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Nice sunny day & light winds on Friday so opted for 30m on the bike, 5m off road yesterday.
TR.. our club have just done a casual poll among members asking under what circumstances they would enter races again. About 2/3rds said they would wait until everything gets back to normal, the others would consider a race with some form of distancing, staggered starts etc. Cracking run yesterday BTW!
Joe.. I usually find it takes 3-4 5k races/Parkruns to reach a peak at the desired pace. All these fast intervals will count come race day.
Menn.. I see that race did eventually agree to ease the women's standard to sub 3 which seems fair.
Wardi - Agreed. I think you have to put yourself through it a bit and with 5km you can recover and go again. My road to a 17:21 was pretty much chipping a few seconds off a week at parkrun. 4 months from 19:15.
Premier league finale a disappointment for the birmingham city side of the family. I missed it all lugging bricks around the garden. going to take that as my exercise for the day.
Wardi - There was a bit of chat about the qualification time but thats been conceded in favour of the ladies - will be interested in what the M/F split looks like if the race goes ahead
Difficult to keep the MOJO going at this juncture - had a mile building week since last sundays faster half run with a 7mile with 4 at tempo mid week and 16 yesterday puts me back in the 60s.
Lucky lucky Aston Villa, saved by the no-goal that was clearly a goal against Sheff Utd. My team Cardiff City up tonight.
Menn - 60 mpw is pretty good going when the mojo is lacking.
OO - i dont miss the triathlon training swimming. Might get back to it one day, always fancied doing IMWales.
Vlm are copping it on twitter again, those that dont want to run should just defer. I say fair play to them for trying to put a race of dome kind on. The guidelines day you have to go back to locsl authority with yr race plan. They might have had to move location too, to avoid spectators.
Same shit different monday here with 10m av 8.0X, 5m av 7.01.
TR - My brother knew a chap whose IM Wales lasted all of 45 seconds having been pummelled at the start of the swim.
7m inc 4m av 6.38 felt good and easy.
Still no solid news re VLM then. Perfectly fits my attitude and motivation currently tbh.
I am finding myself more and more running in doors. Just for the sheer convenience of it. That and it's been raining mostly
I might venture outside today as that big yellow thing is out in the sky.
7.1m this morning running around the racecourse, a bit breezy but a nice running temperature.
My local Yorkshire marathon have seemingly copied London and delayed a decision until next month. Everyone seems a bit 'meh' about it now. It will be interesting to see what London do come decision day.
Wardi - all race organisers have to go back to local authority etc with their covid plan, at least yorks are still trying to put a race on.
SJ - Moose (of the fartlek fame) recently said he was in pre marathon training blovk training for a mara (which one he wasnt allowed to say as it hadnt been announced), today he said he is moving into the marathon specific phase for vlm. Kind of confirms the elite race. I can see them putting on waves, possibly on different courses for others, but it depends how many are included. Could be in parks or on closed courses.
13m tonight
Well done on completing the session Joe. If the final 3K@3:40 felt comfortable still you're doing well.
Good consistent stuff from everyone else I note. What's happened to your fell-running adventures SJ? Has your lad lost his mojo too?
I've been running hills all month as part of a virtual competition to see who can climb the highest in July. I'm on over 69,000 ft with 2 days to go which means I'm top MV50-59
Today was 17.2M & 5,123 feet in the Black Mountains: up Sugar Loaf, down to Llanbedr, up Crug Mawr & then back up Sugar Loaf again.
Thanks Menn, I faultered last 3 km a little as it's mostly uphill (gentle but enough to tip you over the edge) but I am in reasonable 10km shape I think. That's unbelievable climbing in a month, very impressed! You must resemble something of a mountain goat right now?!
Poor training week this week so far and with the temperatures coming up this weekend I'll need to be smart to avoid really tough sessions. I woke up yesterday with a banging headache which was unusual and although it got better as the day wore on I couldn't shake it completely, even with painkillers. But it seems to have disappeared today so that's a relief. Will run over to the house later to see how the builders have been getting on.
Sorry to see some a bit out of sorts. So easy for the mojo to cool with the current Covid situation and for us the drip drip drip of race cancellations. I am just enjoying running relatively stress-free in the great outdoors. Thankfully life here seems to be more normal compared to the fearful time since Easter. My work as busy as ever, my wifes work (NHS) off the scale, friends returning to work from furlough (lucky buggers!) football training resumed for my 10 yr old and our local pub reopening next week.
TR - Interesting on VLM and sad to see Brighton most likely go - no surprise really. My training mate (he ran at Brighton with you in 2019) has New Forest in his sights and like you is training really well, so hopefully that will defy the odds.
Jooligan - Wow, really tremendous stuff I bet your having lots of fun and a great challenge to win. Some of those runs must be incredible and so scenic. 69,000 feet that's nearly 3 times the height of Everest. Impressed.
Wardi - Decent couple of runs.
I had my best run for a while last night. 13m with 7m @ 7.30 ish and then a 5m progressive run (6:22, 6:19, 6:13, 6:03, 6:01) surprised myself with how relatively comfortable it felt as not really up for it and training c40-45 mpw mostly easy stuff at the moment. My plan is to keep at c40-50 mpw, and throw in fastish session every 10 days to keep it lively and give me a good base for when racing returns - as it will. Still have the prospect of the Malaga marathon (think sunshine, blue skies, orange blossom, cold lager, pinchos) in Dec, if not, there's a tough local HM (driving rain, cold, squalls, hills) on the same day. Pray for Malaga.
Joe - you could set up a standard week which wouldnt take much stepping up from.
OO - i did 1/2 IM, reckoned id have been 10ish on a flat IM, but never wanted to commit the bike time.....ive done NF 1/2, wouldnt do the full, its not a recognised event as it has a different certificate, doesn't make p of 10. Cracking place to run though. I think the 1/2 was short, ut the full has a measurement certificate. You really feel the pace pick up when it switched from track to road too.
Brighton update said Sept 20th is off, but due to demand and wanting to support the city a different event will be on in the autumn on the streets of Brighton. Unique and covid friendly. If its some sort of wave start full distance closed route then I'll take it up, if not I'll defer.
OO - your week sounds a lot like my week. Topping out around 50mpw with the occasional 60 mpw near miss depending on if I get two double-digit runs in. Likewise trying to keep something sharp in there too. Either efforts or a steady tempo blast. Still feel reasonably fit with 4:05-4:15/km feeling ok and HR looking the same.
RJR - Hope the project managing isn't giving you the headaches.
Wardi - I did wonder about Yorkshire. Although its my PB race from last year I didn't really enjoy it that much. I would run it again as organisationally its very good and I can drive there and back on the day using the park and ride was nice and easy too.
TR - The Brighton event could be good and if it has the goodwill of the locals will feel less guilty about taking part. Hopefully it happens as you should really get some reward for the persistent consistency.
Chopping the Volvo in, has been plagued by EGR diesel issues. I'm going back to petrol but buying cars is one of the least favourite things to do. I get all stressy about reliability etc.
I was in better shape than that but had a string of mishaps. Swim & bike were about right but run was a good hour slower than it should've been.
I put my back out so badly I couldn't run a mile or swim at all just 10 days before. I was still taking powerful pain killers so I could sleep the night before. My car also broke down the Monday before race day so I cycled 36M to work each day on the Tuesday-Thursday! That was the key chip dying. On the Saturday morning the water pump bearing went resulting in a shredded auxiliary belt. Fortunately I was in Tenby & made it back to my campsite. Called the AA at 6am on the Monday after race day then had to cycle to work Tuesday & Wednesday straight after!
Only branded IM I've ever done but I've done Triathlon X twice which was rated the world's toughest by 220Tri magazine
Jooligan - Now thats an experience, you certaintly earned that IM. Decent time nevertheless. Triathlon X - wowzers.
SJ - A decent strategy at the mo.
Puts into context my "Courageous" 5m in the steamy heat this morning.
Jools - blimey, that was an adventure im amazed you took that on with a back injury.
7m easy here, 333 for july.
Jooligan.. excellent mountain running, nothing like that around here!
SJ.. I have a Fiesta Diesel from 2012 (when the Govt were telling us to buy diesels
Steamy day up here too so took Mrs Wardi out on the bike for 33.5m. A nuisance value SE breeze so headed south for first 16m in order to enjoy a pleasant tailwind on the way back. At least you get a bit of a cooling backdraft on a bike. 32 degrees this afternoon.
OO I found IronMan after running my first marathon in 2007 (FLM) whilst looking for my next challenge & decided to do one. Bought a £50 Peugeot 1980 steel road bike that December & began riding to work a couple of days a week. Did 3 triathlons in 2008: a local sprint & then a local Olympic with OW swim + the Hathersage Hilly, a tough sprint in the Peaks. I enjoyed them but my running was beginning to improve by now so I switched focus to going sub 3:30 then getting a GFA time, joining an athletics club in 2011 which led to my racing mania. The IM dream was fading though I was still swimming once a week. I’d stopped cycling consistently until, in April 2013, I went out on my Peugeot with some of the athletics lads. They had a right laugh at my ride but were impressed that I’d kept up with them on a hilly 100K. I enjoyed it so I upgraded my bike in May & in September I entered Tenby 2014. It was only after signing up that I found out about it’s fearsome reputation 🤣
Once I’d scratched that itch I heard about Wasdale Tri through a FB group so entered that in 2015 & I’ve done it’s successor: Half X every year since. Did the Full X in 2017 & 2018.
I reckon my triathlon adventure has run it’s course now, though I do have an entry for 2021’s Half X (another CoViD postponement) which I’ll not miss as I love the excuse for a weekend in the Lakes.
Wise route choice Wardi. Gotta love a tailwind home.
12.5M today which takes me to 2,178 in 7 months which is 66 more than I managed in the whole of 2019. Going to take an easy week from Sunday to let myself recover. It’s been a fun but exhausting month.
194 miles for me, 1610 for 2020.
Cracking journey jools, not sure ill get to Tenby but who knows. Havnt sat on a bike for a few years.
P and D mp run today, with no build up races these are key runs for me. Aim was to beat the 1.27.15 from a few weeks ago for hm, was a bit behind after 3m but dragged it back for 1.27.01 so av 6.39. Approx 6.50s in the first 3 and last 3 which are rolling and approx 6.30s on the flat. 6.30s feels a bit too sporty though. 3m wu and 3m wd. 19m total.
Jooligan.. the lakes must be a fair old trek for you, it takes about 2 1/2 hours from here!
Ah, London 2007 - I remember it well, now the 2nd hottest on record after 2018. The 6pm forecast the night before gave no warning of what was to come - temps peaking at 16-17 degrees, perfect for marathon runners they said. It was already 17 degrees when the race started and the sky was blue and the sun rising. 23 degrees by the time I reached Blackfriars tunnel. My tactic was to go out slightly quicker than intended to take advantage of the relatively cool air to half way (1:31). I did ease back in the 2nd half heat but was still close to PB pace (3:06.09 at the time). At the bottom of the Mall my brain couldn't compute the distance/time required for a PB so I legged it and hoped for the best. Crossed the line and promptly barfed over the finish gantry, soon cheered up when I realised I had stopped the watch at 3:05.59 - a 10 second PB.
I did run slightly quicker the year after but I still count this as my best marathon all things considered. Happy days.
Others there that day.. Jooligan, OO, Lord Didsbury, Barnsleyrunner, CD ,JAP, Brian, Crab, PP, Blisters & Jools (who I saw smiling at the finish, PB in the bag). Any others?
Sweaty 5.2m today, my legs always feel a bit strange the day after a long bike ride. Will try something a bit longer tomorrow
8.5M for me with a 20:21 (not)parkrun in the middle. Bring on the easy week
I've never known hot weather to come and go quite like yesterday. I was toiling in the garden for quite a few hours and wasn't surprised to see it was our third hottest day ever recorded. Ended with a whimper rather than a bang here though.
TR - very solid running. Do you fancy getting a quick half in with a bit of taper or just wait till an actual race comes back?
I've been lugging around literally tonnes of bricks over the past 2 days and my hamstrings and back feel a bit sore. Got my session in today nonetheless and it all felt ok. Even got a strava crown for my troubles. Next sunday is my date with (hopefully) a 17.40 5k. If I can manage that then I'll believe I can work that down to a pb.
Joe - that mix of session and labouring will have worked all muscle groups. I think id gain a minute or so on hhe flat but that'd be it outside of a race.
Started August with an easy 5 and then circuits.
Yesterday, I got rained on!! And 17C. Felt cheated but lovely to run in.
That's some run TR. Nice one.
OO - agreed, i was surprised to get rained on yday, but it soon dried up and warmed up.
Tired and achey 7m today.