Moraghan Training - Stevie G

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  • Impressive. The game after the first half was best forgotten tbh.

    Glad I watched at home and only had 2 beers..

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018

    Crept that little closer to the big 40 today, so thought i'd dip into the massive stash of annual leave, and have a random day off. As I used to do with a free day, I headed over for my 10miler around Marlow.

    Started slightly different place, and I'd obviously managed to miss that they were doing work on one of the big parks, meaning the usual route through was closed, but in effect the same route.

    Probably 60% offroad, lots of gates to stop at and open, a few cows to avoid, some decent climbs, and the sapping heat, and surprisingly still came out at 7.02 average.

    Comedy rookie mistake of for once running with one of those proper running bottles, that suit your running grip, but managed to put the wrong lid on it (looked the right one in my rush!)

    Inevitable happened of a gradual leak, and basically had about 10% of the fluid (empty by mile 4), and then had to hold the empty the whole way round :)

    Something different! Or at least different for a while.

  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Good pace on that routes SG, but what is that nonsense about carrying a bottle for a ten miler??? Happy birthday by the way (again!).

    Reg - you are feckin bonkers!!!!

    Double for me to today. Lowlight was finding that my new Apple Airpods drain to nothing if you don't put them in the case between runs 8 hours apart (who knew?). Highlight was being overlow by the shaved honey monster in his massive Osprey V22 chopper and full on X-men entourage on the way home!!  The world seems to have gone mad round here with around 10,000 extra police out guarding his little trip to the PM's weekend house!
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Midday hot sun, and had eaten a flimsy 3 Weetabix hours before. Seemed a decent time to take some water with!  I'm sure Ric would approve!

    After all, it's not an attempt to ruin ourselves!

    The test is always how many drinks of water does it take to need a whizz.

    Smashed 3 bottles down immediately, and then a few more later to see the amber magic. Actually being amber was a good sign!

  • PeteMPeteM ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    Impressive double double Reg but wouldn"t a cab home have been easier! Where do you work now? Sounds a bit more challenging a bike commute. 

    Was over your way tonight Reg for Dinton Pastures off road 5k. Wanted a more low key event to avoid the stress of going by train to London for the BP 5k's and then doing times no better than parkrun. Its a great little seriesput on by Ellie and Ian Gosling who you'll no doubt know as very good triathletes. Shame its not Po10 though. Quite a decent field but came 7th in 18'53 which was ok for a trail race and won some bling for 1st v50. 1st k was too quick in 3'34; next too slow in 3'53 bit then stabilised the rest around 3'46. Hopefully a sign of some improvement.  
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018


    ps nice double!

    Sesh tomorrow, and then some BP action Monday all being well.

    Who was in for that one?

    pps Apologies Pete and @wool (if you're reading), I really can't be mustering the enthusiasm for a MT tough parkrun right now! Need to have a couple more fast course 5k attempts for the summer.

  • PeteMPeteM ✭✭✭
    No worries re Saturday SG. I'm a bit out off love with BP after so many consecutive disappointing efforts there so an unlikely starter (also more dentistry at 4pm not an ideal prelude!)
  • Simon Coombes 2Simon Coombes 2 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018

    Good run PeteM, sounds like a good series, put on by athletes is always a good sign.

    8 x 800 last night, the steady/slow combo again - SAL tomorrow so did 3 sets of steady/fast then 2 steadies to finish. All steadies 2.40, the three fast were 2.24,2.21,2.16. Surprisingly warm last night, warmer in Luton than London I thought for a change.

    Oh and happy birthday SG..

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Ta Simon.
    Impressive trophy there Pete!

    Simon, with those 800s, the steady one is the recovery right? So it's consecutive, rather than a recovery after each of the 8?

    8x600 for me at 3k pace, off 90secs.
    A step up from the 8x600,2x400,2x200 at 5k pace a few weeks back.

    Humid, and this session always feels harder than the previous one, so happy with
    1x1.52,3x1.53,3x1.54,1x1.56

    1.54 is 1.16 lapping so that'll do. 
     
  • Simon Coombes 2Simon Coombes 2 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018

    Decent session again SG, decent in this weather.

    Yes the steady one is the recovery one in these, it's just to mix it up a bit, recoveries all the same, it's the same as doing 8 straight through recoveries wise (saying that we might get less recovery between the steady and fast..) IK did 2.03 for his last fast one!

  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    Belated happy birthday SG.

    Well done in the 5k Pete. I've done one of those summer series and have a very similar V40 trophy. I am working in Slough Trading estate now, just a stones throw from SG. I quite like the commute but the weather has been good for it and I haven't done it that often.

    Nice various sessions there too.
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    I'll let you off SG - just this once mind :smile:

    Cracking sessions Simon and AG too.

    That's a pretty darn nice bit of bling Pete by the looks of it. I need to get out and get a V50 one or two before I start having to bide time to V60 :smiley: Good time for a trail course too.

    Bit of Strava wankery on my part tonight. Got one of the "Uh Oh" messages about a CR on one of the biggest hills on my usual route earlier this week. Seems the guy ran fast up the hill as he had just been stung on the arse by a bee!!!! So, with just a short one to squeeze in tonight, it occured to me if I did it the other way round I cold have a go at getting it back - so I did :smile: Actually quite pleased, as the hip was bloody sore to start tonight and trying to doa quick hill climb seemed a tall order. It was in the pissing down rain too - lovely :sweat_smile:

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018

    That shows the slight risk of Strava Bus, when someone doesn't privacy protect their account. Anyone can read it!

    I wondered why I got a salty comment off a clubmate for a session once that i'd described as "monstering" some segz. Didn't realise i'd nicked one of his. :)

    Bet that guy is delighted you went and nicked it back, allowing him a mere 2 days, especially as it was his only run one!


    Gave today's sesh a quick comparison to the 3 times I did it last year.

    Best was 1.53, with a 1.55, and 1.56

    Therefore, today's 1.54 in humid conditions is competitive. I think I was smashing these sessions at the time of last year's 1.53 but only had a 17.03 and some 17.20 summer series times to show for it. I also suspect today was slightly tougher conditions, but hard to compare over time.

    The summer series races were hard to compare, as in theory the 3 I did both years came out slower this year, but Wycombe was longer this year, and the other 2 I do suspect were again, harder conditions.

    The only real stat that matters, is top end last summer 17.03, top end this year so far 16.56, with more cracks to come.

  • WoolWool ✭✭✭
    I’m also unlikely to be at Bracknell tomorrow. Just run up too many hills this week and I’m knackered!

    Nice result at Dinton Pete. I have one of those trophies from last month! Good course, could be fast with some delicious tarmac on it. Yum!
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Where is everyone today then? 

    Great, but long, day out yesterday at the Royal International Air Tattoo meant no running, and  was hoping to do the Watlington 10k today (they bill it as a fell race). However, some muppet decided to try and cut a tree down near my house with an axe at 5am this morning! By the time I'd worked out what was going on, chased them off and got back to bed I fell asleep and didn't get up again in time!

    Hey ho, went for a longish run in the midday sun instead. Ended up as a 13.2 miler, so further than expected but rather disappointingly from an OCD perspective made me finish on 49.0 miles for the week. I may yet go out and do a mile later :smile:
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    It wouldn't cross my mind to go to something like that Bus. Mind you, I was impressed with the Trump fly over the other day. The night time return was really good as the flight path went right over my house. 

    The fancy helicopter with two rotors had the blade tips lit up, so it looked as if two green circles were going over.

    Yesterday I ran 12 miles early on. Later I went off to the woods to seek out a new site for Purple Emperor butterflies where I happened across a guy training for a mountain race. 

    His training consisted of running up and down the steepest hill in the woods at which I was at the top of. I'd gone up that hill once myself earlier. He was doing it about 20 times back to back - faster. He knew the guy who beat that fell running record the other day.

    After I'd found a new site for the rare bug (it'll get visitors) I went home and on the way, bumped into another runner who seemed lost. Had a chat, gave him the rest of my drink and directions.
     
    Seems he was visiting his mother in law. He was down from the fells - funny that...yes, the Bob Graham Round. He was there.

    60 miles on the bike to the Chilterns and back today. 18mph average. Lots of bike events going on. 

    58 miles on foot this week, 62 miles last week.

    A football match has just started on the telly. Wonder what that's about?

    🙂

  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    Shame Bus but it was pretty warm for any kind of racing. Nice long run.

    Did a long run myself today, 14 miles before breakfast. 10 miles easy and then 4 miles at theoretical half-ironman pace of 6:2x, a pace I don't think I've got near yet but I am sticking with it.
  • Saw PeteM and Wool at Bracknell, both did better than I. Last week I did Balck Park in 31 as a pacer so this week was the first effort at doing something a bit faster since my knee want and it came out as 21:48 so happy with that. Seems to be going in the right direction. 
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    10 min improvement is decent Phil ;)

    Awkward course by all accounts. Knew Wool would go despite him being pretty sure he wouldn't!

    Decent long runs by a lot of chaps too.

    I'm in 5k racing mode, and it's obvs really hot, so had to use some classic "i'll go out for at least 10" sort of mind games. 12 was enough in the end. While a long run is beneficial all year round, if ever there's time you can trim it down a bit it's the above scenario.

    Would NOT have fancied racing the Wyc half today. Back in the day I didn't really give a thought to conditions, and often turned out for boiling hot long races. I suppose half is the invincibility of youth, and half is the slight recklessness of youth!

  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Likewise SG - same thought process for mine today and also VERY gald not to be still caught up in doing the Wycombe Half!!! Thank goodness for those lovely beech woods :smile:

    Good effort Reg, and seems like you are on the mend Mr J?

    The airshow was a birthday present Ric.  I've always had an interest in 1st and 2nd world war aircraft since a lad, so was quite excited with the chance of seeing Hurricanes, Spitfires and even a Lancaster yesterday. I also saw trump's Osprey and his entourage of pumas too on the run home on Thursday - very Marvel superheros! The Osprey wasn't quite so impressive yesterday surrounded by much larger beasts though - just looked a bit odd!!  Some of the stuff we saw yesterday was undeniably impressive - F25s and Typhoons climbing vertically and changing direction on a sixpence at 700mph and a super-secret flypast from a B2 Stealth bomber direct from the US, but the most impressive was the Chinook and Atlas displays - the maneuverability of such mammoth machines was something to behold! 
  • PeteMPeteM ✭✭✭
    Lots of impressive training going on then; Bus; Simon; SG and Ric (sounds like you are going great and envious of your bike pace for someone even older than me!). 

    Yes good to see Wool and PMJ on my home parkrun course. Don't be too impresssed with the times though SG; they changed the course as a one off to make it easier for all you Dashers and BFR lot in your mob match (officially to make overtaking easier!). Oddly instead of just going back to the old course they added a run across a field which made the whole thing about 70 metres long though. Impressive turnout for the mob match, must have been about 100 from each club. 

    Local knowledge probably helped me a bit and ended 10th in 19'20 which is an ok time for me there even on the easier course. Beat pretty much all the BFR and Datchet I could hope to (your mate Sankey maybe didn't like his 2nd beating in 3 days by an old man SG!)  though some, probably including Wool, may not have been giving 100% as he's definitely better than me as proved with his recent 17'xx at Upton. 

    No running today for me as 12 year old now really into theme parks and was on Thorpe Park duty. Was a tri going on when we first got in; loads of them doing their run leg amongst the hordes tryimg to race to get on Saw, Stealth etc! Quite bizarre. 

  • WoolWool ✭✭✭
    Yeah, I went. Was still in bed at 8:20 and with a 20 min drive to get there prep wasn’t perfect. Kept thinking, I’ll catch Pete in a bit - of course I never got close as he ran well & I really didn’t! Nice to chat though and to see Phil out.

    Today I was at Dorney at 06:30 to do some laps with Jill who was wanting to dial in her MP ahead of Berlin. Given my love of a flat track and tarmac it didn’t surprise me that 3 laps (~9 miles) came out pretty much the same pace as parkrun the day before. Horses for courses and all that....

    Bus, any idea why someone’s chopping a tree down at 5am? I know log burners are trendy (yes, we have one) but I’m not feeling a chill at the mo’.
  • I do feel that the death knell is starting to be rung for the Wycombe Half.

    Look at the number of finishers. 2015 was the last year on the old course (and the one that gave SG his big turn at the end) and then subsequent years on the new cross country course. 

    2007: 882
    2013: 743
    2015: 424
    2016: 386
    2017: 377
    2018: 282

    I can't see who it appeals to.

    It isn't a fast course so does not attract fast runners (yesterday only 9 were sub-90) and there were not even enough club runners to get team prizes sorted out.

    It isn't the sort of course that will appeal to the weekend warriors who want to have a social media blast. Last year they did a good thing with great photos by Matt Fowler (professional photographer) for free but this year back to a paid photographer and £9 a piccy. There are way easier ways to get that fix.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    Bus, my dad saw active service during WW2 in the RAF, and his knowledge of aircraft was encyclopedic.

    He flew everything including on one occasion a Spitfire. It was like the F1 of the skies and he wasn't actually cleared to fly them. 

    At the time he was moving aircraft from one air field to another, and a Spitfire turned up and needed moving.

    He was a teenager as the battle of Britain was going on. Too young. But the only thing he ever wanted after that was to fly a Spit. It was the only thing he ever wanted, period.

    He took the chance. Job done, aged 20.

    🙂

  • Simon Coombes 2Simon Coombes 2 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018

    Yes they need to keep these halfs interesting, there needs to be a reason to do them. Good long running and parkrunning folks, with some reps thrown in.

    Soi Saturday was SAL in Erith - that awful SE London, North Kent area past Thamesmead. Leisure centre and track was the best bit of it - had a moosey round the town before the 800 - no pubs! incredible. So the 800 was first up, going off the bend was in third after the first 200, the guy in front looked decent, but the young kid in front of me looked like he had gone off too quick. So got past him into 2nd at the bell in 62. Slowly made my way up to the first place guy during the 2nd lap, but couldn't get there, finished just behind him in 2.05.99. Pretty breezy and warm, do happy enough.

    1500 was 2 hours later, both matches together, so about 20 of us lining up. Settled in behind the Bexley guy, who had looked decent in the warm up - and that was it really, just me and him. First lap in 67, 800 in 2.15, by that time I had moved past him into the lead. The annoying 300 to the bell wasn't fast enough, passing through in 3.07, managed to stick in a 67 last lap for a 4.14.7. Did a 59 sec first lap in the 4x 400 later, so reasonably happy speed wise. The murdered 4 pints of Moretti in Woolwich with my mate later.

    Yesterday was about 10 miles, nice and easy..

    Edit - Ric. There's a great track called 'Spitfire' by Public Service Broadcasting - have a listen on youtube..

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u4Md_aXVJE


  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    I do feel that the death knell is starting to be rung for the Wycombe Half.

    Look at the number of finishers. 2015 was the last year on the old course (and the one that gave SG his big turn at the end) and then subsequent years on the new cross country course. 

    2007: 882
    2013: 743
    2015: 424
    2016: 386
    2017: 377
    2018: 282

    I can't see who it appeals to.

    It isn't a fast course so does not attract fast runners (yesterday only 9 were sub-90) and there were not even enough club runners to get team prizes sorted out.

    It isn't the sort of course that will appeal to the weekend warriors who want to have a social media blast. Last year they did a good thing with great photos by Matt Fowler (professional photographer) for free but this year back to a paid photographer and £9 a piccy. There are way easier ways to get that fix.

    It was always such a big local hub of a race. You'd get the top local runners turning out, it was at a superb big park with swimming pool, stuff for families and kids and they move

    You'd turn out out of habit. Our own Bus did a tonneload in a row, and I did 5 consecutive ones between 2002-2006.

    In 2008 they introduced the 10k version, intending to increase the appeal, but it probably helped diffuse things.
    That, and elements like all the local halves seeing dips in numbers (Burnham Beeches even called off one year?), and increasing issues like impatient motorists and road closure issues, all led to the end at the Rye.

    Once they did that, it became a completely different race, with no loyalty attached.
    Instead, you have a tough, hilly, mostly offroad race, in mid July. Even putting the finish at my beloved Wanderers gave it no appeal to me personally.

    They were already talking about canning it before this year's numbers were out. Now those numbers are so paltry (though also 250 in the 10k still), they surely can't keep it going any longer?

    A shame to see a local race go, but in effect it "went" years ago.
    Even in 2015, I was coming 16th, having basically had an incredible meltdown!


  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2018
    Good little pair of races Simon. Must take some getting used to doing back to back races hours apart.

    Obviously my only experience is the Gosport doubles, and even then you're half giving yourself license in the 5k to go a little softer.
    Sandhurst track day in about 2011-13 somewhere is my nearest equivalent. I still remember my lungs being ruined after a 400m in 59secs. It was coming round a bend, thinking "I'm a fast runner" and presuming i'd catch a guy I didn't take as an especially fast short distance guy, and being shocked I couldn't close the gap that stays with me.

    BP tonight, all going well.
    4mile easy this morn. Hopefully eases down in temp a bit by then, as feel a bit dazed now :)
  • Sri Chimnoy is it? Shame it wasn't the last one, could have cheered you on! Although that was England v Tunisia night. I've entered the BMC mile races at Oxford on 28th July, but the standard is set at 4.25, so I'll have to wait and see if they'll let an old duffer join in ;)

    800m is a decent warm up in a track day - did a 16.02 5,000m 25 mins after an 800 a couple of years ago, it's a good one to get the system going. Makes you wonder if you should be doing at least 200m strides before races!

  • WoolWool ✭✭✭

    every year I think about entering one of those Wycombe races and every year I've forgotten; they come at an odd time of the year really, out of step with lots of the events that I'd see as comparable.

    I'm particularly glad I forgot this year. I see that both were given CSS = 6.0 on RB.


  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭
    Hope the BP went well SG.  Ric - I guess for any pilot of that era flying a Spitfire would have been the ultimate. Great to fly, but buggers to land apparently!

    Cracking work Simon!

    Interesting about the Wycombe Half. I was glad when they changed the course, as I'd always had a love-hate relationship with it, and this gave me an out after 14 years on the trot! It is a shame they changed though - not just a local icon in its own right, but it was also my first ever race!  For what it's worth, here is my own history on the original course and notes from the race from my race results log, which shows the steady decline in numbers, which hey tried to counter by adding the 10k:

    2002 1.41.49 (205/999) OK time for first ever race
    2003 1.41.39 (170/888) v. hot conditions. WDC 2nd in Company team
    2004 1.34.18 (103/906)  WDC Company Team Winners with 1201 points
    2005 1.33.15 (  47/906) v. v. hot, violently sick at 9m. co. team winners again
    2006 1.22.54 (  18/937) Cool and drizzly
    2007 1.25.01 (  21/883) Humid
    2008 1.25.54 (  40/914) Cool, but strong headwind for last 3 miles
    2009 1.22.43 (  15/962) 5th V40, 4th in Bucks Champs. Cool & showery
    2010 1.22.27 (  10/977) 2nd V40, 4th & 1st V40 in Bucks Champs. Cool & breezy
    2011 1.23.48 (  21/921) Cool conditions. 7th V40+ . Slow (ish) time as recovering from injury
    2012 1.21.46 (  10/807) Course  PB. 1st V40, Bronze medal & 1st V40 in Bucks Champs. 
    2013 1.24.21 (  17/743) Disaster! Muggy, sore hamstrings but mainly overcooked downhill
    2014 1.22.38 (    6/597) 1st V40 (2 V50s ahead though!). Quite humid
    2015 1.23.54 (  12/423) 3rd V40, humid and breezy, but slower than expected

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