Nudging The Treadmill Speed Up...

So I decided, after my last treadmill session, to a) keep to the group runs for the motivation, b) set the target speed from the off and c) set the target speed a little faster each time - but maybe not ad infinitum. So it was 12.2kph tonight (for 5k). 12.5kph next time. It's a bit pathetic but pathetic is as pathetic does - not sure what the heck that means!

Up this weekend I'm travelling up north, Church Stretton, for the Carding Mill Canter on Saturday. The 'racing' continues...

Recovery Day

I wanted to test how my left sole was going to take a run so I hit the treadmill for a 5k group run. Happily it felt fine. I was hoping to follow that with a group ride but didn't quite get across to the bike quickly enough and they left without me... So I cooled down with a steady 10k solo ride instead. All completed in #Zwift's virtual New York.

That Was Hard Work

but I'm pleased with the effort. I'm aching a little. I started to cramp up coming into the penultimate field but managed to stave it off and although I didn't have any trouble during the race the sole of my left foot is aching big time. Won't be anything serious, just the after affects of a 70% increase in distance and ascent from the previous race.

The race itself was a proper race and definitely one to put in the diary - The Hatterall Sledge, make a note of it for next year.

Despite quite a lot on running on paths there was a nice little section across the nothing-ness and I took a pretty good line. Would be all the more challenging in the fog - so bring that on next year... I risked the brambles on corner cut towards the end and gained a couple of places. With a recce I reckon you could eek out a decent way through it.

Despite the increase in distance, I didn't fade too badly in the later stages and I generally picked up places after the first climb rather than drop them. All good. 12k, 560m ascent. Feeling a bit tired now though.

Well done Dan S, the marshals and the Old Pandy Inn for hosting.

It's The Big One Tomorrow...

Well it's all relative but tomorrow's fell race, the Hatterall Sledge, is going to be the most challenging for me so far. Back in the day it would be a short, at the moment it's going to feel like an ultra. Definitely going to take it steady on the 12km route with 600m ascent and I must remember to print off a map tomorrow as there is I thinks it's a bit off piste in places. Bring it on...

Better Than Nothing

Got myself on the treadmill for an easy 5k. All very easy until the last 500m when a runner behind put in a real effort - and it made me do so too. The thing is when I upped the pace it didn't feel too much more effort. Next time I'm going to crank it up more from the start.

Unsurprisingly Sore Legs

So my quads are feeling it today and instead of feeling better through the day I've actually been going in reverse. At this rate I won't be able to walk tomorrow....

Rest day it is - I seem to take a few of those [winks to camera] and I'm going on the record so there'll be less chance of me backing out... To the end of April I have ten events planned, eight races and two marshalling.

The trouble with being a lazy bastard for years on end not running is you end up as a marshal... but that's okay. I won't be giving up marshalling. It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it. No marshals, no races and anyway, I actually enjoy it - as far as you can enjoy sitting at the top of a mountain in the wind, rain, snow, cold - and very occasionally - sunshine....

So anyway, the races are; Hatterall Sledge, Carding Mill Canter, Tor of Torpantau (Marshalling atop Fan y Big), Blorenge Night Race (work schedule permitting), Tor y Foel, Pen Cerrig Calch, Sugarloaf, Chedworth Roman Trail, Gilwern Grunt (Marshalling) and South Wales Mountain Trial...

That leaves two spare weekends. There's Llanbedr to Blaenavon on one of them but I'm not sure I'm up to doing that just yet - but you never know....

Pen Tir Drop

Race number three complete. A little longer than the last one but not by much and a smidgen more ascent, but again, not by much. 7km, 350m ascent. Performance wise, it's always difficult to compare across fell races as they are all so different but I'm pleased with another increase in average pace, by a good 30s per kilometre. Probably a bit flattering compared to the last two races but it's going in the right direction.

For an out and back course I found it pretty enjoyable. I think that's because you are climbing pretty much all the way to the summit turn. Sometimes steeply, other times more gently but you are pretty much going up the entire way out. In my mind I just kept thinking about the lovely long descent - and it was a lovely long descent.

Up next week is the Hatterall Sledge. At 12km and 600m ascent it's going to be quite a step up....

Pre-race Warm Up...

Yes, it's race number three tomorrow. Pen Tir Drop and it's the first of the Chepstow Harriers fell series (I think) and "A good intro to fell racing for beginners" - so should suit me then.... 😄

Nothing too ambitious for me today. A 5k run on the treadmill followed by 9k bike at medium effort. To be fair, it's not going to be anything too ambitious for me tomorrow either. I'll just be happy to be back on the start line for the aforementioned race number three.

Races

So I'm entering some races. If I enter, I will run....

And for inspiration I'm looking back over my past races and picking a few. First one, Chedworth Roman Trial in April - at 10 miles it's probably too far but the entry fee is paid - I'm running.... I'm also considering the Cleevewold 14 at the end of March. It's the day after Llanbedr-Blaenavon fell race and ten plus years ago I ran the pair back to back.... I'm so not ready for that just yet - and maybe never will be again - but maybe I should be mad enough to try........

More races to come.......

Treading on the Mill

So I've been bad when it comes to running. With no races, I'm slipping. Fortunately there's a couple of races coming up in the next couple of weeks so things should back on track... Today was just a 5k group run on Zwift. My legs were a little achy from yesterday but feel all the better for having done it.

Fun Fondo

I started steady but I wasn't trying to go steady. The power was way down but it seemed hard work. Then it all started to come good. Gradually I started to loosen up and increase the power. I'm still down on where I have been but I finished strongly.

Coming to the end of the final climb to a summit finish and being just outside the top 200 I decided to really blast it in the final kilometre. My heart rate was up towards 180. With 300m to go I wasn't sure I wasn't going to die but with one final place needed, I made it on the line to finished 199th. 53km, 580m ascent. Good workout.

So I've...

...Entered my short term target race - the South Wales Mountain Trial and knowing the organiser, I'm sure it'll be a proper test...

Been a bit of a tiring week so far. Work days have been long with early starts and that has drained my energy levels but I feel like I'm recharging. Managed a decent half hour blast on the bike yesterday, although I had the settings wrong which meant I was spinning at higher rpm than I normal. Today my hamstrings are slightly sore which I don't fully understand but there it is.

Tomorrow is the next round of the Zwift Fondo's. I'm still going to have to do the bambino (52k) as I'm not ready for the medio (72k) or gran (98k). I definitely want to do a medio by the end of the series (April).

It's Over

All nine stages of the Tour de #Zwift are now in the bag and it finished on one of my favourite courses, the Richmond UCI course. It was a much smaller field today than present during the main tour, riding two laps for 33k, 260m ascent. Despite the reduced number, circa 120, there was still some good group riding. In some ways it was more 'racey' - ooh, matron. Because it was a smaller field, I got to know who was riding with me and although the group changed as we caught and got caught, some of those riding with me at the start were still there at the end - not for want of trying to break them on the climbs at the end of the lap, mind. [winks to camera].

I think the three short, sharp undulations at the end of a mainly flat lap is part of the appeal for me. I can really push it into the red, knowing I don't have to hang on for long before hitting the flat and recovery.

And after the race - I mean ride - I treated myself to my one pot microwave macaroni cheese, now tweaked by soaking the pasta in the milk/water for a couple of hours before cooking! Yes, really!! Speeds up the microwaving and eliminates MBO - microwave boil over. Yum.

Almost There...

That's stage 3 of the Tour de #Zwift complete. Just stage 5 to complete tomorrow and then it'll be tour completed.

It was a good ride. I was in a small group throughout, although the group grew as we worked well together to catch several groups on the road ahead. My personal best bit was leading it out to bridge a big gap. I was up around 350W for what seemed like an entirety and the gap didn't look to be coming down quickly enough for me to survive but then the rest of the group pulled in and together we closed it down. I then had a few minutes on the back, to recover from the effort.

Once recovered, we cracked on before reaching the climb to the finish. From there the group spread out as it became every man - and woman - for themselves. Although the finish was at the top, I couldn't resist riding the decent as a warm down.