Run bike: part deux

I actually managed to put my money where my mouth is for once and did the session I planned for - now that doesn't happen very often (attaches gold star).

Sean, fresh from his great run at the Midland Cross Country Championships - where he was part of the Silver medal winning U17's, worked me over this morning. I was aiming for an easy run and it started out that way. However, once we got onto the tow path he just kept cranking up the pace. We were ripping it up along there - well I was ripping it up, Sean seemed comfortable and I'm sure he could have cranked it up a notch or two more but I was thankful he didn't! We were out for just under the hour and all in all it was probably a much more beneficial session than an easy run would have been.

Then it was transition time again. Managed to knock a good few minutes off the change over this time compared to yesterday. I whipped it out for all to see - the bike that is, on with the wheels and attached the breaks in the blink of an eye (a very slow blinking eye that is). Then on with the padded shorts today - for biking/saddle reasons if you know what I mean - and off into the wide blue yonder - well Leigh Woods anyway.

Put in slightly less time today. Only 1:24, but long enough to be satisfied. The hills I selected today were even steeper than yesterdays. I was really puffing on a few of them and pumping the legs like you wouldn't believe. I certainly got some good lactic burn and managed to hold it together through the pain to get to the top without dropping down the gears or slowing. The legs were like jelly at the top but I pushed on all the same. Trying to go as quick as possible and recover a bit at the same time before hitting the next hill.

The weekend has been good training and close to five hours worth of run and bike in total! I could get to like this combined training. Since the bike uses the muscles differently to running I recon I could do this every week without it affecting my running. And the great thing about the bike is that it didn't seem like I was out there for 1:30 at a time. Whether it's the faster speed I don't know but the time seemed to go much quicker than with running.

Anyway, my thoughts are now turning to next weeks fell races. I say races because I'm tempted, although I know I shouldn't even be thinking it, to run both the Saturday race (3M) and the Sunday race (11.5M). I'm a complete novice at this fell lunacy and not really sure how to approach all this navigate your route stuff but I'm good with maps so what the heck - after all, I didn't get where I am today without being almost entirely insane!!!! And if I do run the shorter race I shall take it easy - top twenty will do (only kidding).