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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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Just a casual 42 mile 3 day outing
Half way through a 4 day training course, so it's been sensible to make it a recover from the weekend's race and have a bit of a maintenance week.
2 shorties Monday, then a standard 6&4 double the last 2 days.
Will probably get a single 8-9 in tomorrow, my favoured working week medium long one that has a choice of offroad hill to get up to Flackwell, and then do something efforts wise Friday. Probably some 1km reps. Either 7 or 8 off 90secs, or fewer but off a minute. Spice it up a bit.
Look forward to a lazy Saturday though as feel a little "warm headed", which is probably that slight run down feeling mixed with the mental stimulation of taking in 7-8 hours of info each day, so am glad I didn't plan a long haul footy trek. Then a 15 on Sunday.
Just a little!
It mentioned a discount code coming soon for next year's event, but I think entering a race 90mins + away a year ahead is a stretch!
I mentioned the 12 stage relays a few weeks back, and how I potentially have got a battle to even get into the 12 this year! Potentially we have about 16/17 to compete for the 12.
As you'd expect, there's a few doubts in the collective. Holiday ruling one out, a few injury niggles, one guy has spells of not running for months for different reasons.
I've been told don't be surprised to be on a long leg!!
But I'm hoping it pans out as the more enjoyable shorter leg.
We're only talking say 3miles v 5, but it feels a decent difference in this level of event.
We've only qualified once I believe - 2017 at Gravesend. Phil joined me in the team that year.
A strange year where short to long was the smallest difference ever, 1.3miles per lap, and a simple 2 laps short, 3 laps long job.
Odd course with a mad downhill smooth burst at the start, but a couple of niggly little climbs and bends, and of course quite windy - though after Sunday, talk of windy has been recalibrated!
They've got to the nationals before, but I believe that year the southerns were cancelled and the team captain bargained us in on how they "would" have qualified...
Across town, so subject to slight variances in what's going on per lap
Around 2.48 to 2.51 sort of mixer. Last one quickest, first couple feeling the hardest oddly
First Luton track session for a while last night, 8 x 800 also, off 80. First one 2.36 and slowly crept towards 2.29 for the last one. Was wearing flats so bit achy today. Conditions were OK, cold but a bit breezy.
5 mile recovery this morning, been roped into a 18 minute parkrun pacing some kids tomorrow at Bedford. Then being dragged to MK Dons - Ipswich by my Ipswich supporting mate...even though he's a Bournemouth ST holder.
15miler #3 today.
Plan was drive to Boulters lock then Thames Path to Dorney Lake, get on there for a couple of laps and same route back. I'd vaguely thought that was 4.5, 6, 4.5.
Got to about 5miles and hadn't actually seen a way onto Dorney. The gates are all locked and the road that led off the Thames Path just seems to follow the outskirts of the Lake and not go in
I vaguely remember they'd blocked access due to those clowns in the lockdown acting like hooligans.
Therefore, followed that trail all the way to the actual official entrance, did about half a mile in and out, and then same back! Well placed as that took me to 14.6m and did a classic 0.2m out and back to finish.
7.09 ish, which for the effort felt a pretty decent run out with 95% on trail.
Legs tightened up after about 11miles, but then to be honest probably always do beyond that a bit.
4 day course completed last week, exam tomorrow! Brain ticking over with all sorts of business analysis techniques, models, definitions etc etc.
ps TR, how was Chichester this week? Wind and field wise for parking!
Just pumping multiple laps out would have been miserable.
Even on today's run the wind and rain was hard work in places. Peaking at Dorney Lake where I only did half a mile on there, with half into wind. That was plenty.
Saturday: local parkrun with daughter. 3rd in a course SB for me & a consolidating run for her.
Sunday's Double race report - 2 very different experiences:
Race 1: Dursley Dozen 12.25M & 1975' of muddy trails, rocky trails, muddy grass & a smattering of tarmac. I've done this race 10 times now so knew pretty much what to expect up til 9.2M where, due to a Moto-X event using the usual race route they'd added a short detour: rather than a gently falling 500m of single track we had to endure a 25% climb for 300m back up to the golf course, 500m along the top into the gale then a 300m/25% descent through the trees to the foot of The Precipice - a climb so steep & slippery they fix a rope so you can haul yourself up & (hopefully) remain upright!
It had been teeming down all night & the forecast had heavy rain all day - unfortunately they got it right this time
I started strongly with a 9:52 opening mile to the golf course where the wind was howling. Bit more climbing before dropping back into the woods passing the odd fast starter/ginger descender en route. 1K down, 1K up & 1K of tarmac service road back across the golf course. Unfortunately I was on my own here with a group just 100m ahead but no chance of bridging as the 40mph headwind was making forward progress challenging. Fortunately there's a very helpful 2% decline
The Precipice arrived at 16K: 230' of climb in just 250m. This brings you back out on the golf course & the wind was even stronger now. Across the trail at first so it was a job to stay upright & keep the feet landing on the narrow trod. Up over a grassy knoll & back onto the tarmac into that headwind again. At least it was basically DH from now on & I gave it everything to finish 35th in 1:46:56. This was my 2nd slowest time but my 2nd highest position which is testament to the conditions & the effect of the detour.
From my analysis of my time vs the top 10 finishers it was my 3rd best relative performance. It was also my highest age cat placing: 2nd MV50
Thoroughly enjoyable
Got chilly waiting for my club mate to finish so we could jump in the car & hare off to . . .
Race 2: XC in Cheltenham.
Arrived to a miserable sight: flooded car park, howling wind & sheeting rain.
Collected the numbers, quick check of the conditions:a sorry spectacle - club tents flattened/flapping, some shuffling old folk & miserable looking ladies wading through bogs. Cheered on our club's hardy racers before heading back back to the car to don the spikes & dump our dry clothes then warmed up with a 500m dash to the start on the other side of the park. Lined up & realised it was a very thin field - just 122 finishers where normally there'd've been c.200+ Greeted our other 3 athletes & SQ who was nursing a monumental hangover then we were off. Started well with a 7:22 opening mile & even managed to get back past a few folk who'd streamed away from me on the start. Still felt OK for Mile 2, 7:46 which included a stream crossing & then back past the finish at 2.4M after 18 minutes for lap 2. I was tiring already & Mile 3 was 8:07 then 8:33 for Mile 4. I was getting dropped now & overtaken sporadically but once I was back out for the 3rd & final lap my legs were completely shot & even my fatigue-fogged brain could tell by now it was going to be longer than the advertised 9.3K unfortunately
Thoroughly miserable!
All told that was over 19M today to end a 2nd 60+M week.
I think we had a lot less rain than others this weekend with the rain just coming in Sunday lunchtime. With that forecast and Italy vs England in the afternoon, there seemed to be a lot of people out Sunday morning.
My run was mainly off-road through the Chiltern woods. I was following one particularly rutted path covered with cycle tracks and a bramble was across the path. I assumed that the traffic meant I could brush past easily but the bugger seemed to be fixed at both ends and it grabbed my leg as I passed: enough to say "Ouch!" but that was all. As I ran back I got a few "Oh, dear!" comments from people I passed and wondered why until I stopped at the end. From above, all I could see was a small cut, but the sweat had washed it down my leg and given it the full am-dram effect.
We were turning out for XC as without us there wasn't a team.
Good to hear things are moving in the right direction for you Phil.
But what the heck kind of shoes are those!?
And that path that takes you just into the entrance of Dorney is the one I must have followed for a mile and a half or so. You can see in, but are stuck outside!
Jools, that's a fairly manic weekend. I remember Moz about a decade ago saying a guy of my experience doing 2 races over about 4 days meant I'd probably get 2 medium results. I wonder what he'd have made of a guy 20 years older than I was then doing 2/3 races in a weekend
You have to show that you've not got any notes or anything near by, so have your camera on, and have to whisk the laptop around at all angles . Mine was in a docking station, meaning a bit more awkward with wires and suchlike all hanging about, but I didn't want to take it out in case wi-fi dropped out or any hassles etc.
Managed to touch the docking station OFF button didn't I, shutting the laptop off
Meaning 40mins of trying to go through help, reconnecting and all of this stuff.
Ideal prep obviously!
Somehow worked though, with 36/40 for a 90% result, with the pass mark 65%.
Phewwwww.
PMJ - Horrific scenes on your legs. And the cuts were pretty bad too
SG - Decent long run
Parkrun pacing was ok - a bit slow on the 2nd K and were were a few seconds down at 4k, but I knew my young pacee would run hard to the finish, so I was released to get past the first 2 to 'win' it in 17.47. Decent run out, although it's run the 'wrong' way round which is a bit weird.
Football was poor.
14 miler yesterday, nothing remarkable happened.
Have fallen behind a bit on the thread, but great to see lots of running still going on. Good to see PMJ on the up. And marvellous stuff from Jools - I can absolutely believe you gave your all at DD. Very few though would have been keen enough to then turn out at the XC in those conditions.
Had a long-standing local XC fixture on Sunday at Pitville Park. Knowing that I would be out late at a friend’s 40th the night before, I didn’t see the point in tapering training at all. 20 on Tuesday and a seven-day total of 74 in advance of the race.
Anyway, was slightly more ambitious on the drinking front than I anticipated, with a return to a uni-style level of drinking games, downing and generally drunken behaviour. It turns out that I no longer have the skills for this and am still experiencing a once in a decade level hangover.
Given the context, even getting to the start line the following afternoon felt quite an achievement, especially given the classically filthy weather.
2M jog warm up, trying not to be sick. Shake of the hands with Jools and a gobsmacked recognition of the fact he had done the brutal Dursley Dozen already that morning.
First mile in 6:26 was solid, then things went rapidly downhill. A little bit sick in my mouth miles two and three as other runners started coming by. Spent the latter half trying not to shit myself and doing all I could not to slow to a walk. Mid sevens pace now. It was the muddiest I have seen the course and some tough wind in places. Felt a little uncoordinated on the three water crossings, but they remain an integral part of the XC fun.
Finished about 30 places lower than usual with an average pace of 7:13 rather than 6:16 of my best result there.
Weirdly, I quite enjoyed it and it has definitely taught me a lesson. A few friends at the start were telling tales of PBs whilst hungover - that is definitely not me!
Anyway, a solid effort, wasn’t sick and didn’t get lapped (just). Another 70M week. Onwards to Manchester and a slightly healthier lifestyle henceforth.
Felt pretty good. Put the old 4%s on for it and romped across Wycombe, so not even on the track.
Had vaguely aimed for "sub 6", but not really knowing how it'd pan out.
11.54, 11.50, 11.45.
Not trying to go faster each time, just how it panned out.
Encouraging.
Dursley is between Bristol & Gloucester.
That's fast SG & yet another indication you're in great shape - get a HM booked asap
SQ - Loving the drunk running. The odd reminder of why you can't drink anymore LOL
That session bodes well, SG.
My fortunes have been in the other direction. Picked up a pain in the achilles/calf region on Friday and was 5 miles from home so had to jog that in and only managed a couple of short slow runs over the last 4 days, still niggling. Also have the infamous lurgy so not done much else apart from one short easy indoor ride and a full rest day yesterday for the first time in two months.
Horrific footwear Phil.
SQ, that is a ridiculous bicep you're sporting there. Well, I presume the other one is the same, and you don't just lean that way to make sure your strong one is on display
Did crack up at an idea of you trying to keep the turtle head at bay for half a race
Love the dog being held back to keep him from getting involved too.
Hard luck on both fronts, Reg. SG makes a good point an I hope that containment and injury can be nicely boxed together. Presumably you'll be Zwift racing if feeling ok?
Tuesday long today. 22M at 7:25 average including a monumental soaking.
6M WU @ 7:50s
4M under over MP effort (6:38, 7:17, 6:41, 7:11)
2M easy @ 7:35s
4M under over MP effort (6:44, 7:22, 6:39, 7:15)
2M easy @ 7:36
2M under over MP effort (6:41, 7:24)
2M WD @ 8:00
Win affected mile splits on the two-mile racecourse loop. Solid session, but some work to do if I am going to seriously trouble 2:55.
Impressive long run SQ.
I went for a 3 recovery run at lunch and it was quite miserable in heavy rain. Would not have been fun doing the day's runs the other way round!
Hadn’t thought of the Wokingham timing, Reg. That is a bummer. At least you definitely won’t get covid for the race 🤷🏻♂️