Pete without question down a hill costing about 4/5mins in total? Relocated and got back on line with Tedwards still in sight and now Ba-ba and Todds teams in front, we could also see GG's team a bit further away. Chipped back in to the lead across to 2.
Going up to no.3, caught Todd and Ba-ba back up andthen came the contouring leg which Pete and I took differing lines on. But we came out at the same point so worked fine. Caught back Eryri Harriers and Calder Valley here. Dropped down across the valled head then straight back up the other side a little ahead of Ba-ba and Todds team and got back to the front of the group here. We must have been in 4th again by this point but we didn't realise, I thought after the mistake to 2 we may have been further behind than we actually were.
Dropped down to 4 and could see GG and HBT mybe coming out (although we weren't sure) so ran hard and despite getting stuck in a bog to my knees crossing a path we were ok. Then came the path leg...we had dropped Eryri a bit by this point but Calder valley came with us, I put the hammer down as the heavens openned and Pete came with me, DP and Calder Valley got a good gap over the teams behind and we honing in on HBT quickly but then we completely overshot the control. We ended up looping in and after all our good work saw Todd and Ba-ba just leaving. Harried on to the back of the group and struggled to find a rhythm up the rising ridge yo-yoing up and down the group in little spurts whilst Pete was still looking incredibly strong. Ba-ba struck to the front after crossing the fence and Pete went with him, I had to stop momentarily to tie my shoe lace again and it was almost coming off with every step. Todd told me afterwards I looked awful here and he was keen to push on but his partner was 200m behind. Dropped down in to the valley slightly to cut off the corner and catch the group back up and it worked. Got past Calder as he stacked it, although his team mate was quite far behind at this point. We found the control quite cleanly then it was a case of trying to close Pennine down. Hit the last check point to Anwen telling us we were in 4th and I didn't understand it. Then descended well although had to hold back a little to encourage Pete who finally hit a bit of a bad patch as I came good. At the road and the support was amazing all the Shuoc and Dark peak boys were cheering us on and Pete held on and finished a really good 4th on the leg A solid run in this field and moved us up in to contention.

Then Will had a stormer as well to move us up in to 3rd place overall! Great day out with every(?) Dark Peak team on the podium including the A team taking the win by 11mins or so! And Ba-ba has a stormer too on the nav leg!

I really struggled with the map and going out so hard probably wasn't the best idea but it still worked and had a really enjoyable day out!

Its in the blood now

Before and after with Pete, on a massive high afterwards

Pre-FRA loop with Wright....legs felt ok hopefully a lot better tomorrow.

Taking it easy before the FRAs.....really excited

Standard Rivelin in the dark without headtorches....interesting! Pushed it on a little bit to try get around as much as possible in daylight

First Dark Peak Road run of the year
Started my Garmin late so missed the first 10min or so. Down to Hunters Bar and in to Netheredge then back via Hangingwater and Stumperlowe

Down to Intervals at Endcliffe with JackW fairly quickly...need to be more organised I think
Jog back with Willy and JackW again feeling ok hamstrings a little tight

ShUOC intervals
10(2), 5*1(1) then a jog around the park to not overdo it skipping the second 10min effort
Felt good on the 10min was running with Bertie(?) did 2.9km (3:19,3:31,3:29 pace)
Then tried to be consistent on the one minutes at threshold so left the main group, 310m, 290m, 320m, 300m, 310m

Down to Goodwin quickly!
Over to Weston Park
Back from Drills

Skipped some of the more plyo stuff

Really good drills session led by Rach
Had al the equipment there for the first time in a while which was good

Easy loop on the standard 30 route with Wright. Didn't feel too bad in the legs bar a bit jolty on the downhill and a little sluggish on the climb

Event: Langdale Horseshoe
 

Around the field before and afterwards with JackWright

Langdale Horseshoe 5th!
After last years race this was always in my calendar. But didn't feel as fit or confident on the start line this year after my injuries this year hindering training. So the aims were beat Wright (obviously) and top10 as the field was a bit stronger
Got in to a good position at the start let the field out through the first few hundred metres (as is becoming normal) but tried not to absolutely gun it. Then Ben came storming past quickly establishing a gap and taking Math Roberts with him but gradually pulling away on the lower slopes up to Stickle Tarn. Pretty much walked this entire climb in 3rd until Tom Gibbs went past at about 3/4's. Got back in to 3rd around the tarn to the 1st checkpoint.

Up to Thunacar, 33:25 this year to 34:04 last year. Again I tried to keep it steadier than last year still in 3rd here with Tom G pulling away and a decent group of myself, Math, Adam (Pennine) and Andy Ellis(?) Calder Valley. With a bit of a gap back to Tom Brunts group. Over to Thunacar itself Adam got a bit away so was in 4th at the top.

Down to Langdale Coombe Adam took a dodgy line and caught him back and overtook him reeling in Tom G a little. Math overtook at the bottom just before the climb up to Rossett Pike col. Stuck in behind him, which was a little annoying as I was climbing better than he was and there was a bit of a queue forming. Tom Brunts group was still quite close here about 50-100m behind. Across to Angle Tarn the group cemented its position with Ben and Tom G infront then 3-7th in a competitive group behind and a decent gap now behind, somehow we extended it across the flatter section?
Up to Esk Hause and again took it easy, Adam ran off a little here. Got up to the Hause in 6th with another guy just behind. This year 1:03:00 to last year 1:05:00

To Bowfell, everyone in front of me were just heading straight up the hill so tried to find the traverse with the guy behind me. Not quite right but caught back time on Adam (90s maybe?). then stuck with him and the other guy to the top. This year 1:22:00 last year 1:24:00.

Got back in front of Adam and the other guy on the descent off Bowfell with Tom Gibbs and Calder Valley closing in as well as Math a little further. Attempted to find the route around Crinkle Crags but couldn't find a nice route off the trod I found so dropped a little lower than planned but Tom G found a nice line so filed in behind him. Going in to the valley before the steep climb back out I could still see Ben on the skyline at the top of the climb. Got up to the top in 6th, Tom, Calder and Adam and the other guy had gapped me a little again on the steep climb with Math a little behind still. This year 1:37:00 to last years 1:41:00.

Took the bad step but got it right this year, and got conufsed by the purple-lycra-clad Wil Spain with Rhys giving me support. Managed not to stack it this year on the way down to Red Tarn and closed on the other guy. Tom G, Adam and Calder were still a bit ahead and climbing a bit better than me. I assumed they were gone. Still felt ok here though which was pleasing and reached the top very quickly?! Got to the top in 5th. This year 1:58:30 to last years 2:03:00.

Down to the finish I was holding on to 5th well for half the descent then Math came past and stuck in behind him till he said something a just kicked away pretty impressively. Down from the cattle grid I started closing on Tom G again who seemed to be taking it easy? Math went past him halfway down the zigzags and I got him on the road after being slowed down by the gates to take 5th. Had a bit of a sprint finish in me just to make sure.

So I was 7.5mins ahead of last year, first Dark Peak and beat Wright by ~7.5mins. Really surprised by this as I felt I was within myself the entire race and expected to be slower than last year. Also set off a lot easier than last year and was quicker at the top of Thunacar than last year? Don't really understand but pleased all the same.

C • Did you see the smoke then?... 2

Easy pre breakfast with Jack Wright!...Nice little loop Xpool and Ranmoor

Jack and I took Kris out of his comfort zone and did the Wyming Brook loop...haven't been there in a while, nice.

Down to Endcliffe
Back home after

3*2km
Started off feeling ok but quickly went down hill, need to get back in to these
6:40 - 3:11,29
7:05 - 3:30,35
7:05 - 3:27,38

Down to Goodwin quite quick with Willy
Over to Weston Park
Back home from Weston Park

ShUOC circuits again feeling tired...think the last few weeks have taken a fair bit out of me need to quieten down a little

Part led by Jonny then led by Rachel when she turned up

ShUOC GIAGO not so sprightly again...Tom Saville was there a making the pace a little harder than I'd have liked it to be but the group seemed to enjoy it

C • Why? 3

C • Why? 1

Around Graves Park with Tobin before and afterwards

Northern X Country Relays 2nd leg for Uni at Graves Park....Set off just behind Tobin and caught him on the descent which was a bad plan as struggled quite a bit on the uphill. Overtook a few and got overtaken by a few so held on to my place. Really enjoyed it and a bit disappointed that I'll miss the 1st one of the SY League but will do the second one.

Need to get fit again and bring in some intervals!

Just a bit of a cold....don't feel too bad bit sniffly, chesty and sinusy but throat isn't sore. Got xc tomorrow for the first time in 4years?!?

Developed a sore throat last night

Morning loop in the rain. Threw some strides in

Standard Rivelin with the boys

Feeling very tired today after far too many late nights so taking a day off so I don't end up ill hopefully