Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Moraghan Training - Stevie G
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
MH, good bit of training there.
Jools - for some reason I think you'd have loved it today
Do you think perhaps you were under-hydrated from the wedding and driving the night before? Glad to see you made it sub-80, I think the next logical race is to better it in another HM with hopefully better weather!
Jools, unfortunately it's not really a race I'm that interested in running... Although I get a lot of hills in day-to-day, I don't particularly want to rinse myself on a race that's purposefully as hilly as can be
Are you down in the Looe area then? Presumably for half term? There's some lovely bits of coast path around there.
Good training Jools and MH.
I knew Wokey wasn't on the cards for me today but I had a pass to get out so thought I'd try a warm up to see, just in case. Yesterday I did a hard indoor bike for over 2 hours to sabotage any ambition to race today, also cycled to Wokingham and then jogged to the start from my sisters arriving about 5 minutes before the start.
The calf was a bit sore just jogging over at 8m/mi pace so I decided I'd start the race as my sister lives just off the 1 mile point. I didn't even make it that far though and was walking from 1km, with it being so tightly packed it was difficult not to get in the way. I think people were slightly confused why I was carrying on when the obvious move would be to head back to the start if injured.
Anyway had a cup of tea and a chat with my sister then mixed cycling home with a bit of spectating and socialising. The was about 1:35 fishers onwards by the time I got back out so didn't see any of the pros on here though.
It's given me a bit of motivation to get back fit though even though it's probably set my recovery back a day or two.
That's an insane double! What's the thinking between huge length both days? Are you also doing a massive ultra soon!!
I did look at a few Strava traces and saw Bus had a couple of slow ones towards the end but assumed the spike in the pace trace was just a spike and not a premature puke (Bus normally pukes at the finish).
I can't say I missed it. Yes, it is nice to have a bit of a road trip with Bus and SG but I probably left home at the same time and my 13 miles were done by 10am just as Wokingham started and I was home and showered and eating sausage and egg by 10:30. I guess it was good that it went ahead: there have been so many cancellations recently due to bad weather (and that is a bit of a farce: I ran through Ciara and Dennis and neither caused me to even think where they would be in my top 10 worst weather runs but nowadays if someone says "health and safety" then nobody has got the balls to say "yes, it is a bit wet and windy, what do you expect in February?" and so things get cancelled. Now we have marathons being cancelled due to viruses and it won't be long before we get other factors cancelling races such as air quality, pollen, alignment of the planets ...)
My 20 inc 12mp was scuppered saturday by the gales, and i was kind of interested in doing an ultra style back to back double, felt ok running sunday so just kept going. Might do it again 4 or 5 weeks before vlm.
Agree though Bus. A few Parkrun organisers fancied a lie in last weekend I feel.
Great reports chaps - the dreaded wind eh. Although after my race I'm sure you'll excuse my sniggers about 'toughing it out' on a road half marathon with a bit of wind. Wind? You were LUCKY
So - The National XC. Got a lift us with the missus via Bedford to pick her mate up. Big queue in, but there about 12.30. Watched a few of the other races, legs looking muddy, but I was hoping for 'wet mud' rather than 'sticky'. I was wrong sadly.
The wife said it was horrific. Anyway, 3pm arrived and our laps were extra small, medium, large and extra large.
Extra small was basically just up from the start and back round again. Didn't feel too bad at that point, the medium lap was done ok and I was trying to keep up with Ben Reynolds of THH as I know he's OK in the mud. Started the large lap and there's a log in a particularly muddy bit of the course. So being tired I caught the top of it with my spike and face planted in the mud. After a bit of a joke with the spectators I got on my way again. But then I was probably in 300-350th or so. Was starting to get properly tired, but it's the last lap so I thought I'd try and pick a few off. But then I started to feel my guts so I had to stop for a dump in the top corner.
So lost a few more places and then got a stitch after I started again! Anyway, finally trailed in 429th. Would have probably ended up 300th or so without the disasters. Really tough race, don't think i'll do them again if the winter is really wet, probably focus on the league races and the Southern masters at Oxford.
Good night out in Nottingham after, and took a few on a run around my old stomping grounds and my old house Sunday morning, which was nice. Indoors next week - thank f**k!
Some old boys doing their 'Mud Zombie' impression
And where's the picture of the faceplant Simon?
Nice story btw, congrats on getting round at all with all that going on!!
"Grateful Dead fans proceed to the Pyramid Stage to watch their idols at the wettest ever Glasto."
It's the kinda terrain Bear Grylls offers survival tips on!
- Over half the posts were by SG
- SC is now on strava and hoovering up segments left, right and centre
- Reg is doing more triathlon based training, which has got me worried
- The weather back here in the UK hasn't been warm and sunny
Great racing those at Wokingham. I actually missed not being there but I was fresh off the plane and at a mates 30th, and got 'Big Half' this sunday.
Sorry to see it didn't work out quite as planned for Pete and Bus. You should be happy with that SG. Reg - rest up, plenty more races to be run.
Simon - couple of decent XC turnouts including the national. Mud looked horrific and possibly even worse than the Southerns last month at Parliament Hill?
TR - bonkers double weekend, you're really cranking out the training right now.
Holiday was spectacular and of course there was plenty of running and activity happening.
On the first Saturday we did Zandvlei parkrun, ticking off the final letter of the alphabet and confirming my status as a parkrun loser. Temps were around 25 degrees on a mixed terrain course with a bit of everything - paths, grass, sand. My time of 19:10 was the fastest ever 5th place finish by miles (would win most weeks) - typical me. Couple of African kids at the front - I went through the first km in 3:30 and they were out of sight!!
Second Saturday was the tongue-twisting Outeniquasbosch parkrun, on an animal reserve. I had no idea it had over 450ft of climbing, and as a result, was probably the hardest one I've ever done. 19:52 was a flat out effort but managed to come away first finisher. Not wise because..
The following day we had the Cape Peninsula half marathon. After nearly 2 weeks of eating crap and drinking beer, as well as hiking over 100 miles whilst we were out there probably should've been good warning sign that it could be a struggle, combined with again 25 degree + temps.
After repeatedly telling myself not to go out like a lunatic, for some reason (obviously), I did exactly that. First mile in 5:40 and 5km in 18:10 but completely cooked. When fit and good conditions this could be sustainable but even before 10km it was an utter detonation and from there just a survival slog all the way home.
Last couple of miles were circa 7 mins and ended with a 1:25 - not my finest effort. Really good fun though and a great atmosphere - lucky to be able to experience an overseas race.
All that comes secondary to the fact that I asked Katie to marry me, and quite surprisingly, she said yes!
1. There is a threadster more of a parkrun loser than me!
2. You were also daft enough to run a hard parkrun the day before a hard HM
3. Your pacing was as crap as mine and Bus', and also led to a time 1'25+
On a more serious note great news about you and Katie
Good to hear from you Moraghan. I don't know the history but you seem to be a training legend, so will be great to have you on board.
I'm more excited than I should actually admit to!
Have never quite recreated your skill of progressing sessions over weeks and peaking, but have always kept to your general template.
I've tried to cover off all bases of flexibility of doing more stuff, but still trying to turn out well!
Welcome back to the Moraghan, hope the PF isn't serious. You appear to be like Obi Wan Kenobi to SGs Skywalker.
That mud looks fun, I'd enjoy that.
Calf appears to be recovering ok, I reckon about a week more and I'll start a few gentle runs. Meanwhile I've taken up press-ups to give me something else to challenge myself. Target is 100. Started about 10-15 now on 30ish but it's slow progress. Saw some dude broke the plank world record - over 8 hours, and I thought some of you lot were mental!
Glad to hear the calf is recovering Reg. I can do a hundred press-ups so should be no problem for you in a week or two
No running for me the past two days - for some reason just aint got the legs or the mojo! Hoping to run tomorrow but the weather and underfoot conditions aren't doing much for the motivation!
Welcome back Moraghan!
Bus, I followed the classic Moraghan post big race recovery plan... 2x3mile recovery Monday, and enjoyed a lovely day off today!
Days are rushing by at the moment...this job has the tendency to have calls scheduled for an hour, and then you're still there 3-4 hours in
A big reason why morning is the best time to get the main run in!
I ran this morning without too many issues. My mind just wants to me to be fit though and I’m not. There’s some tension coming over the weeks to come!
It was an MP run for me and I'd set off with the 1:25 pacer with the hope of running under 1:25, but I got dropped at 9.5 miles and struggled from there on to come home in 1:25:51.
Interesting to get your views on how much time the conditions were worth.
Wool - hopefully you'll be able to still bag a spring sub3 even with a short build up. Get yourself another Abo number and we can have another joust.
Having had plenty of patient recoveries myself Wool, all I can say is you'll get back to close to your top level, but you can't rush it.
Pete - my right calf turned to absolute stone after waiting In that idiotically designed queueing system. Really limpy cool down, and definitely some aches for the little slow runs yesterday. Was definitely comfy with a day off today. Hoping for a 6&4 tomorrow.
We all know some usual suspects will have done some efforts today - which will have been ludicrous.
SBD - anyone who has read this thread for ages will know that while I'll certainly mention weather and stuff that affects races, I'm no hype merchant - you'll never find me bigging up what i'm capable of.
So when I say i'm certain there was at least a minute better out there on a still day, I think that's an absolute given. I suspect more to be honest.
I was thinking about the 1hr 20 pacer.
In one way, he's done his job, as if I was 1.19.51, he was probably around 1.19.30. But 30secs isn't as spot on as many would do it.
And doing it with strong wind for large chunk of the course probably explains why there was no throng of people behind him thanking him for his duties! They'll have been 60-90 however many seconds behind