Sugary Sweet

I drove through some dreadful weather on the way to Abergavenny but when I got there the cupboard was bare - oops, wrong story. On arrival the rain had stopped and it began to clear. Steadily the car park filled as a large field (of runners, not some mysterious gathering of farmers fields - think of the logistics of doing that, it wouldn't be practical) gathered for the Summer Sugar Loaf race.

For this years race I decided to make sure of getting there for the start and consequently arrived a little early but better that than pull a '2008' where I turned up 30 minutes late (but still didn't finish last). The only other time I've run the summer 'Loaf' was 2007 during my faster years when I just crept inside the hour for the 7 mile course with 1,800 feet of ascent. This year I was hoping to maybe edge close to the hour but settle for 61 or even 62 minutes.

I set off steady. My aim was to save something for the fast descent - you'd think you could be knackered and run downhill fast but to run well you need some reserves of strength-endurance - back at you 100m boys - to allow for rapid footwork required to really run quick over the rough terrain. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Ooh can you feel the excitement? Me neither.

For my race recap I'm going to compare splits with my 2007 run - not that I knew them during the race. In fact I don't think I even looked at the watch during the race. Anyway, I summitted - I think I made that word up - to the Deri (first climb) in exactly the same time as 2007, 15:18. From there the route is fast and flat - only I wasn't losing 28 seconds on 2007 to hit the end of the flat in 30:42. That fits well with my recent slow 10k's - I have no flat speed.

To Sugar Loaf I had pulled back a massive 3 seconds on 2007, 41:10. The old climbing legs must be returning - but it didn't feel like it during the race. It felt like a right pedestrian climb but the watch don't lie.

The descent, however, did feel good as I piled past a few runners. I had good leg strength and was able to really push on. That part of the run, on the rocky steep section and the flatter grassy bits did feel like the old me.

I finished in 59:27 which is a) inside the hour and a complete surprise and b) 6 seconds quicker than 2007 which is a hell of a big surprise and means my descent was 31 seconds quicker than in 2007. All of which bodes well for my upcoming fell races. Not sure how good I'm going to be in the Standish Woodland Chase tomorrow though.

Summer Sugar Loaf Route;

Dead Ahead, Slow

Today's run was not pretty. A lunch time crawl. An embarrassment to running - an embarrassment to jogging - practically an embarrassment to walking! OK, it wasn't quite that bad but considering I haven't run since Tuesday it wasn't the most pleasing run I've ever done. That said, the main climb didn't feel quite as bad as normal - but perhaps that's down to my pedestrian pace.

It was anti-clockwise today - ooh, we know how to large it up. Clockwise one week, anti the next - that's living life on the edge that is. Martin and I headed out at high noon and after a few minutes of steady running - and chatting, as you do - we started the climb and I was soon floundering in his wake. I did rally towards the top of the climb, managing to eat into his lead a little but once he was over the top, he was gone.

I didn't have it today but that's OK I'm saving it for the Sugar Loaf Fell Race tomorrow...

Almost As Lazy

As yesterday... but not quite. My legs heavy - that would be Tuesday's revenge. Suffice to say I wasn't up to the lunch run. That's now rescheduled to tomorrow and by then I should have no excuses... except I am racing Sugar Loaf on Saturday and then the Standish Woodland Chase on Sunday. Kidding - about the excuse, not about the double header weekend - rock on. No, I shall be running tomorrow barring work issues. I hope all is quiet on that front.

Tonight I put in sixty on the exercise bike. Crap all on telly so I read the news. I'm totally newsed out - but can't even remember a thing.

Lazy Bastard

Yep, that's me. No training tonight. Been on my feet all day at work - wore my weights for added tiredness effect and this evening I is drained. OK, that's maybe overstating it but, brimming with energy, I am not. My legs feel like I ran 20 mountainous miles yesterday - ooh, silly me. Tomorrow I'm hoping to be back to the office for a lunch time run.

Black And Blue

I had it off - the day from work, that is and headed over the Bridge. The weather wasn't the kindest but could have been far worse. A nasty persistent drizzle was order of the day for about half the run - so that was 2 hours in the dry! And I followed through - stop it - with the Black Mountains plan. That is, I followed the race route for 90% but added an extra bit.

So at 10:30 I set off from the car (parked at Llanbedr) ran up the road and onto the hills towards Pen Cerrig-calc through Pen Allt-mawr and skirting Pen Twyn Glas. From there I dropped down into the valley by way of the Holy Trail. Miraculously I ran the perfect line over the top and round the tump to pick up the trail right at the top - bet your arse I don't do that in the race. No come race day, I'll be fannying around at the top no doubt.

Anyway, from the bottom of the valley I diverted from the race route to add on my extra miles. Instead of heading directly up to Pen y Gadair Fawr - and that is a bastard of a climb, no path just tussock after tussock - I ran up the valley and ascended back up to the ridge and Pen Trumau and Waun Fach. From Waun Fach it went a bit Peter Tong as I faffed around in the boggy grass on my way across to Pen y Gadair Fawr. Eventually I picked up the proper path - but even that it was a bit boggy.

Back on to the official race route, I took my time down off  P Gadair F to save myself for the final two climbs. So it was down to the valley and back up to a 'Pile of Stones' - that's from the map. Then along the ridge to Bal Mawr before picking up the narrow trail to the forest gate. Have to say that the path was getting a bit overrun by ferns and stuff but I fought my way through. Then it was down through the forest, past the 'Pile of Sheep Shit' - that wasn't marked on the map - over the road and up through the forest on the other side to final ridge. Up Crug Mawr. Down Crug Mawr. Past the 'donkey turd' - not marked either. Yada yada yada and back to the car.

It was a very good run and I completed in 3 hours and 56 minutes, covering just about twenty miles and a little over 5,000 feet of ascent. I'm pleased with that. I ran goodly portions of the ascents - not the really steep bits but a good amount of the rest.

And here's the route - but don't follow it on race day, unless you want to add an extra 4k

After The Disappointment

Yesterday behind me, it's the bike again tonight - the pants are on. Sixty should do it. Then tomorrow it's off to the Black Mountains. I'm going to recce the Black Mountains race - not that I don't know the route, more a case of it being a good long run. Plus, you can never be too careful with navigation - never say never...

Oh, and I've sent off my Battle of Sedgemoor 10k and Machen Mountain 10k entries - back to back 10k's at the end of August - part of my nine races in August race schedule. Bring it on - almost like the old days! (but not quite).

Doh, The Damage Is Done

So I guess I'll be leaving... What a pants race. It was meant to be flat and fast. Picture the scene, we're off, onto the road, a hill, what's this? OK, not so bad, only gentle and it's flat again now,... , what's this? A bloody gert hill - that's not good, not good at all, and with that the fast and flat become hilly and slow and with it my hopes of sub forty faded into the evening dusk... ['cept it was midday]

I was 10 seconds slower than at Magor Marsh and finished 24th but it was the hill that destroyed me. I was twenty seconds to the good until the hill from where I dropped fifty seconds which I didn't make any gains on during the fairly steep downhill. From the top I was a broken man and the rest of the race was a struggle. My splits from there were close to fours but the damage had been done and I knew I couldn't get it back.

And for the record, I don't think I'll be running the Tenbury 10k again. It was a well organised event, well marshalled and well supported, so well done to Ludlow runners and the Tenbury Rotary club but as a 10k I want to run again? it isn't wasn't.

On other matters it was a strange day. I car shared and at times it was like the clock had been rolled back a year. Back home now and, well, I feel sad again.

Feet up, yeah baby

Well it's a total rest day today and as such there's not a lot to say. The result of last weeks Waun Fach race are now online and I was 15th out of 67 in a confirmed time of 1:00:56 - so that's pretty good. And as I'm just sat here, moping around the house - although I have at least managed to put on some trousers today - I took a look at my form since the end of last year. Using the 'compare your time to the average of the top five in the race' technique, I've steadily raised my game from sub 80% to approaching 88% - and you know what? That's not too far from the once heady days of the very low 90s that I used to rack up. Still, it's not like it matters a toss in the grand scheme of life.

Oh, and while I think about it, having being reminded of Waun Fach, I've invented a bloody cracker of a long race - The Waun Troed Fell Race - the bastard marriage of the Waun Fach and Mynydd Troed fell races. By my estimate it would be in the region of 15 miles and 5,000 feet of ascent. My idea - as if you can't guess - would be to run Waun Fach and then carry on through the finish at the Fort down to the path where it started and follow the path left a bit, cross the road, through the farm, up the stream bed and onto the Mynydd Troedd race. That would be a cracker...

or maybe not, it's a thought. I might try it in training sometime to see if it's a goer...

Double Day Daftness

It wasn't the best of times, it wasn't the worst of times - either way, it wasn't a comfortable run. Yes, the rebooked lunch time run did actually take place today but my legs felt lacking and I never really got into it. It certainly was an odd one but at least we, that's Martin and I, got out there. First time for a while - and the first of many more - I hope.

Tonight I hit the bike for sixty minutes. The first of my double days. It was an effort - but an effort worth carrying through to the bitter end - although, hopefully the end won't be too bitter. I want to keep the momentum going.

This week has been light on the mileage front. Looking back, so was last week but I've raced well in between and hopefully Sunday's 10k will be another good one. I'm going to rest up completely tomorrow because I really do want to attempt sub forty. Oh, and Tuesday is booked now and I've decided to recce the Black Mountains route with some additions to bump the mileage past the magic twenty - not that it's that magical, but it should be a good.

Non-day

Been a non event today. The lunch run was aborted on the grounds that Martin was offsite. All training is off. I feel tired - and a little down. It's been going well - one day ain't gonna spoil it.

We've rebooked the lunch run for tomorrow. As to the weekend, Saturday, well that's got to be an easy run as I've lined up a 10k race on Sunday.

Ideally I prefer Saturday races so I can long run on Sunday. To get round that I'm going to take a day off on Tuesday and head to the mountains for a long one.

Wednesday, You Know What That Means...

No, neither do I.

Anyway, I had a long day at work. Most of it on my feet so by the time I got home I couldn't face a run - and I had done those reps yesterday and I've a lunch run booked in for tomorrow. Tonight it was back on the bike for another ninety. I'm starting to find it easier to climb a board. It's almost becoming a habit - which is where I want it to be. The longer term plan is to put in double training days, running and exercise bike - just like in those far flung days of old.

Never Say Never Again

Well when, a few months ago, I said my days of running intervals and all that jazz were behind me - I lied. I'm just back from my first sortie into the realm of mile reps for a terribly long time. Admittedly there's a lot of proper runners would hardly class what I just did as mile reps I was that slow but as my Nepalese Guru - yes, he's back as my coach - would say, 'You've got to start somewhere'.

I only managed four and I can honestly say it was only a hairs breadth from being three. Only my desire to recapture the past drove my to the fourth. So, as I said, it wasn't quick - and for those who bore witness - I wasn't pretty. The humidity was in the stratosphere and the salt got in my eyes as I dripped around my old mile loop. The wind on the far section of the lap was not my friend either - and why is it that when it's in your face it feels like a force ten gale and when it's on your back you can't even feel it? - I call foul.

Well for the record I managed 6:18, 6:11, 6:18 and a final, fading fast, 6:19 all run off a strict three minute recovery. Solo mile reps are hard but next time I try for five - and I will never say never, again.

Today Really Was A Recovery Day

Well, almost - providing you don't count ninety minutes on the exercise bike.

I'm eager to get back inside forty minutes for the 10k. It's been a while - a very long while but yesterday's race gave me a whiff of it. A brief glimpse, if you will and I'm want it. So, tonight I rested in the form of ninety sweat inducing minutes on the bike in front of the telly. In the words of a famous philosopher, 'I'm coming up so you better get this party started' - Pink, 2001

Recovery Race

It's a bit like a recovery run - 'cept you run f#@king hard instead of taking it easy.

Up early - I gave dawns crack a miss for once - gathered my kit and headed over the bridge to Magor. I slightly miss calculated how long it would take me to get there, thinking it was further up the M4 than it actually was and could have had an extra 30 minutes in bed - doh. Anyway, I arrived safely.

With my entry taken, my race number, 104, to hand I nervously paced up and down for an hour. Ok, I wasn't actually nervous. And I didn't pace up and down either, come to think of it. So, race numbered up I calmly sat on my arse for an hour and chatted. As the time to race approached I donned my kit, did a steady couple of minutes warming up - didn't want to over do it, listened to the race brief and then pootled over to the start.

My legs felt OK after yesterday's fell race but I wasn't expecting fireworks - well you wouldn't would you? It's not November the 5th and it was the middle of the day so they'd be hard to see. I wasn't the only one doubling up the weekends races, Lou and Nicki were running from yesterday as well.

I set off towards the front and went for it. My first couple of kilometres were a smidgeon too fast but I steadied and felt good through to the seven km marker. At that point I was on for just outside forty minutes but I began to slow from there. It was all catching up with me - not to mention the runners behind as well. Kilometers nine and ten were my slowest by far as I drifted out to finish in 40:53. I'm still pleased with that though. It's my fastest 10k for over two years. In the great scheme of things it's a pathetic time but I feel confident of getting back on the right side of forty before too long.

Big thanks to Chepstow Harriers for organisation the race and Undly AFC for hosting it at their venue. It's been a good double header weekend.

Magor Marsh 10k race route;