Happy With That

Not my fastest Llanbedr to Blaenafon fell race but it was inside 2 hours 40 so I can accept that for the 15.4 mile route with 5,000 feet of ascent. I think it actually might have been my slowest! But I was able to give a smile reaching the top of the Blorenge where a grimace is more normally seen.

Conditions were much cooler than of late. Some might say it was down right chilly out there - and I'd be one of 'em but once you were running it was actually pretty good weather for it. I took things steady from the get go and that's pretty much where things stayed. It was more my whole body tiredness that held me back today. I don't really feel like I've run anywhere near hard enough. My body doesn't ache with the normal post fell race fatigue. It's more just a general kind of fatigue. I just plain felt tired out there.

Under the circumstances my 16th place in 2:38:08 was really quite acceptable - although it did allow Mr L to notch one up. No doubt Mrs L will follow suit in tomorrow's Forest of Dean Half Marathon...

Going to finish off tonight with half an hour on the bike, low resistance, just to try and get the blood flowing and maybe prepare the legs for tomorrow's battle. Certainly going to be heading to the land of nod early to try and get some much needed sleep...

Llanbedr to Blaenafon Fell Race Route...

Not Ready For The Weekend..

because I know I'm going to suffer... My training over the last couple of weeks has been nothing short of appalling. I have no hope of bettering last years Llanbedr to Blaenafon race time of 2 hours 31. I can feel my fitness levels dropping almost by the minute. I will take sub 2:40, accept sub 2:50 and be disappointed with anything slower. Of course, that's provided I have enough diesel for the drive there and back...

However it goes I shall at least take some solace from being out there on the hill and I'll not dwell on the outcome whatever the result - I won't have time as up Sunday is the Forest of Dean Half Marathon where I fully expect to struggle to break 1 hour 45. Will be good to complete my first double race weekend for a while though and at 15 miles and 13 miles it'll almost be like a long run...

That's Me Sorted..

I've panic bought myself a tanker full of diesel.. NOT. Fortunately I'm not a sad bastard. If the pumps run dry, they run dry. Maybe I'll even save a few quid if they do. Getting in on the panic band wagon is just total nobber. There were massive queues at the petrol stations tonight and I thought, gee, I really really want to be stuck there for half an hour or more. That's totally how I want to spend my first relatively early home tonight. Early being just gone six verses the last couple of weeks of eight. I even managed to put in an hour on the bike after watering the now, speedily growing veg. Really need to get myself a couple of water butts...

Potato Break

The first signs are there that the spuds are going to surface. Five little raised mounds, slight cracking of the soil and the tiniest hint of a green shoot bursting forth from each one...

Been another tiring, long and winding road at work. Not really fit for anything other than plonking myself down on the sofa tonight - and that's where I'm going to stay.

Every Day, In Every Way..

I get a little more knackered. Can't be arsed for any training tonight. Last week was a poor one for training. This one looks well set to better that - or should that be worser that - and then some. I really need to face the fact that I might not be ready for the traverse come June. I can't burn the candle from both ends. I'll keep on with the weekend long runs and see how things go but when the dust settles on work I may just accept this ain't the year I traverse. Don't want to admit defeat so early in the campaign but I'm not going to destroy myself and get myself injured wrecklessly. I like running in the mountains and I'd rather defer again, stay injury free and head north later in the year a few times for some good running and adventure. Perhaps I should turn my focus to the longer game and get myself ready for a late August/early September 60 hour Offa's Dyke traverse. The 176 miles in two and a half days should be a doddle...

That's Torn It

Ok, so it's not that bad but my right calf is sore. Sorer than sore, really. Another late arrival home. Another bike session as I didn't feel like anything more. That and the fact that the pegs are still a little achy from that damn road running on Saturday, and bam, the calf has gone. It didn't go during the bike session itself. Oh no, it happened after that. During that hardcore exercise known as watering the raised beds. As I headed out into the dark it just kind of happened. One minute nothing wrong. The next, oh gosh, that's torn it. Time for a bit of massage. Got to be ready for the weekends Llanbedr Fell Race on Saturday followed by Sunday's Forest of Dean Half Marathon. Now that's what I call a double header...

Quack Quack

Ducks in the spring - and I'm not just talking the time of year. I mean spring as in water coming out of the ground. Looks like there's a new couple in town but I they might not be staying so long given the number of pesky felines around here.

Been busy in the garden today on account of my legs are still in operative. Finally got round to planting on the tomatoes and chilies and also sowed up another pot of mixed herbs. Plus the spring onions are starting to shoot up as well and the garlic? Well that seems to be growing best of all.

 

And also managed to finish off the van. The last piece of paneling is complete on the upright shelf at the back. It's all systems go - although I'm not sure when I will be able to head out onto the wide open road. Maybe June if I'm lucky...

Shouldn't Have Done That

My legs are wrecked. Really, painfully wrecked. It wasn't the distance - although 33 miles is my longest to date this year. No it was the stupid bloody road section through Chepstow and over the Bridge - and boy does that flipping bridge crossing ever drag on? As I headed for England I thought I was never going to get there. It seemed like someone had turned a conveyor belt on - and I was running on it in the wrong direction. It's been a massive reminder why I keep of the roads. I think those damn 9 miles broke down every muscle fibre I had in my legs. That said, I did get a fairly good tempo going and probably should have eased back a little.

Then of course, as I headed back to Bigsweir, I made the mistake of going up the 365 steps - there's only 312 though. Never been up 'em. Never going to go up 'em again. By the time I reached the top to pick up the Wye Valley Way my running for the day was over. I must have looked a right pathetic old fart as I limped along on impulse engines - I'm not sure the warp drive will ever work again.

Overall it was a good day out though. The first section of the run was along Offa's Dyke and very scenic although I was massively disappointed to see what they have done to the path as it climbs up from Bigsweir. It's bloody sacrilege! They gone and built wooden steps in the top edge of the wooded section. That was the best bit for me in the whole of the Offa's Orra race and those bastards in the council have neutralised by advantage. I'm able to take a minute or more out of my competitors on that section - or rather I was able. What's next, an escalator?

With that shock behind me I ran steadily down to Chepstow and reached work at just gone midday. In addition to all the crappy road running I probably pushed on a bit hard on the first half of the run. After a small intermission I was back out, retracing my steps over to Chepstow before picking up the Wye Valley Way back to the car and the rest is history. Suffice to say the return run was a awful lot slower than the outward one.

In all I covered just over 33 miles with just over 5,000 feet of ascent and that equates to my longest run of the year. Adding another 4 equilibrated miles on top of my previous longest - although I'm going to take a lot longer to recover from today's run - damn those road miles..

33 miles with 5,000 feet of ascent

Staying Local Tomorrow

Going to head down to the local section of Offa's Dyke for a run down past Chepstow and then back along the Wye Valley Way. I think staying local is the way to go. Heading off to the mountains is likely to result in a no show. After a long week - technically not actually longer than any other - I can't face an hours drive each way on top of six hours of running. I need a bit of a lie in and staying local will allow me the privilege while still enabling me to get out for a long run. Plus I need to be in an area of phone reception for work. I'm aiming for 50 kilometres - I like kilometres as they big up the distance.

Tonight I've hit the god damn sofa and I ain't gettin' off it for nuffin'...

Will I Ever run Again?

This week has been heavy. Thursday already and I'm feeling it. Worked more hours than in a normal week and I've still one more day to go - and that's going to be more of the same. Struggling to summon anything for training. I have many more weeks of this ahead. I fear training is about to hit a massive dip. A dip so deep I fear my plans for the traverse will be at risk. Maybe I will acclimatise to it. I hope I do. At the moment I'm finding heading off to work at six, home for eight, tough.

Zero training tonight and that is bad. My weekend long run is in doubt as I may need to be available for work. That will be a hard hit...

Fail

Lunch came. Lunch went. I didn't even notice it's passing. By the time I realised, well, the time it was way past too late for a lunch run. In fact, it was way past too late for lunch. Fail. The kit is staying in the car though and I'm going to try again tomorrow. Eventually made it home but I can't face it now. Feeling knackered. A bike session is all I can muster for. Not the greatest but at least the chilies continue to shoot up.

Feeling Knackered

but I have a plan. Work has hit the critical phase of the current project. Fingers crossed. Legs crossed - no I don't need a pee, just keeping everything crossed. Busy busy busy. Long days. Not great for training and by the time I get home I can't be arsed - and as was written in the prophecy I couldn't be. I'm going to take my kit to work with me tomorrow. Chances are it won't happen but I'm taking the kit anyway and if I can I'm going to head out for a lunch run... What's the worst that can happen? I don't get out? or I do a Reggie Perrin and keep on running from Littleton out into the Severn... just joking, knowing my luck I'd bloody float...

As assumed from the above, I did f*&k all tonight but at least the plants have moved on. They have bloody shot up today. The chilies have gone from decent maybes to sturdy looking goers. Soon be needing to plant 'em out into more pots. Even my slightly dodgy looking tomatoes that I planted on into the grow bags seem to have stabilised and pushed on strongly. As per previous posts I've just got too many and so it's going to be sad to have to leave them to die... but only the strong must survive - it's the law of nature...

Go Garlic Go

All five of my garlic cloves are rooting and tootin' through the soil. Showing a goodly couple centimetres of green shoot bursting forth. Go garlic go. Yes, tonight we are going the Goodlife.. My legs are still knackered so I'm resting up.

The re-planted tomatoes - needn't have been worried - are shooting up and looking strong. In fact I've got way too many. I thought I'd be a bit rubbish at all this growing stuff, that they'd all die and I be struggling to get anything to grow. I reckon I've got ten grow bags worth! Tomato plant anyone? Is tomato plant the right word? Whatever.

The herbs are also looking good. The coriander, basil and chive are starting to pick up. Of all the stuff I've planted I'm just awaiting the spring onions to show.. Oh, and I almost forgot the chilies have finally kicked off and they appear to have gone a bit crazy. In the space of a couple of days they've gone from one or two slightly iffy are they aren't they growing shoots? to a dozen definitely growing shoots. I need more pots to plant them on in a week or two...

Hell My Legs Hurt

Too be honest my legs don't ache any more than expected after a day in the mountains but the finish to yesterday's run, down the ridge from Fan y Big, was a real pounder and my hips are sore. It was the last section off the hill that was the killer. It was like running on concrete. Nothing a days rest won't cure so I didn't go for a run this morning. That gave me time for a bit more work on the van. I've managed to ply a bit more of the kitchen/storage unit. Almost finished now. Just one more panel to fit and it's a wrap.

Then it was a quick scrub up and off to lunch with the family in Bristol. As is normal on a visit to N&R's I ate too much - but it's always so nice I can't help myself. And now it's time to hop on the low impact training device - or exercise bike as some people call it - for an hour to burn off some of those calories...