Training Log Archive: ToddO

With Ash, Shelf, Neil and Pete. All hungover from Wil's stag do. We'd just been to a café where I'd topped off my cooked breakfast from the hostel with a smoothie and cream tea.
Parked on the E side of Grasmere and headed up Stone Arthur. Ash had set a solid pace for the most part before slowing dramatically and getting dropped. I was dropped to a lesser extent.
Carried on to Great Rigg and got into a little bit of cloud. Ash went back the way we came citing poor descending ability. We checked he had emergency gear... he had a 2nd hat!
Felt a lot better as we descended towards Heron Pike. Quads were a bit tired as we trundled down to Nab Scar. Then we decided to run a diagonal to Alcock Tarn across a slope with a fair few rocks on it. Descended down to an incredible example of bridge overkill just before getting off the fell the way we'd come on.
Felt ok.

30x eccentric Achilles

Event: UK Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships
 

Having had to recognise a couple of Ambleside AC juniors to find out where the Cumbrian team was, I eventually went for a trot around the course. It was a lot drier than last year.

Checked out the course a bit more and turned back after wetting my feet in the marsh.

Drill, jog, stride and walk.
High knees, butt kicks and cariocas.

High kicks, foot to hand.
Back lunges with torso twist.

Inter Counties Cross-Country Championship.
Got out quick start but we were in a pen on the R) hand side of the course and hit the muddy section very soon. We had the longest slog through. From then on I veered way left on all but the last lap to avoid the energy sapping slow going.
John Mason went past me as we approached the last hill on the first lap. He commented on the fast pace of the race and then eased away up the slope. I did take it a little easy up this one but I worked a bit harder on all the other climbs.
Found my strongest part of lap was the whole side of the course that went along the hedge, through the dip and along to the marsh. Took a chunk out of the guys in front of me every time I was on the properly muddy sections.
Saw Treb up ahead on the 2nd lap and overtook him in the muddiest part. Thought it might be him on my shoulder for a while afterwards but it wasn't him.
On the 3rd lap, just before the final climb, a spectator told a guy in front of me he was 205th making me 209th.
Got a fair few scalps running uphill on the last section after passing the start line. I knew I was pushing for the top 200 at this point. The finish was different this year with a little more climb and then a steep little drop to the finish. Put in a hell of a lot of effort to overtake a guy as we turned for home (with Sam Ayers telling me I had to). Getting past him wasn't the problem but I couldn't quite close on the pack of 5 in front of me.
Got into 196th in the end.
The winner did the same time as last year. I was 42 seconds slower than last year. I'd say the course was easier to run fast on.
Can't say I'm happy with the performance but it's probably a good result considering the training I've managed over the winter.

With Ian Rawlinson, James Douglas, Matt Greive and Douglas Tickner.
Ran around the edge of the park a bit and I tried to get off the pavement as much as possible. Douglas Tickner dropped off after a minute.
Matt, James and I came back through the woods next to the marsh.

Back to the car.

Went to Airkix to do "Bodyflight" for Wil's Stag do.
Essentially it's parachuteless sky-diving in a vertical wind tunnel.
Little bit of work for the lower back. But just a little bit.

Weighed myself a couple of times this week and was glad to see that I'm around "race weight" despite a slightly lower volume of winter training, especially running, than I would have liked.
Over the last couple of months I've consciously made my portions less ridiculous and stomach stretching than usual.

2.3% grade at 16.3kph.
Very basic treadmill with nothing in front of you, just a few buttons to the side. Did the job.

Did the first 5 mins in reverse. Very small stride length on this machine. Arms were working on the reverse and quads were feeling it when going forwards.
Standard stretch-out afterwards to let the hip flexors settle a bit before Saturday.

30x eccentric Achilles

Drove down alongside Sainsbury's to get to the water treatment works.
Onto the path which pops out next to the Eden just before Engine Lonning. Out to Grinsdale in 15:05. Return took 15:21.
Bit drier underfoot than last time. Some squidgy sections in the fields but not liquid enough to soak through.
L) calf and R) glutes twinging at times.
All the stretches back at Reiver House.
Foam rolling and cricket ball stuff once home.

30x eccentric Achilles

Went to Morton Manor Gym because the membership with Carlisle Leisure had expired. Had been here once with a patient and seen that it was old equipment but would probably fit the bill.
Had tried to get the spinning bike set up but the L) crank was loose. So I jumped on the standard exercycle for this.
90rpm at 180 whatevers.

30s before the first effort and then the 90 sec recoveries.
90rpm at the load of 150 whatevers.

5x 3mins at >90rpm on load of 230 with 90 sec recoveries.
Last one was >100rpm and didn't feel incredibly challenging.
Maybe this session wasn't as hard as the last few weeks' ones but it's the big race on Saturday, so it's fine.
Easy now...

This one is called the Air Stepper and had no variables other than how fast you went. I was doing 111 steps per minute for the most part.
All the stretches afterwards, some whilst speaking to Guns on speakerphone to plan LOC domination in the JK relays. Some when back home in the lounge. These don't feel terrible now.

30x eccentric Achilles

Interesting reading the splits for Black Combe compared to mine from 2011. My 2 main climbs were poor but the rest stacked up well. Considering that was my first fell race since I was 16 I think I'd climb a fair bit faster now (and probably with more aggression).
Could be cool to go and time trial my way up one day just to see where I'd compare now.

Met Neild at Fellside and headed up the lower slopes of Brae Fell.

Little bit of faster stuff to get properly warm in the chilly air.

Drills on the flatter section after the first bit of climb up Brae.
Drill, jog, stride, walk.
Butt kicks, high knees, high/long skipping.

6x 30s fast with good form with 2 mins rest.
Got almost to the top of Brae.
Quads a bit sore on the last two.
Didn't do a lot tonight in view of the race on Saturday.

C • What race you doing? 3

On over the top of Brae, up to Little Sca Fell and then back to the cars.
Getting too dark by 6:30.
Gave Paul a milkshake and some beers for his birthday.

30x eccentric Achilles.
Had previously done all the stretches then a lot of foam rolling after that.