Columbo

It's been ages since I've watched an episode of Columbo, the rumpled detective. That led me to 90 minutes on the bike while watching. I should have gone for a run. I had planned to go for a run. In the end I plumped for Columbo.

My left hip was a little sore after yesterdays run and I didn't want to agrevate it so the bike it was. Now I know if I want to get back to where I once was I've really got to cut out these days of slacking but ninety minutes on the bike ain't a walk in the park - no, that would be ninety minutes walking that would be a walk in the park, if indeed the walk was in a park. By the end of the session I found myself needing some food as I was a little hypo. It might not be worth the same training effect as running but it was ninety minutes of sustained effort.

The May Hill Massacre is coming up next week. Last year I said I wanted to be first local man this time around. Well that ain't going to happen but I am going to go faster than last year, irrespective of the conditions. That is a promise. Last year I was 37th in 1:07:20. The year before I was 11th in 1:03:56 and before that 13th in 1:03:43. For the record I am aiming for 1:05.

Just me and the dogs

After having to wait in for the van man to come and collect 'Old Crumpled' - to make room on the drive for 'Silver' - I finally got out for a run with Brown Dog mid way between one o'clock and two - commonly referred to as half past one.

I tried to come up with some never tried before route... but in the end I ran through Flaxley and Blaisdon Woods. A loop here. A loop there before heading over the hill and back home. Considering how little time it snowed yesterday evening it was surprising how much snow there was on the higher bits.

Anyway, I managed to make the distance up to 19km and a few millimetres shy of 2,000 feet of ascent. Despite the lack of originality on the route choice the time passed quickly and I got up some good pace here and there - and I'm not just talking about the downhill sections. Believe it or not I felt strong on the climbs and I left Mrs B a goodly number of times. Either I'm improving or old father time is catching up with her - it's probably the latter but don't tell 'a certain person' I said that...

We've got a silver machine

It moves sideways through time - although we've not yet tested that feature yet. Yes, we picked up Helen's new used van. It was all a bit of a rush but it's done now.

Wasn't really up for training tonight and by 6pm I was giving it a miss. But I can't let things slip - well actually I very easily could but I don't want to.

An hour later I climbed aboard the good ship exercise bike for a session.

I feel a bit knackered now and the session wasn't any where near all out but it feels good to know I didn't give in to lethargy.

Long run tomorrow...

Feeling alright

It was a pretty pleasant run this afternoon. Not too cold. Very little wind - I'v not eaten beans for a few weeks - and dry. What more could you want?

Martin and I ran the anti-clockwise Dundry route today and that meant the more difficult direction in my humble opinion, the one where you get the up all in one sweet hit with no respite. For me today was a good one - I managed to keep up with Martin! It didn't seem that we were going that quick and by the top I think we both felt OK. I was definitely running within myself - deja vu from Tuesday.

The climb was hard work but I wasn't anywhere near feeling like stopping. On occasions I've almost stopped on the climb so, on finding it a bit easier today, I thought we must have been going slow. Even at the finish, having not run the anti-clockwise for a month or so, I couldn't remember whether 31:20 was quick or slow. Now I've had a chance to look back through the captains log, 31:13 is our quickest, set at the end of December - and we were trying on that occasion. To run today's time so easily feels really good - especially as I missed training yesterday because I didn't feel well. I can feel the momentum building. I can almost smell a long run on the weekend...

and you know what? There is entirely too much 'feeling' going on in this blog post - stop it - but sod it, I'm not re-writing it!

A cold cold evening

on which to race the Bridge Inn 5k.

I so want to run a good 5k again but it wasn't going to be today. All day I've been under a malaise because I know I haven't done enough training. Things have been going better but it's still not there just yet.

Anyway, back to the race and I almost missed the start trying to get the generator started - I sort out the lighting for the finish - but just made it down to the start in time to amble out of the blocks.

I really couldn't get myself racing tonight. It was just jog, jog, jog. I guess that's a little understating the effort I put in but I honestly didn't get far outside of my comfort zone this evening.

As I crossed the line and looked to my watch I was highly surprised to see I was inside twenty minutes. From my perceived effort I felt sure I was along way outside but in reality my time was 19:35 - and that really was a big surprise.

So it would seem my increased mileage is working through to my racing. I felt strong at the finish which is the first time in a goodly while...

Couldn't muster for a run

I decided to give the bike a full test after its recent renovation - that and the fact I couldn't be arsed to go for a run. I'm happy to report a smooth ride - fnah, fnah. So at least I know what spares to keep in stock. And the best part of that is that those spares cost less than a tenner.

Still haven't heard back from Reebok support though, which, even though I've now fixed it at low cost, is still rather annoying. A no show from Fred's Generic Gym Equipment would be poor but for a large multi-national company to ignore its user base is pitiful. On the plus side, they won't need to be bothered by me again - 'cause they ain't getting any more orders from me. When you spend three hundred notes on some gear - no, I'm not talking banned substances - the least you expect is some after sales support. It wasn't as if I was asking for a freebe. I just wanted to part with more cash to get the bike going again. Poor. Very Poor. Reebok, if you're listening, get your act together. In the scheme of things my cash might not be worth much but what little it was will be going to a competitor in the future.

Anyway, I did a strenuous hour on the bike and have the jelly legs to show for it...

Knackered

We ran out of Abergavenny this afternoon from the Leisure Centre and followed some of the Summer Sugarloaf route. In all we covered 12.5 miles with just a gnats nagger under 3,000 feet of ascent.

We followed the Sugerloaf route all the way to the summit. From there we ran off the top along the western ridge all the way to end and then down northwards and back eastward following the reverse of the Llanbedr to Blaenavon route until the point were it heads down through the woods towards the road crossing.

From there we continued easterly as we muddled our way across to pick up the southerly path that joins the northern most turning point of the winter Sugarloaf route and followed it back to the Leisure Centre - and if you've followed all that give yourself a pat on the back - because we bloody well didn't. We almost came to blows while wading through knee high bracken and undergrowth before eventually picking up the winter route - only joking.

So with about five or six kilometres still to run I started to flag. Finally we arrived back at the car and headed for home.

Oh, and we've bought ourselves a new van - a nice shiny second hand one - so it's not really new at all, but new to us. And it's silver coloured. We are well and truly brassic now.

Lets do lunch

It was a piss poor day on the weather front and I was well up for giving it a miss. Martin didn't appear over eager but we coaxed ourselves out into the wind and the rain - have to say he had to do a bit more coaxing than me.

Quick it was not as we went clockwise over the Dundry loop. On count back, I think it's the first time this year we've run Dundry and only our second lunch run - slackers are we.

We were slow. It rained the whole time but at least we did it. It's been three in a row for me since Wednesday. Tomorrow Helen and I are over to Wales to check out some vans before hitting the Black Mountains - more wetness I am suspecting.

I'm going to finish on a high note. The exercise bike? It's alive!!! After getting bugger all response from Reebok in the UK I'm glad I gambled on getting the bearings from the King - the Bearing-King.co.uk. It took a few minutes to get it all apart - and a few more to get it all back together afterwards - but after a bit of jiggery pokery - now, don't go looking that phrase up in the dictionary because I don't think it's politically correct - screw political correctness. Oh, and I don't think dictionaries actually do phrases so you'd be struggling on that front.

Bottom line the bike is back and running as sweet as a nut - now where have I heard that statement before...

This is gonna be quick

There must have been about 40 Chepstovians heading out on one of three training sessions. I went with the off-road group of about ten brave - or warped - soles running the trails and tracks with nout but the illumination from a few LEDs. Helen had the best illuminatory device - but then I would say that seeing as it was a Christmas pressie from me.

In all we ran about 11k, taking just over the hour - slow going - but fast enough for a night time, off-road run.

For mash get smash

Nothing quite beats the never been near a potato taste of mash from a powder - mmh mmm, yummy.

After a month break from the track due to Christmas and the snow I met up with Rick and Sean for some laps. Sean ran kilometre reps while I managed 800's. Sean looked smooth while I struggled. My old pegs haven't moved quickly for that entire month away from the track - and it showed.

I have a feeling I've some hard work ahead of me in the coming months...

Recycled

in front of the telly, watching Starship Troopers 2 as I pedaled - what a bag of pants - the film, not the bike.

My legs still feel hung over from Sunday but I worked hard on the bike. Didn't get myself up for a run, which I regret a little bit but the hours bike worked the old pegs.

I'm hoping to get to the track tomorrow for the first time since two weeks before Christmas - whow, that's ages ago - I hope I can find it! And fingers crossed that if it isn't a dry evening it's just normal rain and not the other, 'colder' type of rain. I think we can all agree we've had enough of that damn stuff.

Lies, Damn Lies - and Statistics

The results of yesterday's race are in - and I do believe that's my best result of the year so far. Hang on, that's my only result of the year so far - doh. Technically it still is my best though. What I really mean is my best result for frickin' ages.

I've been doing some stats - as you do - using the 'compare your time to the average of the top five as a percentage' method. And it goes like this;

My Blorenge was poor at under 80% - and no, I'm not going to give out quite how much below, suffice to say it was above 70% but that's as far as I'll go. Then the Cardington Cracker, where I had a good run, weighed in at 82.3%. I had a good race there, improving by a lot on my previous run there, but the percentage ain't great. Mind you, looking back at last years South Wales Hill Series I didn't get much more than 80% so that puts Cardington in a better light. And then there's yesterday's Riverbank Rollick and a whopping 87.9% - now that's the closest I've been to the magic 90% for flippin' ages. My legs ache and the soles of my feet are sore but for 87.9% I'll put up with the pain. It was a pretty good field too, looking at the times from those at the front so I think the percentage stands up to scrutiny - not like the MPs expenses - ssssh, I'm not going there - I'm in a good mood.

Well, I didn't manage a lunchtime run but who cares, with 87.9%, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn...

Riverbank Rollick Route

And here is the route:

Rollicking

My first run as a Chepstow Harrier is complete - but I looked more like the club tent than a runner. My borrowed vest was a little on the large size.

Thornbury's Rickerbank Rollick was good clean fun - well, actually, no it wasn't, it was muddy as anything you'll encounter - although they did make us run through 20metres of stream just before the finish to clean off - how thoughtful of them. The course was pretty flat - about 400 feet of climb in total, but it was bloody knackering. Slogging through copious amounts of mud, followed by knee deep water, and then more mud was damn hard work.

From the start I headed out as quickly as I dared. I overtook a few people and got overtaken in equal numbers until the stretch along the side of the River Severn. From there things settled. I stopped gaining places while continuing to lose a few. The last couple of miles was a time to hang on in there - and I was hanging, I can tell you. I paid for the faster start but I got to the finish - eventually. Overall I think I placed better by getting out there at the start but can you ever really tell?

Well I don't know my finish position but I reckon I was was top 50 - and hopefully more like top 30 but I think that's ambitious as I'm pretty sure there were far more than that ahead of me. Still the results will shine out the truth like a beacon.

So there it is, I've swapped the white background for a blue one - kept the red band mind, can't go changing too much all in one go, now, can I?- and I'm raring to go run in the year ahead...

Oh, and before I forget, well done to Thornbury Running Club and all the marshals who put on the race, without whom we wouldn't be able to do it.