It was tough tonight. I was surprised how tired I felt - especially since I didn't exactly run hard last night. After a few warm up laps I knew I had to go longer reps and steady. Only Sean from the scooby gang made it tonight and he ran with Dave B's group. They ran 600m reps. I ran 800s.
I only ran four at a steady 2:50 with 90 seconds recovery. That's not very fast but just about faster than my pb 5k pace so for tonight it was fast enough - especially since at the moment my pb 5k is about 80 seconds quicker than I can run it at present. I'm thinking longer steady reps should be my focus of the track for a while. I know I can leggit quickly in short bursts so it's time to build up the pace on longer reps.
Oh, and I reckon I need some more sleep. I'm going to make sure I get plenty of sleep to recharge the system.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Not up for it tonight
I can't recall a time I've felt so indifferent about a race. I guess it's down in part to the fact that at the moment I know my time isn't going to be quick. Off road is different. There are no times to compare things against. You just run. No expectation. No mile splits. Just you and the man - or woman infront.
Tonight the fear of what I'm not able to do broke me - it's only a temporary break. I still feel things are going in the right direction. Tonight? Mentally it just wasn't there. It was a good training though. My first four kilometre splits were identical - identically slow, mind - but never the less identical. My final kilometer was 15 seconds quicker than the others so that's a measure as to quite how slow the others were.
Well, I'll not dwell. Moving on...
Tonight the fear of what I'm not able to do broke me - it's only a temporary break. I still feel things are going in the right direction. Tonight? Mentally it just wasn't there. It was a good training though. My first four kilometre splits were identical - identically slow, mind - but never the less identical. My final kilometer was 15 seconds quicker than the others so that's a measure as to quite how slow the others were.
Well, I'll not dwell. Moving on...
Monday, April 27, 2009
After the storm
It was a day to recover. Reflecting back to yesterday, I had a good day. So the times weren't great but the racing was fun and I've put down some times I can aim for in my next races.
Tonight - as has become my routine - is time for the bike infront of the Gadget Show - big boys toys - result.
Tomorrow I shall be running at the Bridge Inn and I really hope I can better my winter times - cause they were truly shocking. I feel I can and I'm going to try and apply proper pace judgement this time - that'll be first...
Tonight - as has become my routine - is time for the bike infront of the Gadget Show - big boys toys - result.
Tomorrow I shall be running at the Bridge Inn and I really hope I can better my winter times - cause they were truly shocking. I feel I can and I'm going to try and apply proper pace judgement this time - that'll be first...
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Avon lady calling
It has to be said that today wasn't my finest ever set of Avon League stats. Come to think of it. I'm not sure I can recount a worse set of results. I ran, being optimistic, poorly - being pessimistic, well that's to rude to print here.
I suppose it's not actually that suprising seeing as how little training I do these days. Still, I enjoyed the racing part, if not the performance. The joy of the Avon League is that you get runners of all level so it doesn't matter if you're at the front or the back, you still get someone to race.
My 3k was slower than I thought I could run. I was aiming for 10:45, which in itself isn't exactly fast, but my 11:11 was worse than even my low expectation. My 800m wasn't much better. After a 45 minute delay - damn those sprinter's and their 1 million races of different categories - I was almost off the boil for the eight. I set out too quick for my current level of ability, going though the first 400m in 72. There was no place to go but backwards - and to think that I ran quicker than that when I set my pb. I slowed to a final lap 80 for 2:32 and another poor performance. On the upside I still got a buzz from the race itself - especially leading Jerry H and Dave B for most of the first lap.
I suppose it's not actually that suprising seeing as how little training I do these days. Still, I enjoyed the racing part, if not the performance. The joy of the Avon League is that you get runners of all level so it doesn't matter if you're at the front or the back, you still get someone to race.
My 3k was slower than I thought I could run. I was aiming for 10:45, which in itself isn't exactly fast, but my 11:11 was worse than even my low expectation. My 800m wasn't much better. After a 45 minute delay - damn those sprinter's and their 1 million races of different categories - I was almost off the boil for the eight. I set out too quick for my current level of ability, going though the first 400m in 72. There was no place to go but backwards - and to think that I ran quicker than that when I set my pb. I slowed to a final lap 80 for 2:32 and another poor performance. On the upside I still got a buzz from the race itself - especially leading Jerry H and Dave B for most of the first lap.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Meeee and Mrs 'Brown'
We got a thing going on - namely, going for a run.
It was back up to May Hill today - that nondescript hill in Gloucestershire. In all we were out there for an hour and ten. We didn't go fast. We didn't want to go fast. No, it was steady, steady, steady all the way. I ground out the hills even paced and it all felt OK. The rain held off and I do believe the sun almost put his hat on - hip hip hip hooray. I think it started to get a bit hot for Mrs B, but I made sure she stopped for water and she was fine.
All in all a pleasant mornings run but I felt a bit bad not taking Pedwar or Ernie but they would have just slowed me down too much - even on what was meant to be a slow run. Seeing Pedwar bouncing up and down, pogo style as me and Mrs B ran off across the field was saddening but he'd have been bored of running within a few minutes.
Anyway, I didn't feel the calf on the run - so that was good. I didn't even give it a thought but as I type this I can feel a bit of stiffness in the bone - there's almost another lyric in there somewhere. I shall give it a massage and it'll be fine for tomorrow's 3k at Yate.
It was back up to May Hill today - that nondescript hill in Gloucestershire. In all we were out there for an hour and ten. We didn't go fast. We didn't want to go fast. No, it was steady, steady, steady all the way. I ground out the hills even paced and it all felt OK. The rain held off and I do believe the sun almost put his hat on - hip hip hip hooray. I think it started to get a bit hot for Mrs B, but I made sure she stopped for water and she was fine.
All in all a pleasant mornings run but I felt a bit bad not taking Pedwar or Ernie but they would have just slowed me down too much - even on what was meant to be a slow run. Seeing Pedwar bouncing up and down, pogo style as me and Mrs B ran off across the field was saddening but he'd have been bored of running within a few minutes.
Anyway, I didn't feel the calf on the run - so that was good. I didn't even give it a thought but as I type this I can feel a bit of stiffness in the bone - there's almost another lyric in there somewhere. I shall give it a massage and it'll be fine for tomorrow's 3k at Yate.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The week is complete
but alas, training wasn't great. Still I managed a bit on the bike tonight. I feel knackered though. It's been a long week. Successful, yes, but still long. My left calf is still tight from the track but I'm still hopeful of getting in a longer tomorrow - I won't say long since these days a long run isn't quite as long as it once was. Then on Sunday it's down to Yate for the Avon League and the delights of the 3k flat followed by the 800m. It'll be my first 800m for a long time and I shall just run as hard as I can without expectation - 'cause to put any expectation on it would be down right stupid. I will survive and then on Tuesday it's the Bridge Inn 5k. I won't have recovered but who cares. It's all good, hard training as I see it...
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Disappointment
I never made it to the Hereford race. I didn't clear work until just before five and the fight through the rush hour traffic was a fight I just couldn't win. I finally got home at close to half six. Now some say I still had time to make it to the race - I shall have words with them later. Hereford's got to be half an hour away and right now I feel knackered and slightly de-hydrated. So shall give it a miss - and anyway, I've sent Helen as my official envoy instead.
Next up is the Avon League over at Yate on Sunday. I'm down for the 3k and the 800m - that should be a laugh. I want to try and get in a long run on Saturday so I might not be quite as quick as people might hope - then again, they probably haven't got their hopes set that high where I'm concerned. It 'll be a good warm up for the first of the Bridge Inn 5k Summer Series races though.
Next up is the Avon League over at Yate on Sunday. I'm down for the 3k and the 800m - that should be a laugh. I want to try and get in a long run on Saturday so I might not be quite as quick as people might hope - then again, they probably haven't got their hopes set that high where I'm concerned. It 'll be a good warm up for the first of the Bridge Inn 5k Summer Series races though.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wicked tight
Initially tonights session went well. We ran - or intended to - four 400's off 50 seconds, three 400's off 65, two off ... well I didn't get that far - arse.
I ran the first set in 76/77 seconds - I took that - especially off the shortish recovery. Next up the set of three, and at 74/75 seconds, I was going well. Then disaster - OK, not disaster, but disappointment at least. Both my calves tightened. I felt I was running just about within myself, ready to keep knocking the lap times down as the sets got shorter but there just wasn't any point in trying to take any further part in the session. My lap times could have only gone one way - and that wasn't the aim of the session - you don't make spaghetti by breaking eggs. And to add insult to injury, I got a stitch as a jogged round on my warm down - where's the justice.
Still, Sean was looking in very good form. He was hitting 64s until the final, single lap, where he, together with Josh, ran a 59 - and he didn't even look tense - swine.
So it wasn't a total disaster tonight. I feel I'm edging quicker over the weeks and months. I held good form before the body packed in - age, who'd have it.
I ran the first set in 76/77 seconds - I took that - especially off the shortish recovery. Next up the set of three, and at 74/75 seconds, I was going well. Then disaster - OK, not disaster, but disappointment at least. Both my calves tightened. I felt I was running just about within myself, ready to keep knocking the lap times down as the sets got shorter but there just wasn't any point in trying to take any further part in the session. My lap times could have only gone one way - and that wasn't the aim of the session - you don't make spaghetti by breaking eggs. And to add insult to injury, I got a stitch as a jogged round on my warm down - where's the justice.
Still, Sean was looking in very good form. He was hitting 64s until the final, single lap, where he, together with Josh, ran a 59 - and he didn't even look tense - swine.
So it wasn't a total disaster tonight. I feel I'm edging quicker over the weeks and months. I held good form before the body packed in - age, who'd have it.
Monday, April 20, 2009
A little achy
My legs feel OK - and at my current level of fitness, after a long run, that ain't bad. It gives me hope that some decent training I can make some quick gains.
I feel I punched above my weight yesterday. Infact, I reckon I've raced above my current level in the last few races - all I need now is to get my head around training. Racing thrills me but training? well it just doesn't.
Anyway, tonight I knocked out a grinding 45 minutes on the bike.
I feel I punched above my weight yesterday. Infact, I reckon I've raced above my current level in the last few races - all I need now is to get my head around training. Racing thrills me but training? well it just doesn't.
Anyway, tonight I knocked out a grinding 45 minutes on the bike.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Right pleasing
The weather was almost too fantastic for the 20k race in the Wye Valley that is Offa's Orra. With 2000 feet of ascent I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I met Mark D at the start - he was surprised to see me - and at the allotted time - that's 10:30 to you - off we set.
I took it out steady but in reality it was probably just a touch above steady. The first part of the course follows the route of the summer Tintern Trot race so I knew what I was in for and ascended through the wide forest paths at a controlled pace. Hands up, I walked up the very steep bit and three or four runner's came past - the swines - but I knew if I tried to follow them I'd pay a very expensive price towards the end. At this point I was in 23rd place and felt good for a top thirty at the worst.
Across the top I made gains on a couple of runners and then thoroughly burnt them off on the first of the steep descents. The course then winds steadily up again and I struggled a bit, being overtaken by another couple of runners to slip back to 23rd. Once onto the flat I made gains, moving up into 21st place. Then group of runners where almost out of sight but once we got on to the second steep descent I charged down like a mad man and managed to get onto the back of them - not literally, just very close - I'm not that friendly.
The final section, alongside the river, seemed to go on for ever and I managed to catch and overtake 'Wheeze' - a fellow fell runner - and then eventually moved into 19th where I remained through to the finish. I began to tire badly with about 2-3km to go but dug deep to stay well ahead of my nearest rival.
I finished in a time of 1:36:40 and 19th place so I'm chuffed to bits with my performance. I didn't think I'd go anywhere near as quick - or make the top twenty. All in all a bloody good days training.
I took it out steady but in reality it was probably just a touch above steady. The first part of the course follows the route of the summer Tintern Trot race so I knew what I was in for and ascended through the wide forest paths at a controlled pace. Hands up, I walked up the very steep bit and three or four runner's came past - the swines - but I knew if I tried to follow them I'd pay a very expensive price towards the end. At this point I was in 23rd place and felt good for a top thirty at the worst.
Across the top I made gains on a couple of runners and then thoroughly burnt them off on the first of the steep descents. The course then winds steadily up again and I struggled a bit, being overtaken by another couple of runners to slip back to 23rd. Once onto the flat I made gains, moving up into 21st place. Then group of runners where almost out of sight but once we got on to the second steep descent I charged down like a mad man and managed to get onto the back of them - not literally, just very close - I'm not that friendly.
The final section, alongside the river, seemed to go on for ever and I managed to catch and overtake 'Wheeze' - a fellow fell runner - and then eventually moved into 19th where I remained through to the finish. I began to tire badly with about 2-3km to go but dug deep to stay well ahead of my nearest rival.
I finished in a time of 1:36:40 and 19th place so I'm chuffed to bits with my performance. I didn't think I'd go anywhere near as quick - or make the top twenty. All in all a bloody good days training.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Around the hill
I can't say I felt too enamoured about going for a run today - and certainly not a long one. I don't know what's up with me. I used to be able to get up at 7am on a Saturday and go run for 3 hours but I can't seem to get the enthusiasm anymore.
Anyway, H has gone for a long run in the mountains and I just didn't feel like it - our National plans were aborted on account that the women's B team fell through - athlete drop out - so there didn't seem much point in traveling all that way to compete in an incomplete team when a long, mountainous run would be of more benefit at this stage in the fell season. I went for an hour's run up and around May Hill - a hill that is not as high as some in Gloucestershire but is, at least, not the lowest.
My quads felt tired and the effort up hill - all 1,100 feet of it - was telling. Out there on the run I enjoyed it. The sun shone and I could hear the birds twitter. I'm glad I got myself out but I wish I could raise my game in terms of feeling more up for it in the first place. I love racing but training? - that's another matter entirely. When I do get myself out there everything is fine and I really get into it but it's the struggle to get out the door that I'm battling at the moment - I hope I win it.
Well, that's my lot for the day - at least I've earnt myself a sausage sandwich...
Anyway, H has gone for a long run in the mountains and I just didn't feel like it - our National plans were aborted on account that the women's B team fell through - athlete drop out - so there didn't seem much point in traveling all that way to compete in an incomplete team when a long, mountainous run would be of more benefit at this stage in the fell season. I went for an hour's run up and around May Hill - a hill that is not as high as some in Gloucestershire but is, at least, not the lowest.
My quads felt tired and the effort up hill - all 1,100 feet of it - was telling. Out there on the run I enjoyed it. The sun shone and I could hear the birds twitter. I'm glad I got myself out but I wish I could raise my game in terms of feeling more up for it in the first place. I love racing but training? - that's another matter entirely. When I do get myself out there everything is fine and I really get into it but it's the struggle to get out the door that I'm battling at the moment - I hope I win it.
Well, that's my lot for the day - at least I've earnt myself a sausage sandwich...
Friday, April 17, 2009
What a grey day
Rest assured that I shut that door - after I bucked the bronco - stop it - that is the exercise bike. A bit boring I know but I think it must be doing me good. I hope it is.
I've decided not to go do the Track on Sunday - I know, I know, I'm letting the team down but from up here to down there it's a long old way to Exeter and to be honest I could get myself a nice long run in Offas 'Orror instead and I know which will do me more good. If the race isn't full (or if it is I shall try and blag a run by claiming I've come across from Sweden just to run) and I get a run then at the very least I can give myself away as a sacrificial offering to Offa himself.
Tomorrow is the National Road Relays where I shall not be running - unless, that is, Bristol and Wests top fifty male athletes all stub their collective toes in the morning, in which case I might get a run...
I've decided not to go do the Track on Sunday - I know, I know, I'm letting the team down but from up here to down there it's a long old way to Exeter and to be honest I could get myself a nice long run in Offas 'Orror instead and I know which will do me more good. If the race isn't full (or if it is I shall try and blag a run by claiming I've come across from Sweden just to run) and I get a run then at the very least I can give myself away as a sacrificial offering to Offa himself.
Tomorrow is the National Road Relays where I shall not be running - unless, that is, Bristol and Wests top fifty male athletes all stub their collective toes in the morning, in which case I might get a run...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Grassed off
As suspected, we were back on the grass as those pesky youngsters had taken over the track. I got a nice surprise - although for a moment I thought I was being burgled - but then the hounds charged in and ... well, I'd rather have been - only joking. Helen had already trained so the dogs got an extra walk while I did my reps.
The gang was complete bar Bruce but it'll be the last time for a while as Nick and Rob are back off to Uni. We ran the same loop as last week - 'cept I swear it was a few metres longer tonight. It bloody well was, I tells ya. Well I hope it was as I could only manage 54 seconds per lap - a very consistent 54, mind, but never the less 54 - which was a second or two slower than last week.
We ran nine efforts with a 45 second recovery before embarking on three final 120 metre bursts, flat out, lungs busting - legs busting - you know the kind of thing and I very nearly managed to keep up with the young ones - but not quite.
I feel I've had a damn fine work out tonight and that's it for tonight
The gang was complete bar Bruce but it'll be the last time for a while as Nick and Rob are back off to Uni. We ran the same loop as last week - 'cept I swear it was a few metres longer tonight. It bloody well was, I tells ya. Well I hope it was as I could only manage 54 seconds per lap - a very consistent 54, mind, but never the less 54 - which was a second or two slower than last week.
We ran nine efforts with a 45 second recovery before embarking on three final 120 metre bursts, flat out, lungs busting - legs busting - you know the kind of thing and I very nearly managed to keep up with the young ones - but not quite.
I feel I've had a damn fine work out tonight and that's it for tonight
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