Well That Was a Turn-up for the Books

So, after about eight years out of the orienteering game, I stepped back into the ring. I've kept my membership live in the hope that one day I would be lured back. That luration - not a word - was today as the orienteering quite literally came to town - or more accurately, my neck of the woods, Flaxley woods. It would have been rude not to...

It's been so long I've forgotten what the map symbols mean, what the map scale is, what the contour height is - and I forgot to check all that, caught up in the excitement [sad bastard] but hey, oh, I gave it a go. I decided on the Green course with its full technicality but shorter than the blue or brown. Flaxley woods are rough as a badgers ar** when you go off-piste and I didn't fancy being out there all day.

So, I set off and it wasn't long before I had completely lost my way. I was flapping around like a headless chicken by checkpoint 2. Yes, the second checkpoint of fifteen! - I thought, this is going bloody well, as I threshed around in the bracken... I probably spent the best part of 15-minutes not finding the control. Mind you, I wasn't the only one. It was like a police search over a crime scene - but with less organisation and no actual crime - other than impersonating an orienteer. Thankfully, from there I got going and actually navigated pretty accurately for the rest of the course. If I'm honest I've never been any bloody good at it, but it is fun - in a sadistic, evil sort of way.

It was a bit of a surprise to see I was actually 8th of 34 finishers/41 starters! I'll take that. Till the next time...

Training has been the usual mix of treadmill sessions, zone 2 and some Zwifting. The highlight was a new PB on the virtual Col des Aravis climb on Zwift and a solid tempo nee threshold run yesterday, almost culminating in a PB on the A4136 climb segment - and I wasn't even going for it. Honest. I was on tempo/threshold run and didn't see any chance of bettering my recent best time. I didn't want the mental disappointment of trying and failing, so I just took it steady - but still with some effort. It did not feel quick. It was with some sadness, as I analysed the Strava data, as you do, to see I missed my PB (set in 2015) by just 2 seconds. On the plus side, I know I'm going to smash it sometime soon.....

The Weekly Update

It's been another solid week of zone 2 but I did miss Wednesday's bike session. Tuesday's treadmill session was hard work as I went for the extended version with more reps. Yesterday I repeated last week's feat of running the full Velthouse Lane segment again - I'm making it sound like it's bigger, steeper hill than it really is, but it's challenging enough for me.

Now I've broken it and got my marker, I pushed a little harder this week. I'm going to keep applying a bit more effort each time until I get close to my old time from 2013. I'm not sure how achievable that is but we'll see...

Around the focused training there's been three 'zone 2' hour+ sessions, one on the bike, the others on the treadmill. Looking forward to my rest day tomorrow.

Psychological Barrier Down

The last couple of weeks has been a continuation of Zone 2 running and biking combined with one treadmill interval session and one Zwift bike workout per week and a weekend medium run.

The treadmill work outs have been pretty solid. The bike sessions hard, as I've let them slip a bit. I feel I'm getting some momentum going though. My jury is still out on the zone 2 but the verdict is going to be a few months away - the jury needs much deliberation.

The weekend runs have been good. Last Saturday was a pretty solid 13k road run with an attack on the final climb, only seeing me miss my segment PB by under 20s - I'm getting closer, as that was a twenty second improvement on my previous attempt. Next time.....

This Saturday I was back for the Flaxley loop, with the focus on the climbs. I wasn't going PB, but I did put in solid efforts. The highlight was managing to run the entirety of the Velthouse Lane Climb segment. A feat I've not managed since 2016. It wasn't the fastest I've done but I was determined I needed to run the whole 1.5km. So now the barrier is broken the gloves are off.... 

So I know I said I wasn't going PB, but buoyed by my vanquishing of the previous climb, I finished the run with a cheeky attack on the East Side Climb segment - and managed to equal my own (shared first place) KoM time of 2:26. Grrrrhh. I will be the one true ruler of the East Side KoM. I will!

A Solid Week

It's been a week of focused training. A solid Zwift hill climb on Tuesday, under/overs on the treadmill Wednesday, a sixty minute Zwift Academy session Thursday that culminated in a new 5-minute power PB. Friday saw me keeping my heart rate averaged at 127 for a 75 minute zone 2 treadmill run. Up yesterday, a very humid jog round the local woods. Couldn't get going. The humidity did for me. Then today it was an 80-minute zone 2 run on the treadmill followed immediately by 30-minutes in zone 2 on Zwift.

I hope this zone 2 training malarkey is legit. Do you know how much zen it requires to run for 80 minutes on the treadmill - slowly? I can tell you, it's a lot!

Enter the Zone 2

I've managed some pretty productive training these last few weeks. Some decent mid range weekend runs, a few tempo runs and some good speed work on the treadmill. Plus I've started to get into 'zone 2' training. Something I've never done before but I've been reading up on it and thought I'd give it a try. All my runs now, same as a decade ago, end up being hard efforts. Even my easy runs ends up as a hard effort. I just can't help it. So I'm trying this zone 2 stuff out on the treadmill where I can control the conditions and nudge the speed up or down to keep mt heart rate middle of the zone - now, whether the zone is calculated correctly is another matter.... but hopefully I'm in the ball park.

There's even been a few focused training Zwift sessions on the bike, rather than my more normal 'ride around a bit making it up as I go'. The highlight of the Zwifting, for me, are the hill climbs, and I've ridden a couple. There is nothing better than 5-10k at 7%.

All in all, it feels like it's been a productive few weeks.

Low Key Training

Been a very low key couple of weeks training. I've not been enjoying the heat plus work and other bits and bobs has meant training has been intermittent. I've missed a couple of sessions here and there but I guess that's just how it goes some times. Maybe it's no bad thing to have a quieter spell but I'd like to get a few solid weeks of training to rebalance things.

This week is picking up though, with tonight's solid virtual time trial on Zwift. It wasn't meant to be a time trial but it quickly went there and before I knew it, I was at threshold for a 30 minute steady state ride. Yesterday's 9k run was sluggish. When I set off it felt cool but I soon realised that was a false impression as ten minutes in I was sweating like a vicar in a brothel - or should that be, sweating like a priest in a kindergarten? Moving swiftly on, Monday was a solid hill climb on Zwift. Due another run tomorrow. Hopefully intervals but we'll see what tomorrow brings. 

On the plus side of the slight dip in training consistency, I'm still managing to squeeze in about an hour of piano practice per day. I feel I'm making good progress as an older beginner.

A Week With A PB Can't Be All Bad

It's been a low key couple weeks. I've had a several decent medium run including an out and back (14k total) to the summit of Fan Llia to marshal in the Four Fans Race last weekend, a solid 8k yesterday - which was meant to be 16k but it was just so god damn hot I cut it short, and a tempo 8+k today. There's also been a few solid Zwifts.

The highlight was Tuesday's Blaisdon 10k. My first road 10k, since last years Blaisdon. I was still feeling the effects of the mountains and since I haven't been focusing on speed, I was not expecting much. I was looking at sub 50 but hoping for something closer to last years time.

Anyway, on the race, and I managed to avoid getting caught up in the "starting too fast surge" on the downhill section in the first 500m and quickly settled in to a steady, controlled pace, a few seconds inside PB* pace. I wondered whether that was too fast but carried on. It's an undulating course with a surprising 100m of total ascent. I was definitely hanging on in there in the last 2k but managed to improve my time by 40s to 47:11. And looking at my splits, despite feeling I was fading towards the end, my pace didn't drop off so the endurance I've been building is definitely having a positive effect.

I'm going to move to a two week schedule where I do a long weekend run every other week vs every week as it was leaving me too empty to do the speed work. I'll put the speed work on the alternate weeks and other bits and bobs in between. That way I'll get my speed and my endurance. Well, that's the plan.

* For the record, when I refer to PB, I am referring to my post running re-boot 2.0 PB and not my 'life time best'.

Result! Didn't Get Soaked

It's been a week of very easy training ahead of today's race, the Fan y Big fell race. I knew it was going to be a tough test - and it didn't disappoint. The forecast was for rain throughout the race, which started midday. That rain didn't really materialise. The sun even made an appearance. The wind on the way out was pretty strong in gusts but I'd take that over continuous rain any day.

I was happy with my race. I ran a good amount of the ascent, which kicked in after about 500m out from the start and didn't stop until the high point at about 7km, climbing some 600+m at an average grade of 9.4%!. A year ago there would have been a very different ratio of running to walking so I'm really pleased about that. My long training runs have really helped my endurance and I felt strong - until the final couple of kilometres, where the pounding descent finally took its toll.      

Finished top half of the field and gained five or six places after the initial settling phase, so over all I'm very happy. Hopefully I won't be needing to descend the stairs backwards tomorrow but we'll see. Oh, and although the route was clockwise this year (first time ever) I was over 11-minutes quicker than the last time I ran it in 2019, clocking 1:47:20.

Another KoM

I've felt a bit tired this week. Not a huge surprise as last week was a solid week. I did slightly more Zwifting than standard, including solid climb portal ride. Run-wise, I did get out for that promised 10k on Monday, a lunch run from the office Wednesday (and by heck was that ever a hot one). Yesterday I ran an unusually short (for a Saturday) 6k but did claim another KoM segment, although I only equaled the record so there is still work to be done to claim it outright. Today was a hilly 10k. I pushed the climb and was rewarded with my fastest time so far, only 35s from my heyday best so I am closing in. Not sure it's going to be a viable KoM target as I am way off the time of the top spot. Maybe top ten...

The week ahead will see me ease back as I head into the weekend as I'm back out to the Mountains for the Fan-y-Big fell race on Sunday, a testing 16.5km with 650+ metres of ascent. And it definitely will be a test. 

More Running in the Woods

It's been a middling week with only one treadmill interval session - but it was a solid one, the ol' ladder down and up hitting 4min/km.

Friday I got out for a run in the heat of the midday sun for around 6k. I pushed pretty hard on the church lane climb KoM and claimed a PB and sixth place on the leader board but a long way back from top spot - it doesn't help that there are four downed trees to navigate, one of which you have to crawl under on your hands and knees. After that one, came the eastside climb KoM. I went for it but paced it too conservatively, leaving too much in the tank, accelerating into the finish but with too much left that I should have used sooner. It might take another couple of attempts to pace it right but I only need 4s so it will be mine....

I was back out there today, for 10k. Feeling less fresh, I never-the-less took another crack at the church lane climb. Better but still the cigar eludes me. A 22s improvement and now only 14s off top spot - the hands and knees bit doesn't help, mind. Later in the run I tried the eastside KoM again but fell short as I was knackered by that point. Still, the hill efforts are bloody good training.

Other training this week as been, three sessions on the Zwift, including one slightly more tempo, hour session. More running tomorrow and Monday, as I push the rest day out to Tuesday in the coming week.

Back to the Intervals

It's put in some decent training over the last two weeks. After the strength and endurance work of the last few months I'm a bit ring rusty on the focused treadmill sessions. So the Tuesday before last, I was back on it with a decent enough set of 6-minute ramped efforts.

As I said the focus has been building my strength and endurance and the Zwifting (bike) has also been in cruise mode. I feel my FTP has dropped a little so it was with some surprise that I managed a 30s PB on the virtual Cheddar Gorge climb the previous Wednesday. Not gonna lie, I went for it. Out the saddle for the majority of the first half, the steeper bit. I am definitely an out the saddle grinder sort of climber vs the in the saddle faster spinner.

Last weekend, starting Friday, I ran back to back 9k tempo's and a 6k Sunday although that was more pruning than running as I cleared away the brambles and nettles from my local loop. I followed Saturday and Sunday's run with two zone 2 30-minute bike sessions.

This Tuesday it was more reps, five 1-minute sprints followed by six 3 minutes efforts. Wednesday I tried the new Zwift FTP test, which is, in essence, just a 3.5k hill grind at an average of around 10%. My legs had a bit of fatigue from Tuesdays treadmill reps so I wasn't holding my breath... but I still manage to clock 224W which is only just shy of my 227W best FTP, and well within the bounds of experimental error as these type of FTP tests are not exactly a precise science.

Up Thursday was more treadmill intervals. Short ones this time 3 blocks of five 1-minuute 'sprints' at 16kph with 30s recovery. Yesterday was a solid 45 minute Zwift and today, a 13k zone 2/3 run as my Garmin keeps shouting at me that I don't have enough 'low aerobic' runs logged. It's hard running slow, and when it's hilly the slow is easy but the zone 2 becomes hard as I'm not dropping to a walk - zone 2 be damned.

Hopefully, it'll be 10k-ish tomorrow and then back on the reps Tuesday after feet up Monday.

Twenty Four

The focus over the last month has been building distance, culminating in today's hilly 24km with 540m ascent. The last few k were hard work but through twenty I felt good and I'm definitely stronger on the hills. There's still a way to go but I'm definitely noticing that I'm able to keep running further up the hills before they claims me as victim.

Next week I'll be switching back to some focused interval sessions, while maintaining the strength I've gained on those longer runs. Hopefully, with my improved strength and endurance I can really push out some longer speed intervals.

It's only a few weeks till my next block of races and with a bit of fine tuning I'll be ready. The block starts with a proper test at the Fan y Big fell race, followed closely by the Blaisdon 10k (road) and rounding things out, the Waun Fach fell race. 

The Killing Fields of Ley Park

So it was long run day. I felt ready(ish). It was warm as I set off but soon got hot. Some like it hot - me, not so much. Anyway, I set off through Flaxley woods and out onto the road. The pace was steady. Not too slow. Not too fast. It was just about right.

Ten k in and I felt okay but I was starting to feel the sun bearing down. Today's route took me over to Northwood Green and through Ley Park woods. It was there things started to go awry. My mind wandered and I headed down the wrong footpath. Halfway across the rutted field this ragged rascal ran before I realised I'd gone the wrong way. No problem though, I knew I could carry on across and pick up a footpath in the next field to loop back and rejoin the original route. Maybe not the best decision I've ever made, as I forced my way through knee high grass. Anyway, I made it back on route and into Ley Park.

The woods afforded me some respite from the suns relentless onslaught but it was there I made my second mistake. Having not learnt the lesson of the first field, I once again deviated my route to stay in the shade of the woods a little longer but that brought me out onto even more densely grassed fields. As I crashed through the greenery my energy evaporated, and by the time I'd made it out of the fields and back onto the road I was broken. From there I jogged the 5.5k home on impulse engines, my warp engines offline, my reserves of dilithium crystals drained by those accursed fields. Still, it was another new longest long run at 21k and, as my Nepalese Guru would say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I sense some recovery Zwifting tomorrow as I watch the Giro d'Italia and like them, I too, shall be having a rest day Monday...

Well, That Were 'Ard Work

There comes a time when you just have to head to the mountains for a fell race. The Cwmdu Fell Race. It was cracking weather. Sun shining, birds, um, making bird noises? There was even a cuckoo to be heard echoing in air. It was almost too cracking, too hot but after all the rain we've had, I'll not be grumbling. I'd been sensible enough to lather myself up - ooh matron - with sun cream.

Half a mile into the race...

I set off steady. With almost 16km to cover and 900+ metres of ascent it was not a day to be getting too carried away. The views across the entire Brecon Beacons were fantastic. Not that I was really taking them in, mind.  I was in the racing zone, focused on the task at hand. Namely, breaking two-hours without, well, breaking.

I wasn't entirely sure if I'd pull it off - here we go again - ooh matron - as I haven't been training enough at all in the mountains, and my leg strength isn't there yet when it comes to those steep ascents. But as they say in the astronautical industry, shoot for the stars, and if you're lucky, you might not blow up thirty seconds into the flight, like one of Mr. Musks rockets...

Almost at Mynydd Llangorse (and not walking!)

The first half was okay. I held it together quite well. Running out from the Mynydd Troed trig at 1:05, I thought I was quid's in. Then after the descent, my legs felt smashed, and I was far from sure. The final climb hurt bad, and my pace slowed to a crawl, the tank emptied fast. The run across the ridge and down seemed to go on for an eternity and I'd stopped looking at my watch. By that point I just wanted the pain to end.

So, to the big question - or more accurately, the answer to the big question [drum roll] - yes, I nailed it. In the end I made my lowly target look silly. Two hours? Pffft, 1hr 59mins 13secs. Don't know why I was so worried...

That's me finished - quite literally!

Totally wrecked now. There's a low no chance I'll be fit for even a gentle recovery run tomorrow. To be honest, I'm just hoping I won't be reduced to walking downstairs backwards - come on, you know we've all been reduced to that at some point...