Moraghan Training - Stevie G

1149514961498150015011915

Comments

  • WoolWool ✭✭✭

    OK, I give in - but, I do like to post from the office and having pics like that on the screen does give me a bit of an issue.

    Dean - I certainly don't think that you need to apologize for posting YOUR picture. No doubt that's one that you can look back on and draw inspiration from when you need it.

    SW - did you mention which marathon you are targeting. I've committed to VMLM now (again), will you be there? Sorry, reading back causes an issue!

    Tempo 5 miles for me last night. Came out comfortably quicker than my parkrun attempt on NYD which just goes to reaffirm my avid dislike of even the smallest amount of mud. And hangovers.

  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019
    Sorry Wool, I didn't realise I was impeding your ability to piss about on the internet at work. :)

    I always used to like the BBC website when it was virtually monochrome and pictureless. Since they turned it into a crappy Hello magazine there's virtually nothing suitable.
  • SG - the amount of times you're asking for people to delurk, it's like you've had enough of this lot years ago. Does provide good content though, I'll give you that. And it worked on me  :p 

    Reg - I've always tried to get a desk with my back to the wall so it's not a problem. Out of work again at the moment so currently sitting in bed in my pajamas. Got a few irons in the fire though. 

    I've actually been doing a bit of running! 40 miles already in the bank this week. Heading along to my first session in ages tomorrow with the club, 3 x 5km @ 'tempo', with the last 5km taking place during parkrun. Will probably aim for around MP and see how that comes out. 

    Done a bit of a longer 'year review' on the blog, if anyone wants to read. Never know whether to post it on here or not, as I don't want to annoy folks;

    https://spragginsblog.wordpress.com/2019/01/04/2018-training-racing-summary/
  • We should meet up for a long ride next week then if you're out of work again as well, Joe!
  • WoolWool ✭✭✭
    Believe it or not, I actually sit away in an office so that I have privacy. It's just that bit when folks then walk in and disturb my pissing about that can be a little awkward! Pissing about is the best bit about work though, isn't it? 
  • Wool - Im doing Manchester and Berlin this year. Didn't get into VLM and my Abingdon time was too late for GFA
  • Wool said:
    Believe it or not, I actually sit away in an office so that I have privacy. It's just that bit when folks then walk in and disturb my pissing about that can be a little awkward! Pissing about is the best bit about work though, isn't it? 
    Especially when you have young children, work is like a nice peaceful rest broken up by pissing around on the internet.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    Wow, what a set of notifications! This must be what it's regularly like for the likes of Dean and Dachs when they post fairly infrequently!

    I savour every word though, especially Wool's one word posts! reminds me of the days texts used to cost about 12p, and you'd pack loads in, only for someone to come back with "yer". Which isn't even a word!


    Joe - the fantasy of some hottie being lurking, and loving the truly splendorous mix of stats obsession, monsterly wordy posts, and ok, let's dress it up as the more appealing "passion" keeps the lurker hunt going :)

    That, or I might have to go and find someone to coach again :)

  • Reg WandReg Wand ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019
    Yes the days of 12p texts led to some serious editing of words to minimise the letter count and squeeze it all in.

    I may be going out on a limb here SG but I am not confident that RW Forums is exactly a hotbed of totty. On Facebook there is a group called "Ironman Singles," prehaps you could interlope there, I suspect a verbose running addict would fit in well.

    8 easy, off-road and some 100m strides today. Recovery 4 miler due tomorrow before a progressive long run on Sunday but I may switch them around as the club are meeting up to do a XC run and it will no doubt be at recovery pace.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2019

    Anyway, Ealing mile. Just done.

    We have a 2019 race in the bank, so best live up to the well "explained" minutiae of the day.

    Run the track...

    Annoying the bosses no end, with my, no holiday for 6-7months at a time, bar some random 1 or 2 dayers around football/race trips, Christmas becomes a time where I cash in. 2 weeks or so off, deeper into January than any reasonable person ever does. Good logic with this though - you avoid the same witless small talk with tonnes of people, and you avoid the depression mode half the office sinks into. By the time you do finally re-emerge, no one can even remember what they did for Christmas...

    (ED - get on with it son, you don't need to do pre-amble to even the pre-amble!)

    So erm, yes, I thought i'd best do something vaguely of use in this time off, so to Ealing it was!

    Having had a right old merry dance trying to park in Ealing before when driving, i'd broken the trip up with the tube before.

    With wanting to give the Vaporflys a run out, I didn't want to either carry them in a rucksack, or do too much mileage in them, so thought, sod it I'm driving this time.
    Researched an actual proper carpark fairly close, albeit one with a mere 25 spaces, and thought i'd "worry about it later" if it was full.

    Aimed to set off at 10. Obvs set off at 10.30, but a mere 40min drive, making a mockery of the 30min South Harrow station drive, waiting time, plus 25mins on the tube.

    Eventually found this little carpark, £1.50 an hour job, quid on floor, so a mere £2 for 2 hours (ed - come on...this aint parkingworld.co.uk)

    Strolled out of the carpark, round a corner or 2 and the race was literally about a 3min walk away. Utterly ridiculous.

    I was so impressed by this, I almost left straight away to come and post about it, but luckily Rob from the club rang, and he was close to these parts and was coming to watch the race! Ah the race, yes! I best not ruck off just yet! Phew.

    £5 race entry, and after 4 races, and for the first time actually having my phone by the venue, I thought i'd do the "this is one short race" gag :D:D

    (slightly annoyed that "bald bloke" has got in the bottom of my shot ;) , but I had to take it quickly, just in case the organisers clocked me taking it and saying, "you're not doing the shortest course gag are you )

    What felt like plenty of time suddenly disintegrated, in between getting back to the car, trying to direct Big Rob to the carpark, then going off to fetch him, so I binned the original plan of doing the warmup in normal shoes.

    Instead I got a 1miler in the Vaporflys thinking it felt like I was running on some sort of breast implant, and a couple of little loiters in the bushes. Some old woman, walking some snooty dog, knew my game and gave me some right old disapproval, incorrectly stating that these were "peoples' gardens". Incorrect - it's a park!

    To the start line then, and some pissing with photos as for some reason they had some pro woman in. All sorts of horribly staged stuff, getting the kids to "pretend to run" which never looks like running, and all sorts of other garb. Turns out next month is the 100th Ealing mile, so erm...why today? Goodness knows.

    Anyway, the real business is about to begin. The 3 and 4 year olds are elbowed back out the way, and I'm thinking, I've got some super flash trainers on here, I best not lose to any kids :)

    Start thinking whose idea was this, and how will this turn out. The start is always a bit silly. A tight bend about 5 metres in, plus a bunch of people hanging about on a round little plant design, that have got to be too close to the action.

    We're off, a bit of jostling to force my way through, and some hench stocky geezer in red (ie not a twig like me) has gone off fast. Gone off ridiculously in fact. One of those starts where you think, this guy might be some sort of big player, a 4.20-30 type job.
    I'm going decently, classic mile start where you're probably going a bit too fast, but it feels comfy.

    Reminded myself do NOT look at the watch, as it often comes out about 0.99m or so on the watch, so it can be prone to give you some well off "current" paces!

    Nice straight then, and a left hand turn for the slight down part of the course.

    Red guy has a decent lead, but I can feel two guys right on my shoulder. Heck, am I coming 4th today? Are these guys quality runners? Am I going hard enough? Sometimes hard to tell the answers!

    Rob emerges, tells me to "stick with" the guy in red. Will try I think!

    Then all of a sudden, at no uplift from me, I glide past the red guy, and think my actual race will be against the keen two behind me.

    Feeling decent, nice clear path ahead to the half way marker, and then it's a round loop back and to the slight up part of the course.

    Obligatory tree in middle of the path choice of routes, but past that, I suddenly can feel I've got this one won, so it's all about the time.

    Slight concern ahead that there's 3 sets of 2 people blocking it all up. Buggeys, dogs, kids, all sorts. There's a guy on a bike in high vis. I genuinely have no idea now if he was part of the race, or just some guy out for a cycle.

    Weigh up shouting something out, but what?

    GANGWAY, or MOVE would be decent quick shouts.

    Some polite shout starting with excuse me?

    Luckily, gaps appeared at just the right moment, so I slipped through easily, and made sure I pushed a couple of the old people into the path of those behind me to secure the win.

    Just kidding - don't write in, it's just in jest!!

    (Ed - any complaints to RicF@Harrowsfriendlygardener.co.uk)

    Round the next bend, and onto the straight. I'm feeling decent, rather than usually ruined by here. Rob gives me some "arms and legs" tip, and I'm genuinely wondering how close to 5 this will be. I have no clue.

    Final straight. Always longer than it looks. Some kid is unhelpfully, or perhaps, helpfully blocking the clock, so I don't have the usual long cruel finish.

    I clock it just with it on 4.55,6,7 am I close?

    8,9, sod it, I've missed it again, 0, 1...5.02 on the watch, so I expect that could easily come out 5.03 with the obligatory round up.

    Some old bloke put his arm out as I was storming past the finish, as if there was some dangerous hazard I was going to smash into, rather than another 15metres to the end of the park... and a nice sit down.

    2nd probably about 5 secs minimum behind, hard to tell, maybe more, but red guy probably 25secs behind.

    Had some chuckles with him about his start. He must have been kissing medium 4 minimum at the start, perhaps into the lower 4s. A truly madcap start.

    Good chat with Rob F after, and a stroll back to the car.

    As the warm up had been so pathetic, I thought I best make the most of the length of the ticket, and put another 4.3miles in, to get it to a day's 6.5 all in.


    I thought there was the Gateshead (or somewhere close) mile yesterday, but it seems not, so for a while, I quite ridiculously can claim to be the fastest miler in the country for 2019 :D
    Last year I couldn't even claim that, having to squeeze in "V35" instead.

    How were the Vaporflys? Always going to be very little evidence to go off from a mile in January!

    However, last Jan I did 5.08, and today at worst 5.03. However, last year was windier. But was I in faster shape last year? Possibly, going off the XC. Hard to say.

    I have done 5.00 and 5.01 here before, but a few more months into the year, when doing more faster track stuff. For balance you're never matching gosport or battersea park efforts here.

    Therefore, a decent turnout to set things off 

  • YnnecYnnec ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019
    Cheers chaps.
    PeteM said:
    Didn't know if he was taking the rise out of my grammar
    Reg Wand said:
    Looks like Lit's absence is not reason enough for us to be free and loose with our grammar.
    Not at all. I struggle to know when to use a comma or full-stop. Semi-colons scare the shit outta me.
  • YnnecYnnec ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019
    SG: yours was a toss-up between what I posted and:

    Brought some self respect back to the car parking scene after the decades of damage dogging had done. (love a bit of alliteration)

    Peace out.

    Lurk
  • The BusThe Bus ✭✭✭

    Good grief - just quickly checked in from work and hundreds of posts! As well as “that” picture being difficult to explain at work, so is the random snorting and laughter of the last ten minutes!

    Quality report SG – sets a benchmark for the rest of the year.  At least the parking details made me feel like I was still doing some work! Your description of your pre-race routine in the bushes makes me wonder why there are no ‘hotties’ falling over themselves to join the thread :wink: . For a moment I thought that was what was happening in the photo rather than some bald bloke!

    Glad I’m seen as the “gent” of the thread – I shall get my top-hat dusted off in short order :smiley:

    6.3M off-road for me this morning - mainly stumbling through the woods in near darkness as my new head torch died after ten minutes! That'll be going back then....

    Similar home, but with battery fully charged!

  • Great report SG, terrible shoe review.
  • Well done SG! A win is a win! Report was a bit short though! And as Reg says, shoe review was somewhat limited for those of us tempted to invest a couple of hundred quid!
     And can't remember if I said that I intend to be at February's LFoM. 
    And I made a mistake in my end of term report: actually did one race! Dr. Hill's 80th birthday race where I just ran round to collect my souvenir mug.
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • DeanR7DeanR7 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019
    nice work on the mile SG- although Simons yr end review was about the same length as you only getting the car park in yours. 

    forgot to say, mrs Deanr7 purchased me a pair of vaporflys for xmas.  wont wear them until easter but will review them around then. they better make me as fast as i am on a treadmill otherwise im writing a stern letter. :wink:

    started indoor training this week...2 sessions this yr.   
    3*1k (3.15) 2*400 (61) & 4*200 (28)   
    and todays session 
    2*200 (34), 800 (2.16)  600 (1.35)  400 (61)  300 (45)

    hard work getting going this close to xmas as im still about 4lbs over thanks to hotel chocolate and stollen.  my calves were rock solid today so will need a visit to the physio before something goes ping!
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2019

    :D

    Ok, a bit more on the shoes then. You instantly feel a difference putting them on, like you've got a sponge in the middle of bottom. It almost feels like you're walked on something and are standing higher than you should be.

    They don't feel "hard" like other racers I've had. They feel more like the day to day trainers, cushioned. But still light weight.

    That's the "definites" I can be sure of.

    My perception, is that supply a smoother ride, and at less effort.

    I've walked away from plenty of races and sessions in the Hyperions with tight calves. I suspect that wouldn't be a problem in these.

    I remember Dean  saying my 5.08 in the Jan 2018 equivalent was a good effort for the time of year, so a 5.03 in these now can only be even more so, bearing no real speed work for a fair while. The only session you could label as that was the 4x200, 4m MP, 4x200 with 200s at 35-37. In "proper" training, i'd be hitting 33/34s for more.

    Also bearing in mind a pretty shallow warm up with no strides.

    Therefore,while you know me, and not wanting to hype up my level or potential level, it has to be fairly promising to put a 5.03 in early doors in this phase of training.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

     ps Dean, I like the way those sessions have "SG level runner" possibilities to match the first reps, then it gets absolutely ferocious :)

  • TRTR ✭✭✭
    edited January 2019
    Not sure about calling 'hotties' out of lurking, but reminds me of an old TV show called Brush Strokes about some decorators,  the landlord of the local pub put up a sign in the pub window advertising a vacancy for a 'crumpet' bar maid.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2019

    I can imagine the premise. No doubt the sort of stuff the PC brigade have long consigned to history!
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    ps, Joe - read the external 2018 year review. I wasn't disappointed. Great stuff.

    You'd take an injury bullet for the girlfriend! Incredible levels of devotion there!


    Forgot to ask a while ago - I think i'd shared the Gosport mile fb event, and it came up saying you'd written something to it....

    was that merely to remind me i'd idiotically forgotten it's the same weekend as Endure 24 this year!? DOH!

  • StevieG - Congratulations on the mile win and topping the rankings for a bit. I think I may add racing a mile to my freewheeling summer to do list. You made it sound easy :smile:

    I feel like the vaporfly’s firm up at pace. Oddly squishy at plodding output though.

    Endure24 is on my birthday/Father’s Day weekend and our club stick a team in. I am almost tempted but at my age I like a good kip.I think I’d be delirious on the drive back.

    14 miles easy today with a 5km pickup to marathon effort.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    edited January 2019


    Muds, I always liked the doing races, logging them, keeping the stuff from them, all that - but growingly I'm very keen on creating those memories to look back on.

    So when I hear how people (like Reg) talk about Endure, it sounds all time top memory stuff material. If you can find a way to get there, do it (although, I obviously have to get there and do it myself first!)

    Maybe there's a way you could do some early, and late legs, kipping the middle bit off? Similarly others do a real shift in the night? Bound to be loads of tactics to this, rather than a straight order. I dare say late on it's a "who is least ruined"


    At the other end, events like the mile have he main beauty of how many you can do, and not have as long a recovery spell as other stuff.

  • I can't believe I forgot to put Endure 24 in my end of year report. We did come second after all. Come to think of it, it was probably the most impressive thing I achieved all year. Reps 8&9 were the double, if I'd stopped at 8 I could have kept them all sub 7.


  • Reg - I'd probably be up for a ride next week if we can arrange it and it's not too cold. 

    SG - loved the mile report. No idea why but I actually read the whole thing and found that I couldn't look away. Like others have said, you must film it as you go, and then watch it back. I can never remember anything more than, f*ck, that was hard.

    I can't remember what I wrote re; that Gosport comment but it can't have been anything too interesting. I'd definitely take the bullet for her, breaks my heart to see her so upset all the time. Running means a lot to her (as we can all relate to), and she's got so much more potential than I have, if only she could stay fit.

    First decent session for yonks this morning with some of the club. 3 x 5km with 1km floats in between reps. Did the last rep as part of Burgess parkrun. About 10 of us, but no one at around my pace so mostly done solo but it's nice to know others are suffering around you.

    First rep was about marathon pace and then building up the effort from there. 

    19:14, 18:58, 18:33. Can't complain, gave it a real effort, and I'm pretty cream crackered now. Probably a long slow job tomorrow. 
  • That's a good session, Joe! I keep telling people to go to Burgess as I reckon it is particularly quick with only Dulwich of the London ones that I have done being slightly quicker. What's your view? 

    Hilly off road parkrun here, running within myself (I don't do parkruns hard), with 2nd in my new age group. Didn't see the first guy before, during or after! Beat him last week on a different course. 
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Nice un aley. Is burgess less than 3 laps? Thatd help v dulwich!

    Forgot to answer re lfotm 5k. Wokingham is quite late in feb this year, so might be a bit close to Februarys event.

    Need to get there though...and ideally between jan - april before it reverts to the slower and two lap course!
  • Agree with you Aley. Potentially just as fast as Dulwich in my opinion. Our club always head there when we want a faster effort. Couple of tight turns but lots of long straights.

    SG - it’s just one big lap, so a lot less dull. Decent course actually. 
  • Thanks Joe!
    And may look at April for LFoM, SG.
    Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
Sign In or Register to comment.