Monday 29 January 2007

w/c 22nd Jan - A good training week

w/c 22nd January 2007
A good training week this week, plenty of running, although perhaps could use a little more speedwork to keep me sharp...
Monday - 5.5 steady, felt heavy legged after excellent run on the Carneddau the day before
Tuesday - 7, 3*hill loops at a fast pace at uppoer Burwardsley with the group. Felt fast one i warmed up and was quick during the reps, one of the quickest in the group, esp on the hilly bits.
Weds - 7, with Alison at Wrexham Ind Estate, 7.20 pace, felt very comfortable
Thurs - had a rest
Fri - BGR leg 2 with Paul Miller. 15M/5500' Cloud to 2000', plenty of snow and not the quickest conditions. Ran the leg very easily and 9 mins inside the 23 hours schedule at a real canter. Felt like i could have gone much quicker. Lost a little time on Fairfield, probably due to slow slope off Dollywaggon (couldn't run any of it, very slipperly snow).
Went a bit daft for a few mins off Nethermost Pike summit!
http://www.mania4mountains.nildram.co.uk/BGR/Nethermost.doc
Could have also decended a bit better off Seat Sandal, although we were quick. Lesson is to go onto the wets cairn and decend from there on a straight line down the nose of the ridge.
http://www.mania4mountains.nildram.co.uk/BGR/Seat%20Sandal.doc
Foodwise - choc coated sesame snacks good, as were mini Go-Natural bars. Rocky bars also marvellous.
Time vs schedule - http://www.mania4mountains.nildram.co.uk/BGR/BGR%20Sec2.htm (c/o Paul Miller)

Sat - 4M Bought new fell shoes in Newcastle (Rocklite 285s) and did short trail run in Holywell Dene.
Sun - 15M with Alison, slow on the roads. Felt a bit sluggish but ended with a decent pace.
Total - 54miles, 6000' ascent all in

Sunday 21 January 2007

w/c Jan 15th 2007 Time to start training.

Having decided to do the BGR back in September, i went and got injured. Now i'm back and fit and will start updating this thing...
Had a good training week this week:
Mon - 6M brisk pace, hilly road course
Tues - Day off, had some physio.
Weds - 6M easy pace - let the physio settle in
Thurs - 7M - hill reps at Running Club - felt strong and at head of the group
Fri - 4M - steady lunchtime run at work - very busy so glad to get out
Sat - Cross Country race - Wrexham 5.5M. 3rd in for the club, ran pretty well and beat folks from other clubs that have beaten me in the recent past. Didn't run at full throttle as wanted to save something for tomorrow. Boring flat and not very muddy course.
Sun - 16M, 5200 feet of climbing, 4hrs 10mins. Very wintry run on the Carneddau. Aber-Moel Winion-Drosgl-descent and climb to Yr Elen-Carnedd Llewellyn-Foel Grach-Carnedd Uchaf-Foel Fras-Drum-Yr Orsedd peaks and back to Aber.
Bloody snowy, haily (?) and windy above 3000' - ice and snow everywhere, white out for a time relying on compass work. Good to get a real tough day in the hills under my belt which was more than a test of fitness - i.e. also a test of mountaincraft. I didn;t put a foot wrong all day - made some good decisions and ran well. It was blowing at 90mph plus and minus 15 windchill on top! Also got pinned down for 15 mins by a vicious hailstorm which pinged my legs something rotten.
Foodwise - i didn't eat much, but ate some butter flapjack. It does perk you up, but it's 'bitty' and bits try and work their way into your lungs! Much coughing follows when trying to eat it whilst slogging up a big climb! Had a 'Rocky' bar in the Foel Grach shelter - yum! Will try dried fruit next time... It's important to get food choices sorted for the day itself. Must try and eat more (easier when you have support and people to pass things to you - didn;t really want to stop today).
Feel satisfied that after some physio, which slowed me up for 2 or 3 days, i'm running well and feeling good. Today was about what Richard Asquith referred to as 'fell hardness' as well as physical trainng, and i feel that a solo day on the tops at a good pace in those conditions augers well.
Week summary:
45 miles. Probably about 6000' climbing. 1 Physio session.