What a busy day

I am so knackered. It was an extremely busy day yesterday but everything went off just brilliant.

The weather just about held for the race. It threatened much but during the race apart from gusting winds the rain kept off. I ran pretty well - Helen beat me out of sight - but I was happy with my effort. As per the norm, I struggled on the ascents but flew down the descents - almost back to my best - the descending that is, not the ascending, no, that was bloody rubbish.

I was wasted by the finish. As I ran off the last of the descent into the penultimate field, with a runner just 30 metres ahead, I put in a burst to catch him. My legs gave way under what can only be termed 'the jelly leg affect'. I fell. Did a forward roll - using this technique to glance back and check there was no one chasing too closely. Finished through the roll back on to my feet before continuing across to the finish. Suffice to say I didn't catch him. For interest, this technique is only ever used by highly expert fell runners to check how far ahead they are - and, of course, those who are completely knackered - I'll let you decide which category I fall into.

Then it was home to wash and dress ahead of our wedding party in Monmouth. It was a great evening with loads of our friends and family - and DJ Phil - and I think everyone had a good time.

Anyway, it's the day after and I'm shattered. I need sleep...

The day before Cribyn

I've been resting ahead of the Cribyn Race. I was going to have a short jog yesterday after work because my legs felt surprisingly good after my fast track session - but the weather was shit so I wimped out. As my Nepalese guru would say, he who stays dry doesn't get towel wet.

The Cribyn is going to be tough - even though it's only five and a half miles. I'm hoping I won't be brought to tears by the ascent - but it's a distinct possibility. And the weather is forecast to be a bit nasty - we're talking 65 mile an hour winds on the tops and naff all visibility. Hopefully everyone will return safe and sound and ready to paaaaarrrrrttttttyyyyyyyyy - and eat the post race cake...

Not quite faster than a speeding bullet

but pretty quick never the less - for me anyway.

The weather held and Sean and I ran with Dave B's group. I guess we've run enough times now that really we're one big group but I still hark back to the days of Rob, Nick, Bruce, Harry and Sean. Oh well, moving on.

The aim of tonight's session was speed, speed and more speed. We ran four sets of 400m, 90 seconds recovery, 300m and 5 minutes between sets - although some of the time keeping was a bit loose but I'll cast no blame for that.

To be honest I can't believe how quick I ran. I ran 69s, 51s for the first two sets. Then 67s, 52s for the third and 67s, 31s for the final one - you might have noticed that the final 300 was on world record pace. There is a good reason for that - it was a 200 on account of the fact that I was wiped out after the last 400 but really wanted to do a final something and a 200 was all I could muster.

Still, I'm really very pleased I ran so quick. I do believe it's the quickest I've run this year! I'm not sure I've even been inside 70 seconds for a 400, so even with the looooong recoveries I'm still pleased. I wasn't sure I could run that quick anymore. There's life in the old dog yet...

Run (in the) forest, run

I took Ern and Pedwar with me for a short recovery run in Flaxley woods. At 9k and fifty minutes it was just about right except, perhaps, for the 1,000 feet of ascent - I'm not sure a recovery run should have quite that amount. Come to think of it, I'm not sure one should push on the hills either. Oh well.

The sun shone and the deadly duo lagged far, far behind. I had to keep stopping and yelling for Ernie to catch up but eventually we made it back home. I feel a little bit knackered now and in definite need of some refueling.

Only five days till Helen's Cribyn Race [grimaces to camera]...

Photos from Badminton

Some rider jumping a fence
(the photo that didn't show up yesterday)
((and then it did - technology, I give up!))

Some other rider jumping a different fence

Yet another different rider jumping yet another different fence

George and Ernie tired from a day not doing very much - that's very tiring don't you know, doing nothing.

Can we go home now?

Pedwar's the name, winning dog shows is my game
.

The dog show

Well it's been a grand day out. Mr Pedwar finished the day with a fourth, a second and a win. Brown dog, George and Ernie won sod all.I didn't think I'd get any training done this weekend but how wrong can you be. We entered Pedwar and Mrs B in the racing. Pedwars efforts were abysmal. Mrs B faired better by at least finishing the course in a time near the top of the leader board. Helen decided to use her right to a substitution and brought out Ernie who impressed - we gave George a miss as we didn't have all day.While the dogs chased the lure up the 300m course and in the absense of the motor bike, muggins here ran the lure back down the course.I must have run 30 or more reps and an equal number of recoveries back up the course. I now stink like a pig, have legs like jelly and now have to drive back up the M5 home - least I got some good training done...

A day out in the country

My first ever Badminton and the queues of traffic were massive. So big were they that we pulled off into a layby on the A46 and walked about three miles across the fields to get there - on official public footpaths I hasten to add - none of this illegal trespass stuff.

Although the sun didn't get out from behind the cloud much we've both managed to catch the sun. It was a good day though and as they say in the training manual it's time on feet that count and baring about half an hour we spent the day walking or standing watching the riders - and that was six hours worth.

The highlight of the day was the escaped lurcher dog that chased one of the riders for thirty seconds. The rider showed his expertise as he steered his horse around the obstacles without being put off and indeed, he managed to complete a clear round without time penalties. The lurcher, well he was in trouble with the lurcher high council for bringing the lurcher nation into disrepute. Naughty lurchers - you can't take them anywhere - although I'll quickly add that ours were impeccably well behaved.

(And I should also add that the picture form the previous post doesn't seem to have sent - so you'll just have to imagine the picture of horse and rider mid leap).

((Now it's there! Now you don't see it, now you do! - I'll get my coat))

Horsey Horsey

Horse and rider jump clear on the quick way over fence 6.

Why don't modern TV remotes work further than a metre?

Why are modern remotes so crap? They have no range. As I sit astride the exercise bike not 4 metres from the TV it is barely able to alter the volume. Is it a remote or a proder that you press against the casing of the TV? Oh I remember the days when you could take pride in your remote. The days when you could zap the channel from another room with the signal bouncing off the walls. Of course I can also remember the days before remotes but now we've got the technology we could at least bother to make a decent job of it.

Anyway, I'm currently knocking out 45 on the bike. My legs feel tight from Wednesday so I'm just easing them back in, so to speak.

We're off to Badminton tomorrow to hob nob - or was that, eat Hob Nobs?

Not sure what training I'll fit in...

Right, ready to post

Finally after tea has been cooked, consumed and various emails written I've got time to blog.

Tonight's session was more successful than of late. Before the session began I had a twinge in my back - here we go again, I thought - but after a few warm up laps and some strides the twinge disappeared and I was able to start the session.

Sean and the lads ran 400's off a very short recovery of 35-40 seconds - now there was no way I could do that. I opted to run 300's instead with a longer recovery in the region of 90 seconds.

I was actually surprised with my times. I tried to focus on my form - such that my style could be deemed form - and run smoothly and not get tense. I think it must have worked because my first four were 53 seconds followed by a 51. I was aiming for ten reps so I stuck in a three minute recovery at half time before kicking off the sixth and seventh in 52 and 53 but things were beginning to get tough.

It was at this point - the point where I was gasping for breath, on my hands and knees, crawling towards the start line for the next rep - that I decided I would stop if I dropped outside 53 but to my great disappointment I managed the eighth rep in 53 which meant I had to go again - bugger - still I could always fail on the next... but sadly I didn't as I ran a 52 - f#@$. So that meant I ended up running all ten with the final one hitting 51 again and that was me finished.

Then it was home for tea and emails - the circle of blog continues...

Cribyn time

The lovely weather we've had over the last couple of days had well and truly disappeared as the small gang of intrepids headed over for one last recce of the Cribyn Race - as arranged on the FRA Forums. There was eleven of us in all - counting the three dogs - Helen, Helen, Chris, Nick, Brian, Hanneke, Andy and me. The only absentee was Wheeze who has unfortunately sustained a calf injury - if only he had worn some black gloves while out training - that would've kept him injury free...

My legs felt OK considering my mammoth Saturday run but I was soon languishing towards the back - it was only a social run and everyone was very social about it. As we neared the top of Cribyn the cloud descended and things soon cooled down. It was decided chilly as we stood on top - I'm talking about the weather not the atmosphere at base camp as we awaited the approach of dangerous Andy Mullet. Then it was off down to the saddle and up the other side to Pen-y-Fan.

My face began to freeze off but eventually we all made it safe and sound to the summit. Then it was the enjoyable descent back to the car park and once back safely below the cloud things started to warm up - not the atmosphere within the gang, that was always cheery.

It's funny how the descents always seem so much more enjoyable than the ascents - odd that, must be something to do with the burning sensation you get in your legs when ascending. Anyway, after the run it was down the cafe for a chat with tea and biscuits - 'cept I had a nice cheese and ham toastie - yum - and come to think of it, I had coffee instead of tea, on account of tea being the devil's drink.

I feel thoroughly worn out now so it's time for feet up...

Six hour marathon

but unfortunately it was sat behind the computer entering the team declarations and the scores on the doors at the Young Athletes League Meeting at Yate. It was good conditions for the athletes as Birchfield Harriers wiped the floor with the rest - they practically had more points than all the other teams put together. On the upside there is only one way Bristol & West can go from here...

My legs feel tired. Not sore - that'll come tomorrow. I'm not sure I have the mental strength to climb aboard the exercise bike especially as we have a trip up Cribyn penciled in for tomorrow. If yesterday didn't kill me [checks pulse, yep, didn't kill me] then tomorrow's recce very well might.

Oh yeah, and Helen claimed third in the British Fell Championship Long Course race yesterday so all is well in Longhope.

I might have over done it a little

I'm totally knackered. I should have gone up to Coventry to do a 2k steeple chase but I got so into shelf building I completely lost track of time - when a man has his tool in his hand - I think I'll stop there before I incriminate myself. The shelves are nice but I feel guilty for not making it to the track. I have earnt myself some bad Karma points there.

So having missed the track I went for a long run. I plotted a route. Downloaded it into my gps and then I was off. I headed out from Longhope following the Wysis Way towards Monmouth - that's the final destination of the Wysis Way, not my destination. No, that really would be a long run.

I followed the Wysis over to Micheldean and then up and over to the northern edge of Cinderford before getting into the heart of the Forest of Dean. From there I left the Wysis Way and made my way back home. But not before running under a huge tapestry thing hanging in the middle of the forest - thaims strange things goin up yer. I touched the southern edge of Cinderford and Littledean before going up Green Bottom - stop it - and finally cutting through Flaxley woods and back to Longhope.

Well there it is. I covered 17 miles with 2,500 feet of ascent. I have to admit I thought the route was going to be about 14 but once you take into account all the twists and turns - not to mention the slight deviations from the plan - it soon mounts up.

I'm totally knackered. My left knee had a touch of the old ITB pain in the last three or four miles but nothing to write home about and I'm not far off full scale cramp in the calves. So all in all a bloody good long run - possibly my longest of the year!

... and holiday traffic - fortunately it was all heading south and as I was going north I didn't, frankly my dear, give a damn. Poor helpless saps. Why do they put themselves through it every bank holiday? What with that and swine flu is the world coming to end? Is this armagedon? Judgement day? No, far more likely, it's all an elaborate ruse by our government to distract us from the financial crock of s@#t that is ruining us all.

Tonight I hit the bike and the diy - not at the same time mind. After an easy leg turn over on the bike I made a start on my bookshelve construction project. It completes tomorrow.,