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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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Take it easy Bus. What are those shoes by the way, do they stand up well on ice?
Having ruined my studs at the race the other week, I had to do today's 6miler in road shoes. Fine on the roads, bit dodgier on pavements. Doesn't promise good things for trying to run round Slough tomorrow if it ices up!
All such a thrill when the snow first comes, it's that dreadfully painstaking long disappearing act that cheese you off. Hope it's all gone, or doesn't come back by the boxing day Aylesbury 5k, that's a great little race, but wouldn't dare if anything like today.
Simon, fair does for getting a race in!
Most likely this week will be a "any old iron" mileage week, with no quality, and have to look to build up for some races in Jan again.
I noticed the forecast had it being as low as minus 10 last night round my way but it was a balmy -5 when I was driving to the park to do my session. Thought better of wearing my hat as I didn't fancy carrying it it round when I'd warmed up and also put my usual short shorts on. My legs were fine but for the first 20 minutes my ears were absolutely frozen!
Wrapped up a bit more for an easy 5 down the canal earlier. Pretty much all covered in crisp, compacted snow.
Matt , first run I can remember doing in years with a hoody on today! Hood over my head for about 3miles too, before It felt time to take it down.
Might reprise the dreadful multiple laps round a 1/4mile park tomorrow! Better than nothing!
Should be BBLSR then Reg -Baltic Brithday Long Slow run. It won't be slow though ;-)
SG - Yesterday I used my fell shoes, but as there was going to be ice today I wore my old Inov 8 Oroc 340s. They have tungsten carbide tips set in the rubber studs and are very good on ice and snow. I've only worn them about four times since 2007! They are very good now that I've learnt to lace them loosely, but they used to kill my feet. Ironically I tried to sell them last week, but nobody wanted them and they certainly earned their cost tonight! Inov 8 have some new versions - the Arctic Claw 300 and 275, which look much improved as they are basically an X-Claw with multiple metal dobs. The x-claw itself is a great shoe if you want to replace your failed Walsh. Oustanding off road grip, light weight and comfortable. Not sure how long they will last, but I doubt the sole will delaminate! All three can be had on sale from Sportshoes at the mo - I'm tempted to get some Arctic claw 300s!
https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/09/graphene-running-shoes-will-hit-the-market-next-year/
Don't tell Scott but that 10% off code I posted recently seems to still be working on sportsshoes.
ML: was at the Burnley game on Saturday, courtesy of my Watford supporting hospitable friends at Puma. Wish I'd not gone: now got yet another chest infection and on third lot of antibiotics since November 4th. And Achilles still isn't right!
Graphene looks exciting, but I reckon they'd be better off using it in the uppers if it is so damn strong and resillient! I'm yet to have a pair of Inov-8s have to be binned because the studs have worn out, but I've thrown plenty away where the uppers have fallen apart, especially those that are constantly wet!
Sounds like you are having a rough time Aley - hope it all clears up pronto.
I've had the same problem with inov8s Bus. Always the uppers that bust.
regards trains, when I was working in Zurich, a swiss colleague said if you get to the station and your watch says 7.01 and the train was to leave at 7.02 and it has already gone. then your watch must be wrong.
He was right. the trains were perfect. and oddly double decker.
Anyway, trust it went ok!
Slough pavements surprisingly good, especially the 2miles round work. Little dodgier a mile further out, but pleased to get a 6miler in.
4 at lunch to come.
Madly the club are still doing their efforts, albeit a different place. Can't see that as being very sensible, so will opt out.
There's getting a decent day's mileage in, and then there's pushing your luck
I made it out into the Chilterns and did a hilly 13.5 miles with 2000ft of climbing. It was, as Bus says, very hard work. If it wasn't the ice it was the snow and some of the steep descents were very icy. Having said that it was great fun to be out in the fresh air and I even made a few fresh marks in the snow, one massive field was completely covered and untouched.
I only slipped once and managed to stay on my feet, just. I didn't fancy landing on what was very hard and icy ground.
It was actually my slowest ever solo run at 9:14 pace but I was ice skating down some of the hills.
Back to trying a decent distance today for the first time in a few weeks; managed 11.5k around Windsor Great Park lunchtime that came out sub 4'30 k pace despite me trying to run slow, so that's ok I suppose The off road trail bits were far better conditions than the somewhat icy tarmac parts. Left calf (the one I injured) felt much better but starting to get some pain from the other calf now; hope that doesn't amount to anything much.
this in, showing the thread race winner and me in the background, being hunted down by Ben P
The INOV-8 GRAPHENE is incredible and it's going to be really interesting how other brands start to use other materials going forward. Seen a lot with boost / energise etc and how much better that is. Will be more aggressive than the Mudclaw
Losing track of the thread again as I have been very busy. Unfortunately Lucas stopped breathing a week ago Sunday and was taken into hospital very blue and unwell. I had only just stepped in the door from work. Luckily he sorted himself out with help of oxygen for a few days, SATs we're in the 70s and spent another week in hospital getting better, silly bugger had bronchiolitis and was literally suffocating himself on his full belly from a feed and not being able to breathe normally plus tiny lungs. No good for running then! We had to stay with him 24/7 so rotated and slept there and was back and forth from work which has been crazy
Black Friday saw 500 + pairs for us and I've just not been running still so dipping in and out of being interested on top of that my hip is still not being pain or ache free. I went out today for 3 miles which is my first run in two weeks again I think, put on over 10kg for the year now and extremely unfit . The run into Christmas is busy and we have more exciting things happening with the shops too so looking good for 2018
It looks like everyone is running pretty well which is great to see! Excited to see the end of year reports soon
Nice photo Simon - still not sure about those arm-warmers of D's though
Pete - good to hear you are back on it. Sounds a tasty pace for post injury on ice! If I had a head cam, it would only reveal just how dull my runs really are :-)
Reg - that's a good run in the snow and a very respectable pace. I struggled to hit 10 min miling yesterday!
Dachs - with those black gloves and black arm warmers you look like you could be an elegant lady out of Agatha Christie books.
How did you two rate the difficulty of that course? ...a few leaves are visible. a faint hint of mud. Was the grass that sticky grass?
no more drama scott - hope the kid has better luck than you with health related issues
Dean - I liked the course. In a way, I actually enjoyed the race. The bit around the playing field featuring in the photo was pretty firm, but around half of the course was up into the woods, which was much hillier and muddier, but I enjoyed the variability of it. I've run a variant of this course which is much harder, i.e. you go up the full extent of the hill twice and only do a minimal bit on the playing field, which I didn't like, although that's partly cos I was running awfully at the time.
Arm warmers - yes, someone had to reveal it for SG's benefit. I know he loves them. In my defence, it was fucking cold.
OK, you'll want a report then.
Was only drafted into this one relatively late in the day, but I had a window and we had two thirds of a team, so it made sense. Checking out the competition on the start line, there were two that I knew were a class apart, but not sure about the rest. As we start, those two go off the front, and a loose chasing pack forms including Mr Coombes, our second claimer Ben, Alex from the Hampshire League who's been beating me this season, a guy I recognise from the Yateley races and one or two others. I'm running in around 4th/5th, but there's a bot of chopping and changing on the first lap.
By the start of the second lap the places seem pretty set. I'm in 6th, Alex is just ahead, and ahead of him are two I don't recognise. I seem to gain ground on the uphills, and unusually for me, not lose too much on the downhills, but try as I might, I can't eliminate the gap ahead, and frankly I'm more worried about the puffing and panting behind. I mean, hearing heavy breathing behind you in the woods is never a good sign at the best of times.
I have been told it's 3 laps, but as we come towards the close of lap 2 and the watch is on about 29 minutes, that doesn't seem likely, so decide to make a last effort and hope that's it. I am briefly buoyed by seeing Alex ahead fall over on a perfectly flat bit of ground, but unfortunately he's able to get up quickly, and it's looking like too much to make up. Someone's gaining on me though, so put in a big effort for the last 400m or so and manage to hold him off for 6th in 31:07, and he is followed in quick succession by the two HHH vests of Ben and Simon. I quite like the closeness of the results though, it makes it look like I won out in a big sprint finish, which I didn't.
Generally relatively happy with the performance, I'm still not in good form, but it's definitely movement in the right direction - closer to Alex than I've been in the Hants League, and ahead of a couple who beat me in the British & Irish Masters.
Unfortunately, our third counter had a hamstring issue, and was way down on his recent form, meaning that yet again the team was 4th. 4th is becoming deeply irritating now!
I reckon a football linesman would be pretty happy running along that XC course.
I think I have a skewed view of what XC should be like. I like to see technical sections, hills, mud or preferably all three. However maybe that's more fell running. I watched the Europeans/Kenyan reject championships at the weekend and it was basically just a road race on grass with a couple of fake ramps and a water jump that my two year old daughter could have run over with out getting wet. I assume they are mainly like this because it makes it better for spectators and TV companies to watch but it doesn't do it for me.
great work dachs. and some thread pride back for you after the derry. recent results nicely shared between you.
have to be honest that photo is my ideal xc course. looks perfect to me!
Scotty - phew! More drama to deal with eh!
Reg - Regarding the xc course - most agree that the course is a really good course as the grass bit is firm, but the land between that and the hilly woods is your tufty grass type stuff. It's a good mix that I think you'd appreciate and even that track runner Dean would too
. I mean the quagmire courses are a joke. Yes you need a bit of mud - but it is supposed to be a 'race' after all - you do need to be able to run.
Like Dachs, don't think I was 100% there, but that's because I tend to 'waver' form wise in xc through the season generally rather than 'build' form. I went out and did a hill session at Primrose Hill yesterday - I haven't done a hill session for weeks, which I think will have a negative effect on my xc form. I've beaten the Thames guy in the photo comfortably this xc season so far in the Surrey League races, although of course his circumstances could have changed too.
Funny old game eh..
I did say the bit around the playing field was nice and firm! The photo incidentally is from right in front of the finish line, and I suspect most XC courses look OK at the finish line. Even Parliament Hill. The other half of the course, up in the woods, had mud and hills for those that enjoy that sort of thing.
I suppose the problem with televised XC is the difficulty of being able to constantly film it. You need somewhere an off-road camera vehicle can drive alongside the course all the way. Having said that, they manage it OK at the Edinburgh XC, which is a bit more varied. I seem to remember a pretty good looking snowy, hilly Euro XC course in (I think) Bulgaria a few years ago.
Feeling pressured for a report, I didn't read back.
Firstly, that must have been terrifying Scott, and I really hope this is a one-off. Very glad to hear he's doing better now. Your life never seems to hit a smooth patch!
Reg, happy belated birthday. May your times continue to reduce in step with your hairline.
Well done on the binge drinking Matt.
Sounds like some good snowy runs all. I got up at 6:30 on Sunday to do an 18, looked out the window, saw horizontal rain, and thought 'fuck it'. An hour later, I looked out the window and it was covered in snow, and I'd missed my opportunity.
Good work that Dachs. Ever thought of getting yourself a long sleeved thermal? ;-) Could have been worse Sunday - you might have got 9 miles away and then got stuck in the snow!
Drones are the way forward for filming off-road running. I saw some drone footage of the Latrigg fell race and it was awesome!
It's been bloody horrible weather here all day - cold wind and pissing it down - but of course the sun is coming out now its about to get dark! Not sure I can be arsed though, as it's either risk the roads in the dark or traipse through slush! I like running in proper snow, but not slush so much - times like this it would be handy to have a treadmill....
bus - I have my own treadmill at home, with big screen set up and pumping out films/music. its great to have the alternative if short on time or the weather doesn't allow the session you want. snow made a fast session impossible on Saturday so I did a 5k time trial in the comfort of my home. whilst I admit its not the same as running outside, I can run faster on a treadmill than I can on road, its a damn sight better than trying it on snow!! Treat yourself this xmas for one...
I used to think its better to build strength by running in the snow, even if the pace dropped, like in Rocky 4. but the reality for me was snow running hurt my Achilles so I try to avoid now.
Still, I do get to roll around on my Swiss ball in front of the telly, swigging a bottle of beer every now and again!
Training has been a bit patchy due to an outing to some place where Albatrosses fly about. I managed some great pics of those. I'll try to post one. (picture, not the bird).
There's also a local beach where penguins come ashore at dusk to feed their young. They hate noise and camera flashguns going off, but in order to extract money from tourists who insist on photo-bombing the poor little sods with their phones, those who run the site simply set up a set of massive flood lights.
Penguins aren't that daft. They simply bypassed the arena and reached their nests via a different route past me in the dark. Cost nothing too.
Started the day with a run followed by a bike ride. The lad jogs along with me, until he gets bores and takes off. Still looks as if he's jogging when I feel like I'm sprinting.
Sounds nice out there NZ.
Dean - I think Rocky 4 is the only film I've seen first day of release. What's the track when he's doing all the log training 'Hearts on Fire'? I love going on treddies in posh hotel gyms. Best was the one in the Venetian, Vegas, on my honeymoon (yes..I know). Making a right racket for 45 mins!
Walked to work today, work do tonight then the 'South of Thames Senior' 7.5 miles xc tomorrow over at Aldershot near the old road relays venue. Stick to 4/5 pints and I should be OK. Ben P is running I think, so I'm doing to stay behind the bugger then..POUNCE