The calf is still a bit dodgy

I need to give my right calf a bit of a rub. We're racing the Muddy Woody tomorrow and I just hope I can make it round. It's only six or seven miles. To be truthful I'm not actually sure how long the race is - or even where the start is and come to think of it, what time it kicks off - I don't know much really. Perhaps I should look up the details on 'tinternet.

Anyway, I had to fit in a bit of coding this morning, before some more work on the van - the canine perimital barrier is now complete. Finally, I did 45 minutes of pedaling and now I'm off to rub my leg...

Day 3, Week 3

Or to put it another way, I've reached the half way point in the hundred pushup plan - not forgetting the situps, can't leave them out, wouldn't be fair.

I have to say that it's beginning to become a struggle. Tonight was 22, 30, 20, 20 and 40 - and my arms feel like jelly. The situps were 33, 42, 30, 30 and 60 - and my abs are burning. Still, must be helping build core strength.

Give it some lunch

Well, I managed another lunch time run. Two in a week - that's a flippin' pb - and there's me thinking I might never get another one - back of the net. Seriously though, dang it, I'm not going to be serious. It was good to get out and up over Dundry. I ran solo on account of the fact that both Graham and Clive had run to work.

My calf was a bit sore for the first ten minutes or so but it didn't stop me pushing the pace. I put in a steady effort up the hill and from there on in it was all downhill. I completed in bang on 32 minutes which is about two minutes quicker than the last time I ran it. All in all I pleased with the run. It makes up for my lame - nice - session last night.

Not sure if the hat trick is on though...

Not quite right yet

It was so icy on the track tonight that we would have been better off dancing on it. So instead of risking a fall - well, they do say the elderly have a greater risk of slips when it's icy - we headed out onto the roads instead. OK, not actually the road, more the pavement on account of not having a death wish, well only a small one anyway.

Right, it was the full crew again tonight - although we had forgotten about Bruce as we headed out - but fortunately they passed us in the car and Mike bundled Bruce out in front of us, forcing us to slow down to avoid mowing him down as we pounded the pavement - just kidding. Oh, and Jerry was back at the track but he was on his plan B to use the top bend, where it had thawed slightly, for shorter reps.

The lads ran a fartlek session of around thirty five minutes while Mike and I pootled along, off the back. After about ten minutes of running my right calf tightened up and there was no chance I was going to go any faster than an easy jog. I'm glad I did something though, if only for the psycholgical affect if not the training one - and I have day 2, week 3 of the pushups plan - not forgetting those pesky situps as well, mind. I shall be starting out on those in a few minutes...

Out with the water board

I felt like a run. My right calf muscle still feels a bit sore but I wanted a run. As twelve o'clock - or high noon, if you prefer - approached, I hot footed it over to Clive T's work area. I did my risk assessment and then enquired as to whether he would like to join me for a run and after a bit of cajoling, the man from technical drawing, he say 'yes'. Graham was nowhere to be seen.

As I mentally prepared, Graham strolled back into the office and enquired as to whether I would like to go for a run. I said, "That's funny, I've already spoken to Clive about going for a run" and then he said, "Bugger off then, the two of you obviously don't need me" and burst into tears - only joking. A few minutes later the three of us headed out for twenty five round the park and back.

It was good to hear Clive's moaning and grumblings again, as we carved our way through the snow and ice - some things never change, and you know what? in a way, that's quite reassuring...

Just as well the leg is crook

'cause it sure is nasty out and it's the perfect excuse not to have to get out in it.

I did complete day 1, week three of the hundred pushups plan though. However, silly me forgot to do the exhaustion test yesterday, to work out which of the three levels to complete but seeing as I've been pushing more than thirty I stuck with the level three sets.

Somehow, I seemed a bit flat but I completed - and the situps too - but it seemed tougher than last week...

Oh joy

Well, I haven't quite made it onto the bike yet but it's just started bloody snowing again - as if that damn white stuff hasn't caused enough damage. It's been nice. We've been able to sledge and it's caused freak injuries but enough is enough. Stop it.

Oh bum

Well, we made it to Dursley - just a shame the race didn't - oh bum. Conditions had forced the organisers to cancel and to be fair to them they had posted to that effect on 'tinternet - we just didn't give it a thought to check - oh bum. We thought something was up when we pulled into the empty car park and our hearts sank.

I'm almost glad though, after sustaining a mystery calf tear during yesterday's bobsleigh which i massaged last night - making it ten times worse. I was going to run but I'm limping and it would have probably have ended all training for the week. There was no way I was going to have handed Dave T the bragging rights - whatever the cost would have been. Still, it's not an issue now.

I'm thinking an easy bike session later...

Not exactly Val d'Isere

but never the less, it was fun. With the Dozen, taking place tomorrow - that's Dursley, to you, we went for a walk - and slide - on Gloucestershires answer to the slopes of Val d'Isere - May Hill.

As we trundled on the increasingly icy roads, heading further from the main road arteries we came slightly unstuck. With the top in sight and mere metres to go, the Son of The Beast just couldn't cope with the final steep climb and we slid around on the icy surface. After spending several minutes trying to ascend the glacial flow we finally admitted defeat and slid back down the road, turned it around and found somewhere on the low lands to park up.

Then we released the hounds and walked back up to the top with said, whiny, faker and the super dog in tow, chasing around in the snow - although it has to be said that whiny often seems more interested in the household refuse sacks at the end of driveways.

Finally we made the top, having trudged through the snow which lay a foot deep in places. It was time to unroll the thick plastic bags and make like the GB bobsleigh team from the top of May Hill. As we launched ourselves down the steep slopes it was like being on the Cresta run. Hurtling at unbelievable speed we blew away all in our wake but after a few more hikes to the top we had seen enough and returned home.

The from May Hill across to Sugar Loaf - which could be seen
with the naked eye, but alas, not the puny phone camera.

I thought I suffered snow blindness

... but then I realised that the sun had set.

I never made it to Bristol today. I set out at seven but even the main A40 was slippy and from what I could hear on the radio it sounded as though things weren't too good down there either so not fancying a precarious three hour drive, I very carefully inched my way back home - a thirty minute round trip covering all of six miles! It's lucky I can connect into work through 'tinternet so I could at least work from home - on second thoughts, is that actually lucky?

Anyway, I finished working at about half four, put on my long-johns and headed out. I ran over to May Hill and by 'eck the snow were deep there. Back at the house the snow was a few inches but towards the top it was six to twelve and there wasn't much sign of it thawing. Small children - and come to mention it - big children were sledging with gay abandon.

I wasn't quick and it was bloody hard work. All that having to pick your feet a foot offf the ground can't be good. I went up at a snails pace - and didn't come down much quicker on account of it being a bit  - well, you get the picture.

Well, I was out there for close to an hour and a half, and by the time I got back it was pretty much dark - I think I might have mentioned that already. It makes up for not running yesterday and now it's time to hang up the boots, sit on the couch and make like a potato.

EDIT: Oh, and I completed day 3, week 2 of the hundred push up and two hundred sit up plan - back of the net.

In your dreams

Well, tonight I received an email from the Bristol Half-Marathon mob informing me that now is the time to enter their fantastical 10k. I don't want to knock all those people who are going to run but there is no way I am going to be parting with £2 per kilometre to run up and back the Portway. Yes, the entry fee is a whopping twenty quid.Not sure if that's the affiliated price or not, but even if that's the unaffiliated price it would still make it eighteen. Or to put it another way, that's the price of entering 9, yes nine, fell races - now, I know where I'll be spending my money. Right, enough of the bitching, time for the session.

All the recent attendees were, well, attending. Danny, Bruce and Sean as well as Rick and Bruce's dad of course. We ran with Dave B's group making it a big group - and we took over the track. We ran two 900's followed by three 500's and then three 300's all run with around ninety seconds of recovery - although those at the front might have got a bit more. Oh yeah, and it was cold, very very cold - there were icicles forming on my 'blank'.

I ran well - not great, but then I sure as heck don't expect to - but it's a start that I want to continue. It's the second Wednesday in a row that I've come away feeling positive. That's not to say it was easy - it was far far from the madding easy. I struggled for breath after each of the shorter reps but I managed to recover in time to start the next and my groin - too much information, I know - started to ache.

My splits were satisfactory. 3:20, 3:15 then 1:41, 1:37, 1:37 and 54s, 54s, 52s which meant I managed to run the progressively shorter reps at a progressively quicker pace - back of the net.

Oh, and I've completed day 2, week 2 of the pushups and situps plan - topper.

Long day Tuesday

It's been a mighty long day and I'm pooped. Sadly, I wasn't able to fit in a run. I really need to get myself focused but sometimes things happen and I get into something and the time is gone. So it looks like I have to settle for the track tomorrow.

I'm going to try and stay more focused. Everytime I feel I'm on the way back I get distracted. Me thinks it is time to sit down and make a plan or at least list some key sessions that I need to complete throughout the week. Now is the winter of my discontent and I must, absolutely must, draw my line in the sand from which I start to train wiser. I must work out a way to get motivated and fit things in - oh er mrs. The fate of the world depends on it - Maybe not. I need a coach - or a bus, or even a white van...

Made of the white stuff

What a frosty day - that snowy stuff just keeps on coming. At this rate, I might be walking to work.

Anyway, my legs don't feel quite as bad as I was expecting after the weekends racing - maybe I didn't run quite as hard as I thought I did yesterday. Any feelings I had towards going for a little run, however, were completely wiped out by all that white stuff and since I didn't brave the drive home there's not even the possibility of the treadmill. Still I managed day 1 of week 2 of the hundred push ups and two hundred sit ups plan - that seems to be going well at least.

Am I over the May Hill?

I was a whole 3 minutes and 36 seconds slower than last year - as an excuse you all know I raced yesterday and my quads felt bad before the race so under the circumstances I don't think I can complain. I'm not going to mention that Helen was 10 seconds quicker than my time from last year - bugger, I said I wasn't going to mention that. She was on a double header as well - there's some black magic going on there - either that, or she's just plain good at the moment. She won the women's race after a battle with Cheltenham's Laura Kent to make it two wins in a row. She's on for a hat trick next year - but unlike the world cup, they won't let her keep the trophy in the event she does it.

Now, for the details of my race. I felt I ran pretty well. I went out slowly and built. After about three miles my race position was settled but I slowly picked my through the field ahead. My fell running stood me in good stead for the down hills where I gained maximus placimus. I fair surprised myself across the sticky, muddy sections where I also made good gains - normally I'm crapola through the mud but today I seemed to skim across the surface while those around me sank.

Anyway, by the final climb I was completely b#@$*cksed but limited the damage to a single lost place. Then came the final downhill section of about a mile and a half where upon I overtook three or four runners before eventually reeling in that chap that got past on the hill.

I suspect that my legs may be more than a little sore tomorrow but the weeks training will have been a price worth paying. It's been a fine weekend - and it's just started snowing...