Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2018
    ps will monitor the 5k...keep an eye on places and re-assess. At least there would be less of a drive the next morning, staying in the "southern north" (if that's even a thing) and racing in Birmingham.
  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭
    Definitely not 10k pace. Around 75/76 second laps so around 5 min pace. 
  • DeanR7DeanR7 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2018

    SG -  considering racing the 5k and not doing be vets relay.  that relay isn't that prestigious as a lot of the fast vets run the normal 12 stage.  I would sack the relay and focus on the 5k.  or tell your team you will be on tired legs for the relay.

    matt - great session.  one of those you get on the groove and just keep turning them out.  I remember doing a 20*400 once in a big group taking turns leading.  was a good session

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    edited January 2018

    Yeah will have to keep my eye on you soon SG :)

    Upton Court Park - is that where they have held Chiltern league xc races? If so, they were right up my street..XC races for road runners. Usually you parked at TVH and walked over the M4 to get there.

    I'm back on the no crisps, sweets or cake again like I was pre xmas. Chocolate OK, usually a bit of dark choc in the evening. I substitute crisps for popcorn.

    You've missed off booze Simon.
    On second thoughts, you're more likely to take up religion or country dancing than give up the beer:)

    Hectic day Bus. That's going to dent any run later on. Stress has that effect. It slows you down.

    Dean, stick to indoor training if you can. Who want's the mud and ice?

    🙂

  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Cheers chaps. Good controlled session Matt. Knowing you, I wouldn't be surprised if you nailed it!

    SG, your analysis is almost spot on! Hillingdon 2015 was a fail because I had been in the Lakes the week before and done around 14,000 of climbing. Stoopidly I thought that wouldn't affect it! It was also a very dull course. On the other-hand, Wokingham earlier that year was 1:19:13 and I had painful blisters on both feet from mile 10, so that may have cost a bit of time. 2016 was the DNF - but that was a much a mental issue as physical and I need to eradicate thoughts of that one! So in reality, I'm thinking it's only 3 years on from my 'best' at Wokey. Last year's Fleet was 1:21:41, and that was a tougher course with strong winds. I'm hoping the ageing process isn't accelerating so much that I couldn't at least better that, but we'll see!  I'm going to repeat (and lengthen) last night's tempo for the next couple of weeks and see what happens.
  • Ric - No Booze? Never going to happen as you would expect!

    ML84 - Monster session, decent times too. Bus - I can leave cake, although developed big sugar addiction over xmas, hard to drop!

    Surrey League xc tomorrow at Coulsdon, right at the bottom of London at 'Happy Valley'. I can tell you it's not when you're coming up the valley side for the 2nd time...

  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭
    Anyone else getting a Marie Curie advert on their screens all the time? Pissing me right off. 

    Great little sharpener last night for tomorrow's half marathon. A last minute 'few drinks' ended up with me having 8/9 pints of cider and having my first run in with Gin. Heads up my arse this morning. Haha
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    I've got a load of Ad blockers in play ML, so I'm spared.
    I understand that doing a long run is good for a hangover, though in your case that'll have to be about 30 miles - plus.

    My running is moving on. Up to a daily 9 miles off road with some indoor bike work.
     
    Found a flock of these things when out. I think only Dachs would be the only other threadster to know what they are.

    🙂

  • ML84 said:
    Anyone else getting a Marie Curie advert on their screens all the time? Pissing me right off. 

    RicF said:

    Found a flock of these things when out. I think only Dachs would be the only other threadster to know what they are.

    To pull those two last post together, the bird is a hawfinch and facebook is urging me to buy £50 chain bondage dresses suitable for a whore.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    I was thinking Bullfinch, but a quick google, showed that's not that similar at all :)

    Phil, you're not going into your f''kbook account by accident again are you? :)

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Bus, i'd forgotten the DNF, strangely, as that's not that long ago, from how long we've been giving it some on this thread!

    A sensible decision that day! If I'd dropped out of the Wyc half when I realised it wasn't going well, instead of struggling it out stubbornly, i'd very likely have not spent a year plus treading water!

    I suppose the earliest sign was mile 2 coming out slower than mile 1....despite mile 1 having most of the stonking steep hill in!

  • The one on the top is clearly a bird and one on the bottom, I think is a grumpy dog.
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    Yes Phil, it's a Hawfinch. 
    It's the classiest bird in the woods. In the UK they are scarce, shy and have a bite so powerful they could cut off your finger.
    I hadn't seen one since 1989. However, on the tail end of storm Ophelia, a mass of them came across from Europe. They made the papers.

    The wood where I saw them was where I've twice got injured while running the Middx Vets XC.
    Oddly enough, it was within a yard or two where that happened - both times.
    I'll call it a draw. 

    🙂

  • Well I'm in a good mood thanks to a lesser spotted me running.

    Wasn't altogether sure I was ready but it was noticeably better today. Expected to jog out 8 minute miles but ended up doing 4 miles at 6:54 average without forcing it.

    Ankle is not fully stable and I was a bit nervous but it seems to have held up well.

    That was 20 days so a bit more than the 7 days I hoped for.
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Yeah one of those birds that you give a hawfinch and it takes a full mile....

    What have you been browsing then Philip???

    Reg - good news on the ankle. Hope it continues to strengthen.

    Maybe it was mile 1 that did it for you SG! 

    Talking of heart rate, accurate or not, my watch has shown a much lower RHR this week after the virus has gone, and despite running faster on the LSR today, it barely rose above 165, whereas last week I was struggling to keep it under 175. Mildly interesting if nothing else I s'pose.
  • Matthew HeadMatthew Head ✭✭✭
    edited January 2018
    Haha, I must confess Bus, I laughed at that one! Nice work on the long run, and good daily miles Ric.

    Good indoor track sessions Dean, your paces are beyond my comprehension! Speaking of speedsters, ML, those 600m reps are cracking! Best of luck for the HM, some quality prep there ;)

    Looks like some good running going on, and a good return run from you Reg. 

    Glad to hear the long run pre-work went well SG, not sure whether I'd be too happy with a later finish mind - I'd be falling asleep at the desk after lunch :p


    A few more easy runs from me - still tending to a bit of an ache on the ankle/foot front from the beginning of the week.
    Wed 5.6mi at 8:25/mi for 76.7%HR, Thurs 6.3mi at 8:18/mi for 78.1%HR - just one of those days where it all felt tough!
    Was considering a long run today, but decided not to on way round for a couple reasons - firstly, couldn't hack 11 laps of this flat route, pretty shitty weather, and also probably better to try to pre-empt any aches rather than just aim to get miles down.
    5.7mi today in that case, no real issues and generally felt good at 8:19/mi for 74.8%HR. May have ended up running shorter than I could have, but better that than too far and go back to square one :)

  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Cheers Matt, and almost certainly the best decision...

    Good luck tomorrow Mr L (and anyone else racing?)
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Right, it was the next TVXC event today, 5.8miles or so at a park in Dachs' neck of the woods. Not the lightning fast parkrun venue....ok i'll stop teasing Dachs with that one now ;).

    Parking at some school, a 5min walk round the corner brought into a view what looked like what you northern chaps would take as a "proper" XC course, and not the MT versions we usually have in these events.

    We're talking very boggy mud for a lot of it, not many steep hills, but a lot of short ups and downs. There was also a little woody section, but basically 2 big laps and 1 shorter lap.

    Had no idea which way round in fairness.

    A short warmup, about 1 1/4miles, and these seem to work ok these days, and to the start. Minute's silence for Dachs' clubmate, and OFF....

    Went off HARD today, stormed through some muddy boggy stuff, and thought, i'll slow down later if needs be.

    The new Innov8 225s were tied up super tight, so I felt a lot more confident this time, even if lime green shoes and white socks quickly was looking a ridiculous idea.

    Was expecting 5th dasher to be my glass ceiling today, as our front 4 were out, and in storming form from the Cliveden XC. However, I had Mr Sikora, Mark FS from Sandhurst and Alistair at Wargave as old school rivals as well. A great stacked field of all sorts of people.

    The race settled, and i'm watching a couple of the Dasher boys Chris and Rob B from a short distance behind, and Alistair has come by. Usual experience with him is i'll set off hard, he'll come by mid way, and we'll have a right old close one with me stealing it at the end, OR he'll just finish a fair way ahead. With an element of 5k more usually me winning, offroad/long him.

    But who knows, I thought, just keep working.

    The muddy stretches were so wide, you struggled to find the line of least mess at times, although runners would run 20metres wide to try and fine dryer land!

    The woods offered a little bit of respite, as the mud tended to stop there, and some twisty turns came in. Then it was back into the fields.

    Near the end of lap 1, Chrrisy B was coming back a little, turned and spotted and said hello to me. It was a bit more respectful than Crispy's infamous "f'cks sake" when spotting me, and realising he must be underpar :)

    Tried to chivvy Chris with an appetising little downward non muddy burn, as per chivvying of Mr Lee at Handy Cross, but he was a bit underpar, and I presumed he'd be back level later, as he's a fan of taking little breaks mid race.

    Continued tracking Alistair and Rob B from my boys, and through the "finish line" for the 1st of 3 times to loads of cheers. This stretch was already pretty darn filthy, so I dreaded to think of what it'd be like in another 20mins or so.

    Second lap felt better on the mind for some reason. Still kept honest knowing there was a cavalry charge behind, but confident to keep cracking on. Through the funnel again, having just nipped ahead of a Windle chap, who are leading the series so far.

    Then gradually it started happening, past Alistair, and "feeling" that was him behind for the day, and then level with Rob B, who wasn't far behind Samson at Cliveden.

    Suggested a little step up in effort for us to work as a pair, but ended up carrying on and ahead.

    Into the woods, checking the watch, not quite sure when the turn off for the 3rd lap finish would be, as I'd not started my watch until a fair chunk in!

    Then I noticed Graham not far in front. What the! Just carry on as you are I think.

    Emerge out the woods up a bank, we're almost home, hang on, i'm going past Graham, what's this. 5 years on from Tadley and being 2-3secs behind him being my best ever race, i'm ahead of him for the first time ever, perhaps only temporarily? And we'll find out what he's done the day before later...

    But..it's the final run in, it's a glorious down to the finish isn't it. BEAUTY!

    STORM down it, no-one's having me here, there's Mr Winning just ahead (posts on here very occasionally, super fast geezer, 2.38 marathoner?). Rob F absolutely insists I obliterate myself to take 1 more point, and just manage to get ahead, not slip over in the gloop and over the line for 8th! Happy with 3rd home for the club too, as I was thinking 5th was my top end today, as we had our best team out (bar Rob F, who has done a bit of a calf job again unfortunately)

    With certainty, that's my best ever XC performance.

    I've come 3rd and 5th and top 10s before, but i'm certain the field is more stacked now.

    It's essential I point out Graham had raced yesterday, and Mr Winning had apparently done a 20mile run at 6.38 average (someone must have strava stalked that!) yesterday, and Chrissie B may still be a little coldy or whatever, but you race as you find it don't you.

    Put on facebook it felt like a bit of a mental breakthrough, to go off hard, maintain it, and work up to the finish. After a "Loosener" at Windsor, and a "set off steady and dribble up the hills" at Handy Cross, this felt good.

    It's feeling really good again, and in a week, of Monday track, Tuesday tempo reps, and 15mile Thursday.

    Good to see PeteM of course, even if I had to slightly anxiously disappear, noticing the time and knowing what I had to do pre-race

    Not sure of the exact distance it turned out to be, as I ended up with 5.47miles in 34;05, which is 6.14 pace.

    I'll be interested to see the finishing time, and estimate the missing distance, could have been anywhere from 0.15m to 0.3m.

    Pete what reading did you get on distance?

  • PeteMPeteM ✭✭✭
    Going back a few days but great 400's SG, that must indicate pb form? Amazing indoor sesh Dean and usual top quality from Simon and Matt L. Also good comeback runs by Reg, Ric, Scott and Matt H and a fair marker there Bus and sign of better to come no doubt. 

    So onto a very busy weekend for me. Started at Woodley parkrun which was my daughter's choice of venue and not ideal for me as knew I was back at Woodley (albeit different course) for xc today. Anyway the parkrun went very well and came home 2nd of over 400 in 18'23 so 1'50 mins quicker than Bracknell the week before. Course probably accounts for 90 seconds of that but still very pleasing. Daughter also back in form at just over 27 (she really likes that course!).

    Woodley/Reading XC today followed a day out trekking around London for said daughter's birthday as well as the pr so felt pretty knackered beforehand. Met SG briefly before the start but that seemed to be it from the thread and never saw SG again after so assume he did ok? Met most of our "A team" for a warm up which comprised a full 2m lap of the new course so too much for me but went with the flow (or lack of it given the terrain was almost entirely mud ;)

    After a well observed minute's silence for Dachs' club mate we were off and it was quickly apparent this would be a gruelling event. 3 laps of a course that was already very muddy and obviously going to get more so after the early laps. Set off in a pack of 4 WV's counting myself and we were like that for half the race just inter-changing the odd place here and there (me picking up in the mud and on the downhills but losing on the firmer bits and straights). Anyway 1 guy dropped at about 5k and surprisingly a guy who is about my level then went on leaving me and a 1'17 half guy together (though he always struggles relatively with xc). Stayed together slogging through the mud till as usual he showed a proper sprint finish and put about 20 secs on me. Still 41st in just under 38 mins for a really gruelling 5.8 miles was decent enough and just good enough to score as 6th (though feel my scoring days are almost over). Mens team was strong but for once our women's team were weak due to a whole host of late drop outs. Probably lost to both SG's and Dach's clubs today and the league now will probably go to the wire, despite my club winning all the first 4.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Nice one Pete, sorry not to find you after, I was begging cool downs off people, did 2 separate ones :)

    Results are out already.   34:37 my final time, so 32 secs until I got my watch going, so that must be the shorter side of my distance range, perhaps 0.15m, perhaps a 5.62miler?

    Did you get a distance reading?

  • PeteMPeteM ✭✭✭
    SG I had it spot on 9k which is 5.6 miles but sometimes mine misses a bit in woods etc. so you are probably right. Immense run by you; big congrats, you are in brilliant form. 37'51 for me so you put over 3 mins on me in under 6 miles.

    So WV scraped 2nd overall which surprises me and still leaves us in pole position :) .
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2018

    I was surprised at the joint 2nd. Reading were really undone by their ladies, as they had a strong men's outfit.

    However, it doesn't change too much, as with 4x1, a 2nd or a 3rd would be wiped off as your weakest score.

    It's hard to tell what's going on in the men's section as they don't do a current table, but i'd imagine we're probably joint 1st there?

    It's so much about the course and mentality on these series races.

    I beat one chap at Handy cross by 10seconds if that. Today it was over 3mins.

    Yes, I lost that shoe which didn't help, but the mentality before both could barely have been different, and today's mentality is more like the glory days of this thread. Starting to feel a little "excited" about Wokingham now. At worst I should be able to tear apart the time at Wycombe 2015 :)

  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Good work both of you, but SG, the shear joy of you finding good form and taking some quality scalps shines out from the report! 

    Let's hope it's the start of a Purple Patch for you - you had a great block of training last year, so let's see what that can be turned into race wise in the next few weeks/months!
  • ML84ML84 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2018
    Congrats chaps! SG, like Pete says you're in great form at the minute so keep building on it. Get the fast races lined up! 

    Managed to get a pretty decent half in at Brass Monkey half. Did my best to scupper it with being out on the ale Friday night but made sure I had a jog round the parkrun and had a 3 minute pick up to do. Barely broke 5.40 pace for the 3 mins and I was blowing out of my arse. 

    The only reason I went was because I'd agreed to collect a v55 mate who had gone with his wife for the weekend to York so I was picking him up from his hotel 2 miles away and taking him to the venue. Out on the road at 7.15am for the 1 hour 45min drive and I ran out of good excuses to ring him with. 

    Couple of miles very slow jogging as a warm up and I'm stood on the startline about 5 seconds before the gun goes and I'm still going to cop out and go 90%, a marathon pa ed effort or even drop back and pace my mate. 
    I'd checked the weather and knew there'd be a bit of a headwind for the first 5/6 miles as we then run a big look and then head back with hopefully the wind on our backs. 

    The race quickly ended up with 2 groups ahead. I knew I wasn't going with the sub 70 group but the other seemed a bit to quick at the the time so I ended up at the front of the third group, probably in about 20th. 
    Wasn't long before I realised I was pulling away from the group I was in and at 5 miles (27.30) the group in front were strung out so I knew there'd be casualties. One by one I managed to pick them off with the odd one tucking in behind me before i started moving away. 

    Went through 10 miles in 54 mins and was smiling at points as i went through the next couple of miles. I just felt really good and passed another couple of lads in the last half mile. Crossed the line and stopped my watch amd then was approached by the timekeeper who informed me my chip hadn't registered. Gave him my watch time which I realised would cost me a few seconds as the lad behind me was given the time of being 1 second slower. I'd like to see the finishing pictures as he seemed a bit further back than that but ill take 1.11.33. And 8th place. Winner ran 67. 

    Looking at my splits I just wish I'd have committed sooner as I might have got near to running 70 mins

    https://www.strava.com/activities/1356455597
  • PeteMPeteM ✭✭✭
    Unbelievably good time Matt for a half hearted effort pre race. Are you targeting the thread's next sub 70 HM?

    SG; All league tables are up and up to date. WV still 1 ahead of DD in mens and 2 in Combined. As we now have a 2nd currently discounted as worst race which would come back in if we came worse than 2nd, it means if WV manage at least one 2nd in the last 2 they at least tie the Combined outright. A win or joint win would mean a win overall. Are there any rules to sort out ties at the end of the season in this competition? Mens is closer; DD would probably win that if they won the last 2 as we only have a 3rd currently discounted. DD deserve to win the mens I have to say; overall stronger runners than us and still a bigger club I think.
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Absolutely racking time Matt - hows the power of cider :smile:

    Your average pace for 13/1 miles is actually quicker than my fastest official mile !!!!!

    You should get down here for Wokinghm and get the sub 70......
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2018

    Matt - that's one hell of a not flat out race. It's pretty clear if you really targeted something and got past your slight dislike of racing, plus this marathon current focus, you could match anyone on here on the road !

    Pete, on the league table tab, they are only showing after 4 races. After 5 races, I believe the men's will show as equal.

    You've had  1-2-1-2-3 and we've had 3-1-4-1-1

    You lose today's 3rd, we lose the 4th, so that's 6-6

    If we don't win the men's it's that Metros 3rd that has rucked us.  It was a terrible piece of scheduling in fairness, October wasn't it? A month was it (?) before the next race, yet we still end up with 3 races over 4 weeks at this end! Bonkers.

    Overall, we'd need a big performance in the last 2 and you guys to be underpar.

    Such a shame on our women's side that Jill hasn't done any. She's surely the fastest women from any of the clubs, so is a real game changer when around!

  • HA77HA77 ✭✭✭
    Great race today SG. Had nothing when you came flying past on the line. My long run was on Friday so should've been somewhat recovered. You've added 4 minutes to my marathon time too. To add insult to injury my wife remembered you from the DD relays and commented how much faster than me you were going and what a nice guy you are. 

    Smashing half Matt.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    :) apologies on the time, I do remember thinking 1.17 is blimming tasty for half (of 2.34!), so must have mixed the 8 in with something else I was thinking of!

    Thank your wife for me :) But feel free to point out all your respective times versus mine!

    It'd be interesting to compare times running past the crowd each of the 3 laps, with general pace over the whole course! That's why I couldn't do London, as there aren't as many crowd free parts to resume normal pace ;)

  • PeteMPeteM ✭✭✭
    Good spot on the tables SG; closer than I thought then. Wonder why they don't update when the results of a race come in but guess they need to wait till they are official or something?
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