Training Log Archive: Big Jon

Short run in Dess Woods, feeling pretty tired - not sure why, so just took it easy.

Lap of Potties, west on track they felled, back over hill. Leg feeling awkward at start but OK especially up hills. Pissing rain:-(

Garage bto Balnagowan (checking training parking) and back home via Deeside Way. Feeling OK and managed last hill in 2nd gear rather than bottom.

Intervals on Dinnet railway line. 4x4+2. Felt pretty hard work - stayed ahead of S... just :-)
At start of last one right ham/glute almost seized but managed to get it under control. Mostly right leg felt just about OK, but not fully good.

C • under control 2

Warm up from car park at Bog Head to Dinner and grovel back after 4th interval (while S did her 5th). Trying to run "Willie Russell style" - high toes, high knees, high heels, maybe helping.

Hill of Banchory.

Matwork -surprisingly hard work.

Lap of Dess Woods and cowshed alley with S and E legs feeling a bit tired from pilates. Lots of whingeing...

At Jamie Stevenson Trophy, 8am till 6.30pm, feeling knackered when got home so didn't try to get a run in.
PS Maroc won again - 10 years in a row now. Clyde didn't even show...

C • Gramp 1

Trimming plum tree and a sycamore with a new toy - 4m long clippers!
Arms aching by end - as usual this week! At least I'll have good strong arms by the next O-race... fine if its a relay and I need to hand-off another runner ;-)

End of run - bridge to house 6x30+30 secs. Feeling surprisingly good but recoveries too short by end!

Lap of Dess woods, deeside Way, up to Pelham-Burn's then top gate, Iain's and back via Deeside Way from bridge. Warmed up into it, trying to keep good style from Willy Russell sessions.

1.5 hours broom cutting. Done.

Bennachie, hanging and collecting controls for Alford Primary school event. Felt grim at start, legs heavy and breathing/coughing bad. Gradually warmed up into it. Course was way too long and tough for primary... best was 12/20 controls. Could be reduced for future events to make hanging quicker and easier ;-) Very midgy...

2.5 hours cutting back broom along road side for Day 3, hands sore!

Gramp evening event Crashes. Pissing rain, so dark I couldn't read the map at all under the trees (stopping in clearings then map memory), map colours poor so course purple almost invisible, brown and blue too dark so looked liken the black lines... Not a lot of fun, but a good run out, legs felt OK, breathing not so great - several coughing fits.

Wee run in Dess Woods on paths, down to bridge, up to waterfall and along to Iain's then up to gate and back over summit of hill. Little coughing during run (after initial clearance...) and not too bad afterwards. Things are improving :-)

C • Less woods 2

Trial run before pilates. Not too much coughing during run... then plenty after it.

Collecting a few controls at Sluie.

Still coughing badly and little energy. Spent day doing sporadic weeding. Hot and humid.

Walk up Craigendarroch with S looking for her compass. Out 40 mins or so.

Surveying 2 hours

Collecting controls (and a return to pick up a forgotten rucksack!) in Dess.

Collecting controls at Craigendarroch... its a big, big, big hill! Walking uphills - breathing and legs not up to anything faster :-) Very pleasant evening. feeling a bit wobbly by end.

Another day off running - spent 2 hours chopping and stacking logs (and coughing a lot...)

Still not there, but gradually improving, bad cough now but much less gunk coming out.
Another better nights sleep as well.

Lots of time spent gently weeding. Feeling slightly better and slept better last night as well.

Chest still not right, another restless night.

Chest still sore, coughing up gunk so rest day.

3 hours Getting out the Vote in Ballater - started dry but got wetter and wetter... Fingers crossed.
Still coughing up gunk so no running until this is gone. Strange cold - no sore head or runny nose just straight to chesty cough and lots of gunk.

C • Cold sounds familiar :-( 2

Collecting controls at Crathie - lovely little area, lovely evening sunshine.

With S and R teaching O to 40 primary school children in the p*ssing rain. They kept smiling and running round - a good win!
Then went to Willie Russell running session at Aboyne Ac - indoors (thank goodness). he's an absolute legend of coaching sprinting. Lots of good stuff observed and learnt.

Bit of a chesty cough so missed short warm-up run. Pilates OK

With E, Dess Woods and fields then down to riverbank and back via field below our house. Legs feeling pretty heavy from yesterday - a good sign as it means I did push things beyond steady. Struggling to keep up especially on uphills and in rougher ground (I was in road shoes, E in trail shoes).

Set of 4x4+2 on track from forest.

Glen Dye to Clachnaben (the long route... though I thought it might be shorter...). Up through forest then onto moor (did hills here). Turned back at top and then met E who was coming along behind. He was determined to go to top so turned round and plodded back up - long way across bog and up rough track to summit tor, then back down track fort a while and turned onto broad spurt edge of woods. Really struggling by forest - food and stuffed legs. E bouncing along track at end, me somewhat shuffling, leg giving twitches of nervy pain for last 10-15 mins - track?, downhill?
All in all good workout and did manage to hang on OK till end - but the sweeties in the car tasted sooooo good ;-)

Running the Highlands guiding. Glen Quoich/gap/Glen Lui. Very pleasant run, good weather and great group (knew about half from previous runs). Great views to Lochnagar and then into Macdui on return loop.
Leg mostly fine, just felt a bit thingy in hamstring, more nervy than anything else, near end.

Delivering election leaflets in Aboyne - Rhu-na-Haven road and Barclay Park have large houses and long drives... good for the running not for the speed of delivery! Mortlich Gardens is much smaller but house numbering is a complete huddle and most letter boxes round back of houses!
Out for 96 mins in total.

C • Blue, Red or Yellow leaflet... 2