Bagel 17 miles

Bagel 17 miles by britrob at Garmin Connect - Details

Went for a long run on Saturday. I expect the term 'long run' to start meaning different things as I progress through the spring. But 17 miles was
certainly long enough yesterday. Didn't start very well and felt pretty drained after only 3 miles! I stopped and had some water and an early gel pack. This
seemed to spark me in to a bit of action and although the pace was a bit on the slow side, it was steady.

I'm going to try and get some miles done this week with a shorter long run on Saturday. Would be good to get in the region of 35 miles for this week.

Bagel 14 by britrob at Garmin Connect - Details

Bagel 14 by britrob at Garmin Connect - Details

Nearly 18 months since a blog. I decided to blog once again to chart my progress, or otherwise, to my major running goal of 2012. The goal, at least the first goal is to compete and finish in one piece, an Ultra-marathon. An ultra is defined as a race over and above a full marathon distance, so anything over 26.2 miles. The ultra I have entered is the North Face Challenge near Washington DC, USA (http://www2.thenorthface.com/endurancechallenge/races/2011/dc/index.html). Not only is this an ultra, but a trail ultra at that. The race itself is on 4 June so that gives me 3 months to build on my base fitness and stamina. That should be ok, but I need to stay clear of injuries or lay-offs caused by illness, job, holidays, plague etc. To that end, I'm not planning on 'racing' between now and then but planning to gradually increase base mileage incorporating as much trail running as possible. It's going to be tough going, but am excited by the challenge! Yesterday for example, I ran a fairly slow 14 mile route. It's difficult to draw back on the pace and focus on cranking out the miles but yesterday I managed to stick to the goal quite well. I just have to keep saying 'forget the pace, slow is good, slow is good'. Will add the route to the blog if I can remember how! Will keep you informed! Rob

Poorly buttock

Lack of blog = lack of running = niggling injury.

I think I pulled my piriformis playing football a few weeks ago and certainly didn't help it by running up & down Leckhampton Hill with Dave just 24 hours later. The result, predictably, a few weeks off running. It feels like the hamstring in my left leg has shortened and actually makes my hobble when running. I've treated it and stretched it out and have now started some slow, short outings. Still not 100%, but I figure if I take it slowly and gradually build up (imagine that?) then I should/could be on the road to recovery.

Just as well no races planned or booked for. Will spend the next few weeks just gradually building up and getting some miles back.

Possibly go tomorrow, but will leave such decisions to closer to the time to gauge how my buttock is feeling...so to speak.

Stop Thief!

Decided to hit some mile reps tonight rather than a long run. Quite warm for running miles as quickly as possible and given that, not bad times. Reps 1 & 3 were a little downhill and the times probably reflect that (5.43 & 5.52) so reps 2 & 4 a little slower. Weird thing happened though. I took my water belt and left it at the start of the country lane where I had planned to start my reps. I came back after mile 2 and had a drink and then placed the belt and water bottle in the long grass behind a sign. On return from lap 4 the belt and bottle gone! Nowhere to be seen! Now there was nobody around and who would stumble across that and think 'Great I'll have it'. The only thing I can think of was a curious and sweet drink attracted animal dragged it off. There was a small animal track close-by. Rabbit? Fox? either way they are probably high on my honey and fruit juice mixture right about now!

Nottingham Hill

Still got tired, achy legs but that didn't stop a cracking little run. I've done this route a couple of times before and it really is very nice. Nottingham Hill is tough, windy and fairly long but the views from the top back across towards Tewkesbury, The Malverns and over into Wales are worth it. Just over 8 miles, most of it off-road equates to a good morning's workout. Not many other people around despite the glorious conditions. Only one moment of concern when crossing the very final field: cows (or bulls, potentially) but turned out to be the nonplussed, not interested cow variety of bovine. Thankfully.

The week ahead probably consist of a long-ish run Tuesday night, possibly a lunch run on Wed/Thurs and a work run Friday. Weather looks good!

Leckhampton Hill

Ooh me legs felt that! Not too muggy tonight but have had tired, achy legs for a few days and I suspect this will do little to ease the pain. Nice route though. Bit of road to the base of the hill and then onto the tracks up through the woods until it broke out on the bottom of the escarpment. A nice view back across Cheltenham from the very top before dropping back down the hill to the bottom. Just a 4 mile run back to the start from there!

I topped up my mileage last week with a steady lunchtime run. Sometimes it pays to slow things right down and have a nice pleasant run ;)

Past week

It seems much of my recent running has been done in very humid conditions. Last week, in the US, I ran four times and each one finished with me resembling someone who has just got out of the bath fully dressed. The four consisted of a couple of local trail runs (8 & 6 miles), a 5k race (awful awful conditions) and a 7 miler in Patapsco State Park (really muggy, but really good). On return to the UK I thought I'd be prancing around given my 'conditioning' but a run on Tuesday night (see above) clearly demonstrated I was still jet-lagged or have completely lost form. It was hard! 11.5 miles the latter part of which was a shuffling stumble.

Double run today which included a sweat-filled run to work and then a much more pleasant short outing at lunchtime.

Next week is the White Horse 5k which is a very popular club speed session. Not sure what I'll be expecting in terms of time, a sub 18 min would be very nice thank you.

Harriers

A newish route for last Tuesday. Included all the usual requirements such as hills, fields, tracks and roads. A good run but very humid and we all got a bit dehydrated at the very top of the climb (check the route profile - elevation). My legs (buttocks in particular) were quite sore from Sunday's hill session and I paid the price on the long downhill section from Cleeve Hill to Oakley. Ooh that hurt.

A good route though, taking in some of the Cheltenham Circular and Cotswold Way tracks.

On Monday, I'll be running my first 5k for years at:

http://www.striders.net/public/races/remembrance/2010/2010.remembrance.flier.pdf

Results will be at:

http://www.striders.net/races/remembrance/2010

and a sub 18 min run will be a PB...who knows?!?!?

Feeling hot.

I'm the first to admit I neither enjoy or am much good running in hot weather. So, given the temperatures today I figured a double run up/down Bushcombe Lane ought to be sufficiently terrible. Actually, it wasn't too bad. Yes it was hot, yes I sweated profusely but scaling Everest twice isn't that much that doing it once. I thought that a short, hilly run would be much more sensible than a longer flat 'un and I was right. Funnily enough on the descent after climb number 1 I passed a 'runner' walking up the hill and then I passed him during climb number 2 :)

Good run overall, although quite short!

Tuesday Run

Only Ray and myself this week so we decided to have a crack at Stockwell Lane +. The plus being we then continued up on to Cleeve Common and up and over the Hill. So a pretty hard climb which formed only part of the 10.5 mile run. Quite muggy last night and we both dehydrated a little on the final couple of miles. Good run though, a pretty thorough workout! Saw some Alpacas on the way back - not everyone sees those on a Tuesday evening!

Rest of the week looks like a run from work on Thurs and then back in again on Friday, should put the weekly mileage at around 30 - not bad.

Oh deer

I think this is one of my favourite runs around here. It's got pretty much everything; road, a thumping hill, Cleeve Common, downhill, more XC and finally another road section. Half way up Bushcombe Lane as I was staring at my feet, a small deer jumped through the hedge and stood looking at me in the middle of the road. Not sure who was more surprised.

It's quite muggy out there today and it took longer than expected due to a diversion around a field that had some pretty lively horses in it. I've been in that field before and they are the human-eating kind of horses so best avoided.

Legs felt heavy today, not sure the hill helped much!

Now I'm tired

Quite what possessed me to run home across country yesterday I don't quite know but it was hard work. My old friends the bullocks were there to greet me as I entered the first field, thankfully they were in the field next door. But having witnessed them hurdle said fence in the past, I ran on with a hint of trepidation. I think I left them suitably hyper for a lone walker who was coming up behind me. Sorry whoever you are. It was quite a tiring run and I actually nodded off in the living room lying on my back with my legs stretched up on the window sill.

I also ran today which brought my weekly to around 35 miles. That includes a race, a hill run, a cross-country and a laboured road run to work today. Good quality mileage though (apart from today). Nothing much on the horizon now race-wise, will have to see what events are coming up.

Need wine and to bury head under pillow.

Not too tired!

Fresh from the activities of Sunday, the Tuesday night group headed from the Sports Centre to Leckhampton Hill. I seem to forget that it's almost 4 miles to the foot of the hill so quite warmed up by then! The Hill wasn't too bad and the three of us cut across the woodland tracks and dropped back down to Charlton Kings. Then it was a fairly brisk run back home with the final 4 miles at a good pace.

I actually fared quite well considering I had a half-marathon in my legs. Only had one gear though and found it hard to change pace. Managed a healthy sprint finish too :)

Tewkesbury Half Marathon

I stuck to the plan, well sort of. Went out a little quick but reigned it in for the first 5 miles and was smack on the schedule of 6.40 min/mile average. I then increased the pace by about 10 sec/mile but came undone a bit around mile 8 where there was a little incline and a head wind. Miles 9 & 10 were good, 11 a little slow but really pleased to hit 6.20 min/mile for miles 11 & 12. It's a nice feeling to pass other racers that far into a race. Amazingly, my fastest mile was mile 13! Is that right or does it mean I took it too easy in the rest of the race??? Hmmmm. I think I managed to duck inside the top 5% too.

So a PB of 1hr26min53sec and on reflection now, I think I could have gone a little faster. Sounds like a challenge!

Good support out there today too!

Ready?

Interesting running week. Really hard session on Tuesday with the boys including a run from ground zero to the highest point in the Cotswolds. Aggs Hill is one of those climbs that just keeps going and has several points where you think you're there only for it to carry on a bit further. Anyhoo, nearly 10 miles on Tuesday followed by a gentle 6 miler today at lunchtime so about half the weekly mileage as compared to last week. Which sets me up, hopefully, for a good race on Sunday. I'm running ok although I have a feeling a road half marathon is going to tear my already tender toes to pieces :(

Sub 1hr 30 would be good, a PB would be great!

A New World Record

Contact Alastair McWhirter because I broke a world record today. Yep I finally improved my time on the little loop around Cleeve. I didn't really set out to run a fast time, more to put my weekly mileage over the 30 mile mark. But as you can see from the mile splits, I went out quite quick (it's uphill for the first two miles) and then kept on going. Nice conditions for running, mild with a little light rain. So it appears I do have a bit of form and speed in the legs!

Tomorrow I'll be taking my new and improved bike out for a spin around town.

Coasting

Took the opportunity to take in some of the north Cornwall Coastal Footpath this week. On a blowy, raining evening I headed south for 4 miles, turned around and went back. Really good running surface, never ever flat! Most of running surface was dirt track but some very soft sand dunes helped the heart rate a bit. On the return I bumped into two other runners who were turning around after about 2 miles, as they turned around they attempted to join me. The sociable thing would have been to run back to Bude together, but I'm more of a racer than a social runner ;) I think I was about 1/4 mile ahead of them as I crested the final hill.

Good Training

Ventured out today to try a 5/5 training run. That being, 5 miles steady at about 7.10 min/mile pace followed by 5 miles a bit faster, around 6.50 min/mile resulting in an overall pace of 7 min/mile. If I can train like this, then I can race too but with quicker mile pacing. It was not a great start. Humid, full of Indian food from last night, tired and under-motivated the first 4 miles were a struggle. Still, I managed to hit the average times pretty well and after 5 miles I was at about 7.14 average. The change-up in pace was actually quite a relief and a quicker foot turnover felt good. If you look at the mile splits, you'll see I was pretty much smack on the original plan with an overall pace of 7.01 min/mile.

Just need to add another 3 miles and increase the pace now in time for a PB :)

What timing!

I set out today to repeat the Tedington run detailed below with the same strategy in mind. That is, first 5 miles around 7 min/mile pace followed by 2 miles at about 20 secs/mile quicker. After 5 miles, my average pace was 7.04 min/mile, so pretty good pacing myself and the following two miles were 7.42 and 7.33 min/mile so again, right on the money. As a template session for my next half marathon, it was almost perfect. The weird thing, it was, to the very second, the same time as I ran it a week or so ago! 49 min 45 sec.

I reckon today was a bit harder though as it was much warmer and I had a pretty tough session on Tuesday so very pleased with the time.

Tough Little Run!

Was late for the Harriers run tonight so I ran from home and intersected them! A tough run tonight, exactly 10 miles and much of it was off-road and included a steep climb up Stockwell Lane. Given those two factors, the average time was pretty darn good. Take out the hill and off-road sections and that would have been a fast 10 miler. Unfortunately I must have been miles away as I missed the signal to hit the accelerator and the guys blasted off without me at the 5 mile point. I managed to get back with them with 2 x 6.20 min something miles. Have sore calf muscles tonight, not sure it that is due to a short run yesterday or some garden digging I did ;) Either way, could do with putting my feet up and a massage.

Rice Crispies await.