The 1st part for the week was spent in London, so options for hill climb are limited but we tried something new -> running on the flat!
Monday : in London
Tuesday : 1 lap of Kensington Park (5 miles). 3 pints the previous night at "Westminster Skeptics in a pub" made this a non trivial exercise.
Wednesday : 1 lap of Kensington Park (5 miles). Much easier than previous day
Thursday : still in London. Too late traveling home to do my usual Blorange route
Friday : 3000ft of bus stop to hill fort with a fast rep of 13 minutes 30. The other 3 were around 16 mins.
Saturaday : 4500ft of 2 reps of a circuit between Pendam and Ponterwyd. Each rep had 6 hills and was just over 2000ft and 5 miles. 1 rep in the light and 1 in the dark with a break at the car for tea and wholemeal fruit bread. 1.20 1st rep and 1.28 for the 2nd. Took it gentle and kept the heart rate about 140.
Sunday : Managed 500ft and a few miles between walking dog and walking children, but this really was a cop out. I just did not feel like running, maybe the 7500ft in the previous 2 days allowed a crack to develop in my resolve.
I have some big plans for next week including the Wye Valley Ultra (30 miles), tuesday in the Lakes doing some bit of the BGR and an evening(ok, this time of year, night) Skiddaw hike if I can get away from Edinburgh early enough on Thursday night. So a rather pathetic 8000ft might not be a bad thing in the wider context.
February 28, 2010
February 22, 2010
Does feet of climb with weapons count?
Had a really fun day out on the Glyders on Saturday with my old friend Mike (from diving days) but we have got reaquainted through having small people of similar age. Saturday was a great day out where the aim of the day was to be exciting without being scary. 65% ice on a gully on the north side of Glyder Fawr provided that with 2 axes being required on the gully. Some soft snow and some really good ice where you got cracking placements. Falling off would not have been an option, but it was good that we were both of a similar level of mountaineering ability and commitment tampered with the thought of how painful a ballocking we would have got from our respective wives if we died.
Other bit of running news continued from last week was from Coach Jon and indeed it seems I have improved according to the treadmill, except in 1 respect. I have got slower in terms of max speed, so from a not very fast base I am even slower and can now bearly outrun my 4 year old, but I can run for a lot longer. Over the 6 months since the last test
Other bit of running news continued from last week was from Coach Jon and indeed it seems I have improved according to the treadmill, except in 1 respect. I have got slower in terms of max speed, so from a not very fast base I am even slower and can now bearly outrun my 4 year old, but I can run for a lot longer. Over the 6 months since the last test
Maximum speed has moved from 18kmph to 16kmph
Middle threshold (V02 max I think) has moved from 12kmph to 13kmph at 160
beats per minute.
Lower threshold (boundary between where the body burns fat and glycogen)
has moved from 8kmph to 10kmph at 141 beats per minute
Training advice is to do long runs at 141 beats per minute and shorter more intense sessions at around 160 beats per minute which is pretty much what we have been doing. Do need more long days out of 4 hours plus.
Monday : Blorange 1500ft
Tuesday : Rest
Wednesday : 3000ft hill fort to bus stop
Thursday : In London
Friday : 1000ft hill sprints.
Saturday : 3500ft, part of which was a grade 2 ice climb up a gully on the north side of Glyder Fawr.
Sunday : 1500ft of random reps
so just about managed the target for climb. A little lacking on distence.
February 14, 2010
1st long day out
Too much travel with work to do all things. Long days traveling rarely yield a body and mind which would benefit from late evening training.
Monday : rest and working in Bradford
Tuesday : working in Birmingham, managed 5 miles and 500ft along Cwm Enion on the way home
Wednesday : Ramp test with Coach Jon on the tread mill
Thursday : working in London
Friday : 3 mile warm up and 10 x 80ft hill reps, so about 500ft
Saturday : Ogwen Horseshoe starting from Capel Curig, over the Glyders to Y Garn, Idwal Cottage for a butty and tea, 3 Carnedd's and along the ridge back to Capel. 21 miles and 8000ft.
A great day out, but some slow as a lot of care was required as some sections had ice (going down Idwal for example). Dog still had the same spring in her step at the end of the run, really annoying. She could at least fake looking cream-crackered to make me feel better.
No pictures as camera broke which might be something to do while small girl's comment that she dropped it at the Long Mynd Valleys race when Brother was meant to be looking after both children and Camera. I should have issued specific instructions to keep the 2 apart.
View Ogwen Horseshoe in a larger map
So at least 9,000ft and one long day out. Doing the ramp test meant not getting the 10k of ascent in, but that was a conscious decision and it is well worth knowing the training thresholds.
Next week I think I am going to make it a climb focused week.
Monday : rest and working in Bradford
Tuesday : working in Birmingham, managed 5 miles and 500ft along Cwm Enion on the way home
Wednesday : Ramp test with Coach Jon on the tread mill
Thursday : working in London
Friday : 3 mile warm up and 10 x 80ft hill reps, so about 500ft
Saturday : Ogwen Horseshoe starting from Capel Curig, over the Glyders to Y Garn, Idwal Cottage for a butty and tea, 3 Carnedd's and along the ridge back to Capel. 21 miles and 8000ft.
A great day out, but some slow as a lot of care was required as some sections had ice (going down Idwal for example). Dog still had the same spring in her step at the end of the run, really annoying. She could at least fake looking cream-crackered to make me feel better.
No pictures as camera broke which might be something to do while small girl's comment that she dropped it at the Long Mynd Valleys race when Brother was meant to be looking after both children and Camera. I should have issued specific instructions to keep the 2 apart.
View Ogwen Horseshoe in a larger map
So at least 9,000ft and one long day out. Doing the ramp test meant not getting the 10k of ascent in, but that was a conscious decision and it is well worth knowing the training thresholds.
Next week I think I am going to make it a climb focused week.
February 12, 2010
Long Mynd Valleys race according to Garmin
Interesting elevation profile with the 1st 8 miles being more hilly than I remember.
February 10, 2010
Joss
I first heard the name Joss Naylor about 18 years ago when walking with a friend in Snowdonia and discussing the 14 peaks record. Feet in the Clouds set out his place in fell running legend very clearly, but you did not get to know much about the man. When I took up fell running again 18 months ago, the name also kept cropping up as holding various records for races.
Joss by Keith Richardson describes more of the man and the place he lived and work. It is a month since I read it now and I can remember more about the sheep and dog discussions than about the running. It gives a insight into life in Wasdale as a sheep farmer and less direct insight into the runner, but perhaps that is the point. Joss as a hard case was a product of both environment and genetics.
It is a beautiful book and reminds you there is more to running than just running.
Joss by Keith Richardson describes more of the man and the place he lived and work. It is a month since I read it now and I can remember more about the sheep and dog discussions than about the running. It gives a insight into life in Wasdale as a sheep farmer and less direct insight into the runner, but perhaps that is the point. Joss as a hard case was a product of both environment and genetics.
It is a beautiful book and reminds you there is more to running than just running.
February 7, 2010
Long Mynd Valleys race and week round up
The early part of the week, I was away and the later part of the week I was resting for the Long Mynd Valleys race, but still managed 8,500ft of climb.
Monday : rest
Tuesday : 2000ft hill fort to bus stop reps
wednesday : away with work
Thursday : away with work
Friday : 2000ft hill fort to bus stop reps
Saturday : rest
Sunday : Long Mynd Valleys race 12 miles, 4,500ft
This is a good race for me in terms of location as it is 1/2 way between where I live and where my brother lives. Uncle and auntie get to see the small people, I get a race in and mum gets some quiet time. A win all round.
Conditions were misty on the top, but it did not cause a navigation problem. Still easier to route find than 10 days previous when I ran it at night.
I was really please with a time of 2:24:53 and 91st overall. A little better than 1/2 way down the field and about 1/2 way down the class which for those of us lacking in ability is quite pleasing. Conditions were a bit faster than last year, so the 12 minute improvement was not just down to getting fitter, but I think most of it was. One of my tests was did numerous people pass me on the last 2 hills as occurred last year? Nope. I made a few places on each of the last 2 hills and did not back off in effort terms at all.
So to have managed under 2.20 what would I have needed to do? I probably lost at least 2 minutes by falling over going along the relatively flat (hence fast) before the last hill. This resulted in a bang on the knee, 4 small holes in knees, elbow and hand which leaked some claret, a strange pinch mark on my stomach which makes no sense at all and a painful shoulder. One of the really nice things is that each person who saw it happen made sure to ask if I was OK as I was winding myself back up again to run. One kind chap even commented that he did not expect me to get up from the fall, let alone run. Only took a couple of seconds loss of concentration as I started to think about the last ascent and I was over. I am no shrinking violet when it comes to descending. Each of the down hill sections I would pass between 5 and 10 runners (some of which would pass me on the next hill, but on aggregate it was good for gaining places). For this fall, I was probably lucky not to get hurt seriously.
So 10,000ft a weeks seems to be working. I might be a little faster on the fast section than last year, but the hills were faster and I felt I passed more people on the steep downhill sections than last year. Given I am not training specifically for this type of even, I was really pleased with the outcome. I also recovered much faster than last year at the finish.
Monday : rest
Tuesday : 2000ft hill fort to bus stop reps
wednesday : away with work
Thursday : away with work
Friday : 2000ft hill fort to bus stop reps
Saturday : rest
Sunday : Long Mynd Valleys race 12 miles, 4,500ft
This is a good race for me in terms of location as it is 1/2 way between where I live and where my brother lives. Uncle and auntie get to see the small people, I get a race in and mum gets some quiet time. A win all round.
Conditions were misty on the top, but it did not cause a navigation problem. Still easier to route find than 10 days previous when I ran it at night.
I was really please with a time of 2:24:53 and 91st overall. A little better than 1/2 way down the field and about 1/2 way down the class which for those of us lacking in ability is quite pleasing. Conditions were a bit faster than last year, so the 12 minute improvement was not just down to getting fitter, but I think most of it was. One of my tests was did numerous people pass me on the last 2 hills as occurred last year? Nope. I made a few places on each of the last 2 hills and did not back off in effort terms at all.
So to have managed under 2.20 what would I have needed to do? I probably lost at least 2 minutes by falling over going along the relatively flat (hence fast) before the last hill. This resulted in a bang on the knee, 4 small holes in knees, elbow and hand which leaked some claret, a strange pinch mark on my stomach which makes no sense at all and a painful shoulder. One of the really nice things is that each person who saw it happen made sure to ask if I was OK as I was winding myself back up again to run. One kind chap even commented that he did not expect me to get up from the fall, let alone run. Only took a couple of seconds loss of concentration as I started to think about the last ascent and I was over. I am no shrinking violet when it comes to descending. Each of the down hill sections I would pass between 5 and 10 runners (some of which would pass me on the next hill, but on aggregate it was good for gaining places). For this fall, I was probably lucky not to get hurt seriously.
So 10,000ft a weeks seems to be working. I might be a little faster on the fast section than last year, but the hills were faster and I felt I passed more people on the steep downhill sections than last year. Given I am not training specifically for this type of even, I was really pleased with the outcome. I also recovered much faster than last year at the finish.
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