Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    SQ  -generally both the old and new tracks I've been lucky to get the session I wanted off. Probably about 95% of the time.

    Just have to watch anything remotely official. Especially on this new track. The old one had a sports centre, astro pitches etc nearby and a turnover of loads of people. Plus a more accessible track. So in a way coaches like the other day were more accepting they'd struggle to keep people off.

    But the new one is totally all that's there, enclosed, so it's very difficult if there's anything organised.

    Early is always the rule of thumb.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Talking about earlies, you're an absolute machine getting up at 5 and out so soon!
    Even in my working week/sunday 6am routine I still need a good hour minimum to eat and get myself up for it.

    Sounds the classic running existence - strong satisfying session - then injury doubt.

    Let's hope that eases off pronto. Are you just resting it off for a bit?
  • WoolWool ✭✭✭
    that sounds tough SQ, hope that you mend soonest of course. I like those BAC-style marathon sessions, as you say you can really feel like you're progressing across the session nicely. Until you do the ones that are something like 24 mins, 5*3 mins, 24 mins that is :-D

    SG, other clubmates, and I are all agonizing over a variety of local races that look viable in the next few weeks. Yesterday, I took a break from the agony and the messenger to run 13 with the middle 8 @ 6:25. No particular issues so there's some (relative) fitness there. Looks like I just need to click enter on something and get my ass in gear. I have some real mental issues thinking about getting to a start-line right now. It's like starting out all over again!
  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    SQ - I was probably still riding when you posted! Report to follow...
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2020
    Looks solid enough Wool. I much prefer these sort of solid tempos than what a few Dashers seem to favour - the progressive.

    And as long as you just keep the first one or two turnouts in mind as looseners, or good training, than there's nothing to fear :) Bar the price :D 

    11 today over in Marlow. Meant to do 10, but I also wanted to do two different direction routes, and wasn't quite sure on the exact mileage.

    So it was a bit of a loop out to the Marlow Marina, then back round Bisham Abbey as part 1, then out the reverse Winter Hill route down a new footpath out to the bridge, and back from there.
  • WoolWool ✭✭✭
    is TR out there? I've seen elsewhere that you're still slightly undecided on which marathon event to target this Autumn. Just wanted to say that I've seen what seems to be quite a lot of sub 3ers enter the Dorney event on 4th October. Could be windy, will be boring but looks likely to have company at least. Seems like entries are benefiting from the fact that that's also VLM virtual day.

    I entered a 10k at Battersea on 6th Sep. Low expectations but will be good to get to a start line again.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    Wool - cheers for thinking of me. I was about to go away to FoD when vlm announcement was due, so I entered Goodwood as it was the only option then. Since then ive nearly entered Dorney too as a bad weather back up. But if Goodwood is off I'll probably go IoW as its a "one day" race, and ive done the 1/2 loads of times. That tempo run was quick, you could do a sub3 with me dragging you.......I'll probably regret not entering Dorney, but sods law says if i switch from Goodwood, then Goodwood will be a still day.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Tough conditions today. I can't actually recall a mix of heavy wind and rain like it to be honest. Not for a session anyway.

    Knew i was going to do 6miles of effort but was unsure what amount as a tempo and what as shorter efforts.

    The wind and rain made me decide just over 2 laps of my loop (3.5miles) was plenty.
    And 6.19 average when i did 6.15 for 6 last week (quite windy and wet) versus 6.11 for 6 a couple of weeks before (fair wind) says it all. This would be a brilliant loop in still dry weather.

    The conditions actually got a fair bit worse after that and in 3 of the 4x0.5mile efforts i just about hit 6.00 pace, one of them slowed by squeezing through a gate down the grassy front at a total stop. The last one slightly quicker.

    Heavy rain and wind job😂

    Last two 0.25mile reps said it all.
    1.27 into wind
    1.21 not.

    Hopefully sucking up this session  still gives some benefits. Effort was still solid.

    Would have been a real slog trying to get a 6mile tempo in today.

    Can only imagine the fun anyone doing Dorney in those conditions would have😱😱.
    Even a 5k would be hard work, though at least over quicker!

  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    Fair play for attempting any kind of a session today SG.
    I did an easy 8 yesterday & same again today. Yesterday's was undulating & today's was flat but windy. Out & back along the canal 1st half in 32:54, 2nd in 31:09 for the same effort. Had planned to go up the track for the club session but sacked it off once I saw the trees flailing about dangerously. I'll do an MLR tomorrow morning.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Nice one Jools. Heavy rain is miserable, but once the wind reaches a certain level, or combines with the rain it really is asking a lot to get a decent sesh in!

    Looking back, I can only remember once having to totally abort a session - when the rain was so incredibly heavy my fleece hoody (!) weighed about 2 stone heavier :)

    Came back and did it the next day instead.


  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Sorry, been a bit remiss and not checking in recently  - on hols last week and then back to manic work stuff!  Highlight was spotting on Strava that ex forumite Mee Meep was nearby on Strava and then meeting up for a lovely trot round the Fairfield Horseshoe! 

    Certainly was an interesting day for it today! I force myself to get out early doors before the wind, but the penalty was it was biblically wet! Still, running on tarmac for a change made it feel easy  :)  Fair play to anyone who managed to get both the rain and the wind!!!

    Looking forward to Reg's epic ride report - though it might be a few posts long :wink:

  • JooliganJooligan ✭✭✭
    Turns out track was cancelled yesterday due to the number of trees down around here!
    13M for me today: 3M wu, 3x2M off 1M, 2M cd Paces were very varied due to terrain & undulations but effort was definitely there. 12:52/13:11/13:14 for the 3 efforts. 7:50 average overall & almost 1100 ft of climb too so a good session.
  • SCoombes2SCoombes2 ✭✭✭
    edited August 2020

    Hi All

    Been tardy again. MK was shite. Off too fast 3.05 1st K - 3.12 for the 2nd K with me starting getting detached from the leaders - 3.18 for the 3rd K, with a little uphill bit, then from 3.8 to home it was into the teeth of the gale..3.29 4th K and a 3.39 to finish. 2nd last. So I'm back at the drawing board. Nice to meet Dachs though, he did 15.38 I think.

    Few beers on Friday night, didn't run at all Saturday. Felt OK Sunday and did an annoyed fast Sunday run on a hilly course, 6.32 miling, 1.25 half type pace over the 13 miles. Decided to run more with my rucksack Monday to replicate pre lockdown, and felt great on my 8.5 and 5.5 mile runs, better than without the rucksack weirdly.

    Luton last night, 6 x 1200 on the grass, averaged about 3.56, felt strong. Might go back to MK on the weekend and do the 5k course again - possibly the other way round.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    I love that your loosener/off peak form is still pretty much my pb Simon :)
    Just a difference in class.
    Also like the way you talk of being 2nd last!

    In your 10, right up the field maybe! (Although i think i saw a good chunk of animals in the 14s?!)

    A club mate did the race with another pb (18.22 now) got about a 16 feet negative elevation. I suppose 5 feet down a mile isn't too much really.  Fairly unusual to see a race start and finish at different places?

    Although Wokingham probably finished 50-100metres different, but it's on a straight flat stretch after 13.1miles.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    10 for me.
    One of those lazy lounged around for ages before hand jobs before forcing out.
    Will be glad when work ensures it has to be done at certain times again.

    Felt a little tired, especially when i put in some woods for a couple of miles near the middle.
    Even at pootle pace I find wood ups just have me breathing like someone who has never run, and feel like a right stress even with what feels like moderate actual effort.

    Oh well -stick to what I'm better at normally - smooth road.

    3 more week days off, then work again! After 5months. Gonna take a bit of adjusting.
  • This thread has certainly seen it all now, with SC speaking of being second-to-last and SG bringing up forceful handjobs!
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Whoops.

    That's the worst accidental hand job reference since a pairs relay a year or two back instead of saying something like no baton..is it a tag via hand situation, i instead said "hand job?".
    Before very swiftly editing
  • Nice spot MH! Haha. I think I edited out my finish time 'accidentally on purpose'..it was 16.54 anyway. Real noticeable 'weak quads' feeling after 3k - hopefully that's related to the lack of rucksack running..we'll see.

    Nothing today - work is craaayyyyyzeeeee. Boss is off and his boss and me are having to do the workforce board report as they've brought it forward a month. I wonder if Exec boards realise that staff take holidays this time of year?

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Felt  a little tight in the back today so went out meaning to do 7.5, maybe 8 max, but once you're warm, you're warm, so just pieced it up to 10 decently enough.

    Probably been underdoing the hamstring stretches a bit, so it's caught up down the chain. That or a light cold - that often sees muscles go a little tight elsewhere.

    Track is out tomorrow so will decide whether to have one last seg smashfest somewhere, or just do some 1/4m or 1/2m reps somewhere.
    Or even some sort of 1min on and of rampage.
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited August 2020
    Good to see a race report, well done Simon.

    I did a session yday, traditional pre marathon 20 x 3min (30 sec jog), tailed off a bit in the wind, but good to get it done, good sign of readiness.
  • SorequadsSorequads ✭✭✭
    edited August 2020
    SG - the quick up and out is largely as a result of no breakfast. Obviously quicker, but also means I have no insulin ‘on board’ (as a diabetic), making blood sugar decisions on the run a lot simpler. I like the adaptation of your session on the fly. 
    Frustrating hit out, SC. Although obviously still rapid by the standard of most. Sounds like you’ve got the appetite to smash it again. 
    A genuine lol from me, MH. 
    That’s a very tidy 13M, Wool. I’ve seen a few variations on the BAC programme. Tried a peak session a few years ago: 30 MP, 4 x 5 tempo, 30 MP. Ended up running 18M round a track solo. Great sessions, but definitely require building up to. Perhaps that was a factor for me getting injured. 
    Feeling ready, TR? Is it 9 days away? 

    Couldn’t walk at all on Sunday once home, a slow hobble on Monday, before getting to a physio on Tuesday morning. She said that when I described the build up to the problem, it sounded like a classic stress fracture (cue me somewhat panicking). But once doing some tests, it seemed this was very unlikely. Phew. 
    I had a problem in one of the facet joints on my spine around Christmas time. And despite this not currently hurting, it seems this is referring the pain to the joint of the tib/fib in the lower leg. And then the calf overcompensated. 
    She said that the walking would ease off - which it is beginning to. And if I can jog when I go next week she will analyse my gait. In my head, I run like Bekele, but perhaps that’s not quite the case. This, combined with massaging out the back tightness should help 🤞. 
    Weirdly, haven’t missed running this week as much as I thought I would, but starting to get a little itchy as we head towards the end of the week.
    Probably not a bad thing to give the body a bit of a break, so haven’t bothered getting on the turbo yet. Although will if this continues. Sure it can’t be that hard to get to Joe and Reg levels of power?!
    Unsure if Dorney will be on, but certainly not the year to stress about these things. Won’t do it unless I can get at least a 20 and a 23ish in. But perfectly happy doing it without a taper. 
  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited August 2020
    Blimey the SF mention had me worried thhere SQ, good its not an SF. I agree, you can afford a week off this far out, hopefully you'll be back to it next week. I agree with minimal taper too. The trouble you have is when the fizz clears you to go run and she thinks 3m and you think 20m......no not 9 days, 4 weeks yet, but will soon be taper time. Last race was 2nd Feb........
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Great relief SQ - those are bad news!
    Fair play for even attempting the breakfast free runs. I've done a few 4miles off just a drink and It's not for me.

    Would expect Dorney to be on - unless some unforeseen worsening happens.
    They're planning waves etc. It's some of the big races that seem to be in denial, waiting very late to call theirs off. Boston (UK) called theirs off yesterday I think.

    But like TR suggests, it's a big ask to go from a niggle that's uncertain to booting the big miles out again. No need to write it off too soon though

    No work call now which is good, so can stick to the leisurely wake up, then probably just go and boot a few half mile reps off. Probably around 1 seg - so will ween off the seg business after that I think.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    With no track available, I set off to a quiet spot in Marlow for what I had pencilled in as 6x0.5miles off 90secs.

    Some workmen messing about in the road didn't help, but fancied splitting the reps up, of  reps based around a 0.42m segment i'd been irritated to not hit due to stopping 1metre short last time, then some up and down the road, and a little loop of a bit of the Marlow 5 route.

    Made a real hash of recording it neatly, so took 3 goes to get the reps recorded - so as a couple are 0.52m or so, i'll just give the paces rather than splits


    5.30, 5.32,5.38,5.40, 5.34, 5.34

    Little bit of variance. The middle two weren't helped by having to duck under a branch and squeeze through a gate :D 

    Was probs 50-50 whether i'd taken the seg on the first 2 goes round that loop.


    Decided this wasn't enough of a sesh, so chucked in

    2x0.25m and 2x0.15m (faff to get 200m, so 0.15 was nearest)  off 60secs between them

    Again paces, as opposed to reps being off the track

    5.21, 5.30
    5.15, 5.08

    Thought I won't be back here to try that seg anytime soon, so just in case I hadn't taken it, threw a 0.42mile in to finish

    5.15pace!

    Nice to finish with a sharp pace for that distance, showing there's probably a bit to sharpen off on the other reps, as we make the move back into proper sessions.


    Checking the strava readings, i'd already taken the seg on both rep 1 and 2 of the 0.5milers, and then taken 8secs (off myself!) at the end. Nice.

    Feels better to be doing vaguely proper sessions again.
    Although i did tighten up a bit straight after - so am glad of 2 sleeps to ease off.

    I had arrived there still a bit tight from yesterday, so not a massive surprise!

    Back on the track soon - keeps it all much more orderly then changing the route of reps :)



  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Still obvs holiday season then :) So i'll erm do a ...LSR report.

    15 for me. Basically into Marlow, and then back up one of the hills, exploring a bit of offroad.

    Bar 30secs getting my headfones caught up in one of the gates on the Thames Path, fairly straight forward flat route. Ignored the temptation near Marlow rugby club to cross at a bit of the train tracks i'd never noticed a gate before - to stick to the vague plan - as the messing was due later.

    Have enjoyed the offroad side of Sheepridge road before, but knew there were a few proper offroad routes in and around.

    One starts right next to the Crooked Billet pub, and after 5mins pishing about running round what proved to actually just be a random field - seemingly where people dumb rusty cars, I found the actual trail.

    Fairly straight line, but bearing to the left a bit. Few gates, lots of elevation on the grid, but didn't feel too steep.

    At the end, there was a gate that seemed to properly bear left, and knowing there is a path that leads you right over to Winchbottom lane, I ignored it, and instead followed a field to the right.

    Obvs totally the wrong way, and spent 5-10mins touring through random fields, thinking Phil Mississipi Jones will be all over this on the strava report.

    Luckily it all led to a proper road taking me through a farm - somewhere I've finished up before. Do have to climb over a tall fence, but all good :disappointed:

    Trotted down and through some woods exceptionally slowly, for a 7.37 pace all in.

    Bit of tight sort of ankle/foot feel, but better than the tight back/hip the other day.

    Ridiculously, looking on the map after, it was pretty much a straight footpath, so i literally just needed to carry on. I even came back across the path later on - oh well!!

    I need to check the bit that links the Marlow track to the Marlow 5 route too..All these bits you run 100s of times, yet miss little link roads etc.
  • SCoombes2SCoombes2 ✭✭✭
    edited August 2020

    Cheers on the 5k comments lads - yes we plough on regardless!

    SG - Couldn't follow those reps. Looked ok though - good LSR, bit of climbing too.

    Did 8 x 1k yesterday around the lake, stuck it on strava, with a lovely photo too (its a generic man made lake on the side of a new housing estate), but not bad tbh, path is solid enough white clay type stuff. Bit windy, they came out about average 3.17 or so.

    Decent LSR today, around a bout route to Ivinghoe Beacon. 233m ASL, so not quite Coombe Hill level, but pretty high. the last 1.5 miles is a bitch - drag to start with, then a proper 3/4 mile of 6-7% climb. Booted it as wanted to keep it sub 7mm -6.57's for 15.8 miles. Felt strong.

    Felt very cold on the walk with the in laws - funny that standing on top of the beacon in the teeth of a northerly wind, without sufficient clothing...

  • Tumbleweed!!

    Anyway..Interesting b/h Monday, 9 miles with the rucksack in the morning, then over to see the brother in laws new house in Brackley. Obviously got the chance to have a little run, only a 5 miler. Stumbled on the Mercedes HQ, very understated.

    4.5 miles with the rucksack this morning, to the station and back, dummy run really and quite tiring on the way back! Did 10 x 600 with my mate Pete tonight, off 75 recovery. The Garmin actually worked and I managed to record the laps correctly, average 1.53.

  • Good training SG & Simon.
    I’m back at work today after making the most of my last few days of freedom. Spent a couple of nights in a bunkhouse in the Brecons with mates midweek then went down to Devon for the weekend. Hungover recovery 8.6 on the lanes Thursday then a repeat of last Sunday’s 20M on Friday en route to Devon. Cooler day fortunately as I took no fuel or fluids. Managed a progressive effort again. 2:37 all in. Average paces for each 5M block were 8:16/7:56/7:43/7:31 so a strong run. 
    Saturday's (not)Parkrun was back in Barnstaple & I managed 19:40 on a breezy afternoon after a 5M wu with strides. 5K cooldown so 11.2 for the day. Very happy with that the day after the 20M. We then rode 20M on the tandem before a night of drinking n dancing. Sunday's effort was a steady 9M on undulating Devon lanes repeated on BH Monday (my birthday) followed by a 40M ride on the tandem.
    Just the regulation recovery 8M this evening.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Fast km as always there Simon, especially as "lake" often goes hand in hand with "breeze". Tasty 600s as well. I think at absolute animal mode in summer 2018 i was putting in 600s on a track not far off those, but more often around the 2.00 marker. And off 90secs not 75.

    A 20miler followed by an effort is pretty decent Jools!
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    First day back at work yesterday after 5months!
    Meant a first double for ages (not 5months, but a few months since the last course), 6&4. Very unwelcome 6am wakeup!

    Then today, first track sesh pre work in 6months!

    Chose 12x400 off 60secs. Though told myself to aim for 10, and see what happens (as if i'd leave it at 10!)

    Basically averaged 1.18, so a good loosener, without smashing it.

    Were 3 under that, with 1.15 on the second one particularly keen. One slipped to 1.19, but pretty much ticked over at 1.18s when in a flow.
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