Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • mattl wrote (see)

    Phil, I wish the Xc races up my way were like yours! That looks like a trail race.image

    Ive not seen a Xc up my way where your ankles aren't covered in mud. 

    A lot of it is down to technique, I have far less mud the the guys behind me. 'tis true that this one was on well drained sandy soil with well made tracks.

    We were, in fact ,discussing this after the race. Seems that sympathetic landowners are getting harder to find: a good XC race really needs a spot of deep mud etc but this puts off other users so councils etc are happy to have people on good paths but not off track. The best one round here is a farmer who opens up his fields and doesn't care a hoot about mud as his cows just churn it up way more than a few hundred runners can.

    https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bgTBnow5P94/UrnylkKJmEI/AAAAAAAAAfI/xM37y1jElWo/s1152/mud.jpg

     

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Not to be too negative before at least trying the new Tadley course, but it sounds like the landowner there has completely wrecked the course, by barb wiring off the best parts, the water jumps and the ploughed field at the end...

    I fear it'll just be non descript woods that could be at any of the races now image

  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭

    That picture is more like it! image 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    happy Christmas folks image

    And don't worry, off for a cheeky 6 with strides imminently image

  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭

    Merry Christmas to all. Just a very easy 3 done with my dog as my wife and young daughter are still asleep. That won't be the case in future years I suspect! 

  • JohnasJohnas ✭✭✭
    Merry Christmas folks! Have a good 'un one and all
  • mattl wrote (see)

    Merry Christmas to all. Just a very easy 3 done with my dog as my wife and young daughter are still asleep. That won't be the case in future years I suspect! 

     

    Make the most of it Matt - mine were up at 1, 2.30, 3.30, 5 and 6!!

    Happy Christmas!

     

     

  • The earliest of mine up was my 21 year old!

  • Boy up at 6. Had to wake up the girl. 

    Last at Woodley parkrun today. Gave Mrs requested Xmas present of running with her at parkrun. image

  • .Seb.Seb ✭✭✭
    Happy Christmas indeed guys!

    Plently of running prezzies my end, the best one being able to do nearly 10miles off road with negligible repercussions, injury starting to clear off ready for another year of running. Happy days.
  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭

    Great stuff Seb. Hopefully back into full swing soon enough. 

    3 running books, running jacket, running tights, bobble hat, running tee shirt. Think I'm either a boring sod or easy to buy for. image 

  • Did parkrun this morning (freedom_ and accidentally it came out as 11 miles (3 mile warm up from where I left the car, 3 mile parkrun, warm down with an old friend and then back to the car for another 5. Felt as stiff as a plank which is odd as  I ran 20 on Monday then nothing on Tue and Wed which shows the benefit of recovery runs. parkrun very wet and muddy so happy with 18:44 for close to 6 minute pace.

  • Merry Christmas one and all!

    I've had a not so great 3 weeks running wise. Hurt my foot, where it hurt every time I pushed off. But then work got on top of me and needed a break and literally survive till the end of term. For the first time also, I really just could not be bothered! So instead of bore you all with the foot updates I had a brief break.

    I'm back easy running now and will be getting on it big time going into the new year. Although I won't be in shape to run the county XC, but may still do it due to loving XC so much! There's a tasty 5 miler in Feb where a sub 29 should be a realistic goal.

    Hope you are all OK and fit, it's hard to keep up on here when not posting. Although you're always in my heart!! Ha ha!

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Welcome back Stevie, it's essential for this thread that you remain well involved. Just in time for the end of year round up!! I'll rustle up a template by the weekend, and everyone can complete it by Tuesday, the last day of 2013.

    Phil, good turn out, no doubt you'll be top of the charts for races completed this year as usual!

    I did similar, but went for a road race, a 5k at Aylesbury, unfortunately as a solo trip, with Bus feeling ill (speedy recovery old son!)

    It doesn't especially deserve a fresh post below, but good bad or average race, it's in the contract that I write a concise race report.

    ....ok, concise is a massive lie image

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    So, Aylesbury 5k, a great little race around the town centre. Like with a lot of these sort of races it's a lapped affair, with one small lap of the town square, and then 2 laps out and round the edges.

    The town square short lap itself gives an idea of what the course will be like, with 3 tight bends over what can only be about 400metres. The second of which is pretty tight indeed, bearing in mind the field isn't at all spread out by then!

    The main lap, is down a flat straight stretch, turning into a downhill (always windy dagnabbit), and then the hardbit. As the route straightens, you come to what I can only describe as a hairpin bend that climbs on the turn. Therefore, you have to down speed considerably, try to accelerate up the climb, hold on as it climbs another few hundred metres, over cobbles, and then back to the top. A flat section, back through the town square gives a couple of hundred metres of flat again, before another steep rise, before you're through the finish and starting lap 2.

    Having come 5th last year, I presumed something similar would be in the mixer, although I spotted both Owain Jones and Fabian Downes, 30:5x, and 31:1x 10k men, Ben Sutherland, and EOG, two other top local faces straight from the off.

    Startled by the organiser (who took 5mins to move everyone back to the start line) blowing the horn with no warning, everyone steamed off, and I found myself in 10-12th, behind seemingly some kind of Kids AC meet.

    I did wonder whether I was in for some kind of 2008 style affair, where a 17.57 was a mere 25th. However, the kids quickly fell back, and normal service was resumed.

    Splits don't mean a great deal here due to the twists and undulations, so wasn't too alarmed to see a weird, 3.21,3.37,3.23 back and forward going on.

    I didn't manage to do the classic draw onto someone faster style of racing, instead attracting a couple who were doing it to me, literally on my shoulder for a 1k or so. However, from the first hairpin they were shifted a bit, and it felt like a solo run from there on in, even though in reality they weren't far behind.

    the 4th k is probably the hardest in any 5k, but this one even more so, as it's the second time round the steep bits. 3.56 for a split shows that! Although in fairness I recorded 0.68miles for this one, rather than the standard 0.62miles of a km. Probably explains it!

    By KM 4, I came over all enthusiastic, and the guy in front was coming back massively, while I was really smashing it. In the end lost by 1-2secs, with it measured at the full 0.62miles, and showing 3.13! Probably hadn't given enough earlier.

    Came out about 17.32, 3secs slower than last year, which is a shame, but not much difference.
    When you think I'd be looking to hit 17.10-20 for 5k within a 10k, and an equal split of my 10k pb is 17.15, it shows what kind of trickiness course we're dealing with (that or I'm massively unfit and oafed around...but no we'll go with the first option image)

    Owain, Fabian, Ben, EOG was the front 4. I can't remember if there was another in between, but a Coventry runner was just ahead of me, so at best 6th, worst 7th.

    Couple of enjoyable miles cool down with the Coventry chap. Turns out he did 33:30ish at the Telford 10k a couple of weeks ago, so not a bad chap to lose to. Racing is so up and down though, as he'd beaten EOG by 45secs there, but lost to him today, so I won't start thinking I'm in the mid 33 class just yet! 

    Time to think a spring racing plan now. Throw off those slight worries that I've already peaked image

  • Nice run out there SG, always hard on a twisty course. I reckon sharp turns are sometimes worse than hills, so the two together aren't great.

    What is Saturday looking like? I still have two options: (1) 3 miles to parkrun, parkrun and back for a lazy 9 with tempo or (2) you have down "Sa 14miles easy" so how fast is easy and where?

  • Hi all! Merry Christmas, hope everybody had a great day. Well done to those who managed a run, or even a race on Christmas Day!



    I got out for a sneaky early and v peaceful 60 mins yesterday before the festivities kicked off. 8m today inc 8 x 60s hills on about 3-4% incline then 8 x 50m on about 15% incline! Finished it off with an unintended 3-4min bash up a little mound, wasn't in the session but was too beautiful a morning to not get a cracking view across Edinburgh
  • Interesting race their SG. 

    Nice sesh Nikki. 

    8mi easy with club today; mince pie run. Muddy local route followed by mince pies and coffee. Boy's mtbing tomorrow then undefined Sat. Track or tempo Sun. 

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Phil, I often do my 14s at 7 or just under pace. would a 14 at around 7.15ish pace be doable? Or is that too sharp at the point you're at for now?

    Route wise would be negotiable, and even the time! No need for a 7am job on a Saturday!

     asking you about pace, I just remembered driving back from Aylesbury behind someone doing 35 in a 50 zone. Now I'm no boy racer, but on a long clear road, fine conditions and good visibility that struck me as ridiculous.

    Nikki, Iron, good runs yourselves. It's that odd bit of the year now where it's just waiting to see the year out isn't it. The time no one really has a clue what day and date it is... had to check and remember it's a Thursday!

  • Nicely run Philip and Stevie, and glad to see some others making it out todayas well Nikki and Iron.

    Welcome back Stevie See and Seb - glad to see you boys getting back into it!

    Sorry about today SG. Best laid plans and all! As it happens, I've had a thoroughly miserable 24 hours or so!  I started feeling rough about 6.30 last night, after a really good Christmas day, but put it down to a bit of over indulgence. By 1am, I was vomiting violently and feeling pretty dreadful. With little sleep for the two nights preceding, I was totally washed out this morning and have stayed here on my tod instead of going to my brother-in-laws for the traditional Boxing Day feast. Just as well, as I've not been able to eat anything today except a few spoonfuls of plain pasta and half a bagel. Despite spending most of the day in bed, I'm just about to head off to bed now as I feel shattered! My wife as a bit ill a few days ago, so I can only assume it was some sort of bug, but hopefully I'll be sorted by tomorrow.

    On the plus side, I'm not underwater and I've got electricity image

  • Stevie G wrote (see)

    Phil, I often do my 14s at 7 or just under pace. would a 14 at around 7.15ish pace be doable? Or is that too sharp at the point you're at for now?

    could probably manage that, did 13 @ 7:25 pace very easily with a few at 8 to warm up. I need to be at Hatfield for 12 noon lunch so needs to be early but not crack of dawn stuff. Any ideas for a nice route?

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    sound reasonable. you'd need to be back for 11 then, so probably looking at a 9 start?

    When you're talking 14s, it's a long route to find something interesting round here, anything in mind yourself? Maybe something relating to either Wycombe or Marlow half marathon routes. Presuming the latter is safe to run when not closed?

     

     

  • Marlow half padded to 14 sounds good. Can we make it a touch earlier, say 8:30?

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    yep, we can do that.

    I'll drive over for 8.30 to you and you can tell me where's a good place to park and start our Marlow route.

    Will be quite interesting to run the course. Raced it In 2002 and 2005, and obviously marshall it, but couldn't really tell you much about it these days.

  • OK, will you pick me up at home or the petrol station? Best place to park in Marlow at that end of town is Berwick Road, just by the police station and speed camera.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    shall we make the station, just for idiot proof ness (mine, forgetting your road again).

    You can show me that road nearer the time tomorrow. I look forward to Rotten Row!

  • Ah the old yearly review! Should make good reading all round. Another 8.5 today, was a little ore arduous than yesterday due to thw silly ass wind.

    Nice 5K Stevie, good to keep a bit of 5K pace over the winter to keep on top of the speed.

    My HM on the 19th of Jan... SO not happening! Will do one in March instead.

  • Stevie G wrote (see)

    shall we make the station, just for idiot proof ness (mine, forgetting your road again).

    Fine, petrol station at 8:30.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Yep Phil.

    And Yep Stevie S, although more 5k "Intensity", bearing in mind the actual pace came only 8 or so seconds per mile quicker than my solo 2x3miles at HMP sesh the other week!

     

    I'll get the template on here probably on Sunday, for people to complete on the Tuesday..just so we can get the totals 100% right, for the stats hounds on here.image

    Welcome comments and posts from lurkers too. Your chance to contribute, after so much taking all through the year. Just kidding image

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