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Moraghan Training - Stevie G
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Sorry the hammies are still grumbling, Bus, and your son is under the weather. 640 emails is a right kick in the arse! Circus skills sounds impressive though.
Very impressive to avarice below 8 pace on that kind of rolling route, Jools. Good going. Will you do many more 20s/further? So, so good you can get on the track. Good going to have a fast youngster on your books.
Sounds good, Reg. I am looking forward to the days of family being big enough to do some proper exercise. Although we are getting there. I just ran around our little block whilst my daughter scootered. Classic going to bed delaying tactics. And it meant my neighbours got to see my pyjamas - oh dear.
With the Adios 5, SC, my first thoughts were that they were a little bigger. But I think that is just the wider Adidas stripes that were playing visual tricks. I agree the feel as light, nippy and responsive as ever.
SG - talking of keen race filing, my father in law has a printed table of all of his 50 odd half marathons. Incredibly, we have the same PB to the second. Genuinely interesting to look at his peaks and troughs vs age/having kids/promotion.
Windy grassy reps today, donning the Adios for the first time since the grumbly Achilles. Not fast, but a solid session: 3 x 4:30 (3:00 jogs), 2 x 3:45 (2:30). 9.9M all in at 7:45 pace.
Son’s result has just come back negative, which is a relief, but not sure it will help the hamstring 😜
Must be some other random lergy!
And Reg, how much? 🥸
So swerved that, and instead ended up at Wooburn on the green, and ended up doing 20 reps on 2 diagonal segs.
It's probably about 0.09-0.10miles, on grass, so maybe 150 or slightly more metres.
So it served it's purpose.
Whenever I checked pace it was at least 4.20 or so in the early to middle ones, especially near the end of the rep, so harder pace than the 200s on the track would be. Saw some low 4s in there at times too.
However, slightly disappointing that the strava record doesn't fully capture this.
It does have me at 24secs for one direction, for my 3rd fastest there (my top time, a ludicrous 20secs and 3.50 pace (!) , which must have been tip top perfect conditions and day!) and only 28secs the other direction (top time 24secs, which I joint hold).
A lot of the others are at 40-50secs or 2mins or madness, so must have tapped into recovery as well as I didn't set any session up on the watch.
However, a nice middle ground session that was reasonably structured, but not the exact measurements of your track stuff.
Enjoyed a little lie down and trudge back to the car later for 7miles all in.
SQ - yes the Adios seem good, fit the same, nice and compact etc. Will give them a work out soon.
Hills last night. 10 x 330m or so. Nice jogging back home to see all the sports teams training on the field.
I took yesterday off to make the most of the weather and get in a simulation of the Tri X bike ride, well as close as you can get to simulating all those hills around here. The race is I think 3,700m climbing over 112 miles and I managed 2,600m over 112 miles. Pretty pleased to get that much in from my front door without repeating any roads in the same direction. That's my unwritten rule of a bike route. It took 7.5 hours which is kind of in the realms of what I am anticipating for the race. Jools will know better how realistic this is.
Although there's an extra 1,000m in the race it can't be as technical as the Chilterns descents. Some of them are just treacherous. My favourite yesterday was probably coming down Rotten Row, this will be familiar to those who've gone up it in the Marlow Half marathon. I was overtaken by a lairy motorbike in a tight spot before the downhill and he sped away like he was hard, three quarters of the way down the hill I was all over him like a rash, making it clear he was holding me up
Only one moment where I nearly got killed as I came down to West Wycombe junction (Hellfire caves) a Muslim woman (The worst drivers on the planet) overtook me and swerved across my path and she would have taken me out if I had not veered away and braked. The onlookers were as incredulous as I was. I don't care what people wear on the street (burqas/Hijab etc) but they shouldn't be able to drive with all that netting on their heads as it must obscure their peripheral vision.
All borderline ironic/ridiculous when today's mere 8 miler felt pretty knackering. Probably a reaction to flooring it on the grass reps yesterday, and underdoing the fuelling.
Bus keep the faith. You did a of walking instead didn't you? A 7 & 10mile monster walk double one day unless I mis-read? No idea if that gnarled stuff up, but just one of those awkward areas unfortunately. Out of my various tightnesses over the years, that'd be the main area. And like someone earlier said, it's the annoying thing of never being 100% sure which area is causing it, as opposed to where you're feeling it.
For clarity, I standby my comment on driving though, she was completely oblivious to me being there and I don't think it's offensive to suggest that having something covering your field of view could be responsible, I'd say the same about driving in a hoodie. They may not be the worst drivers though, that might just be down to being more recognisable as a group, like white vans. I'll leave it at that. Meanwhile, you might want to get a job doing PR for some corporate outfit
Impressed you can even register what is on your watch at 4 minute pace, SG. Rapid.
Hammies sound a continued ball ached, Bus - to weirdly confuse a metaphor. Agree with Jools - some straight leg deadlifts with some kind of weight should help - use anything, box of books, small child, Wine Society delivery.
Some comically named sections, Reg. I don’t know your descents, but some of the TriX ones are pretty technical - especially if it is lashing it down.
Easy 8M around around the racecourse on Tuesday - nice trails. Doesn’t seem a tough route on paper, but I always seem to struggle a little with this.
8M easy on the roads yesterday lunchtime. Felt wind doing my standard buggy loop without a buggy. Like it was for everyone, very hot. Definitely a little burnt from having a vest on.
Pulled the trigger and updated my Shepperdine entry (25th April) to marathon. Thought I would do this now as they are 80% sold out in the marathon, but only 65% in the half. Will give it one more long run next week before making a definite decision.
Slightly sore nips last week’s long run, so wore plasters this morning - with yellow unicorns be the only available 😆. First dawn chorus in a very long time today, with a 5:10am kick off.
75 minutes easy, heading into town for the first time in months. An incredible amount of boozing litter in Montpellier Park - must have been some party last night. Probably only missed in by a short while.
Then into 3 x 15 mins MP effort, 15 easy. First on block was uphill into the wind (good planning, Hand). About 7:10 uphill then 6:30 down 😆. Easies were about 7:20 pace, with the next two ons at about 6:55.
All in 2h45, 22.4M with 600ft climbing at 7:23 pace. Pleasing, although marginally alarming that it was only 10s/M faster than last week’s 20 with a buggy - and for significantly more effort! I guess the early start was a shock to the system.
Will look for 3h total time on feet next week - with 4 x 20 mins at MP effort, depending on levels of energy/fatigue. Quite enjoying a compressed marathon campaign!
Good work SQ. Will you be with buggy at Shepperdine?
Bike rides (only around 90M shorter than Reg!) and short walks for me this week. Luckily the bike doesn't seem to aggravate it (and it is dry!).
5k, 10k, half and full marathon all staggered, and the pricing getting better value the longer the race.
5k felt plenty for getting back into the racing mode, and having seen the good set up at another Runthrough race course location at Newbury last autumn, this was a similar 35-40min sort of distance drive.
Decent to get to, loads of parking, execllent, even setting off late at 9.20 there easily parked up by 10am.
Instantly saw Big Pete, who I didn't know was into his fashion, wearing an incredible combo of some sort off faded denim shorts, compression socks and figure hugging top. One for the ladies for sure.
Meanwhile, I was rocking dreadful untidy hair, having gone 30 weeks without a haircut, and with the wind in the carpark being pretty heavy, having to do loads of "because i'm worfff it" hair flicks.
Easy number collection, and a fairly easy chip that seals and loops (although last time out at Runthrough my chip didn't log me in), and quite a buzz around the place as this was pretty much the first race back.
Mo Farah was in and around, as his wife "Lady" Farah was in the start list. Didn't see them myself, but did clock Scott Overall, just to show how mad the lack of race options is currently, and obviously after so long without anything.
I'm certain these sort of events are usually won in times I'd be in the thick of the top couple of places, but right now they're not!
Can't pretend I was feeling anything but not fancying it today, but I remembered that's probably how it's been for most races over 250 or so lifetime ones.
You can always suck up a 5k however windy etc it is.
Runthrough works better than some of the other formats in my opinion, as you have a proper start time, and then it staggers behind that. Not this 20min zone that means you can ruck it up and start after everyone has gone.
I was after a 17:xx today, something solid to get things back up and running, so made sure I didn't go too close to the front. I remembered Newbury had a good 10-12 ahead of me, so no sensible reason going too far forward.
"Wave" 3 for me then, groups of 4, supposedly let off every 10seconds, but in reality probably half of that.
A few women in the mixer, one who went off at the mention of sub 17, one who looked about 12, and one who started in the group behind me.
Wave 3 is off then, and it's clear today is going to be a case of how many bits are windy. The course is a lot more twisty than Dorney, which is your classic long straight line, turn, long straight line, turn, which should mean less world of pain slogs, or at least not as long!
Classic 1st km of a 5k, where you feel like you're going fairly comfortably, but the pace is sharper than you'd have imagined.
First actual km sign up is way too soon, 0.58m on my watch, so I take it manually at 0.62m for 3.21.
Second one is even more disconcerting, as it's come up a fair bit later than I expected, at 0.65m and thus 3.45.
That played a bit of shenanigans with me, as I was trying to work out how the first km marker was at 0.58, yet the second would have been 0.69 if I'd taken the splits in line with the signs, but on we went!!
Steadily into the other distance runners by now. Nice smooth surface the whole way round, apart from perhaps two 100metre odd muddy patches, that had an "ideal" route to go through, and a less ideal route through thicker mud.
A couple of strong windy straights felt a strain, but quickly knowing you'd be on the next still straight in a bit.
Enjoyable little bit round a little lake, and 3rd km is suddenly up at 3.38.
That's 5k for you. You rack up 2km before you've even got going, and then suddenly 3km is up and you're close to the run in.
It took me about 2km to catch the young looking girl, who must be 18+ as there's no juniors in the results, and i'd have to match photos to numbers later, but I suspect she faded quite a bit to over 19 in the end.
Pete had a couple of pals there, both looking for well under 18, but had started a wave or 2 behind me.
At one stage a little flurry came past me, and I realise now they must have been in the 10k, as the faces didn't fit the people I'd clocked behind me on the 5k start line!
A lady in 2nd place was ahead of me, having I think started behind, so I was closing for a bit.
4th km was a good step up in pace, on a mostly still km, 3.32, and I clocked I had a comfy 3.45 or so to get in under 18, presuming it wasn't a long course.
Knew I had to get past, not because she's female, but just because she's in front, and started behind, and we're racing
Went past with 2 straights to go, and they seemed bloody long straights when I looked at my watch and 2.9 was done.
Enjoyed the finishing straight, althought clocked it already on 1756 and thought heck, then remembered the wave stuff
Past 18 when I got in, but the beauty of this co is they get the live results up immedo.
17:49 for 13th.
Seems a solid enough re-introduction. Very much in line with the Dorney return last Sep if I preo rata it to the right distance.
This one measured 3.17miles, but I won't especially try and claim it was "long", unlike that Dorney one that saw me well over 18 as it definitely had an extra 100metres.
Good to race again.
You get a few weird things with the results.
For instance one of Pete's pals started behind me, but did a chip time 3seconds quicker.
It's quite odd to "lose" to someone you've gone over the line before, and never seen all race
The second lady, I passed fairly late on got the same time of 17.49. Interestingly, she beat her partner by the look of the results by about 10seconds. He must love that
First lady did what she aimed for, sub 17, and told me she'd never run a 5k before today. There's time to take off that at a Battersea Park still day with proper quality to say the least!
Shame not to see Mo Farah, but a clubmate tells me he was not just watching, but pacing his wife round her HM!
Scott Overall didn't let the wind put him off as he romped the 10k in 29:59
Rounded the day's mileage up to 7miles with a 2miler with Big Pete after, which was a good catch-up. We didn't sync up at my 4 turnouts in Autumn, so that's basically over a year without seeing each other , which is odd after regularly chatting on here and elsewhere.
Hopefully Pete is back keen to post after a little break away now
Stopped posting a while back mainly because I had nothing interesting to say
It was also partly due to feeling a bit old for a training forum (especially as I don't really "train' as such) and not having any informed views on running long distances, hills (and segs SG!), each at the forefront of much discussion.
Anyway nice to know I made such little impression on SG at our Bracknell Lookout run last summer has has clean forgotten it
Did the 10k today and also didn't spot Mo or Tania, or Scott Overall for that matter. Some drama for me before the start as part of the sole of my VF's fell off. However quickly realised they were still runnable (thankfully), though with only about 100 miles "on the clock'" says little for their durability.
Little to add via a race report that SG hasn't covered. I didn't find the wind too bad as the regular changes in direction took you out of headwinds soon enough. Overall ran a pretty even paced race for 39'09 which I was pleased with and a few seconds better than my last race 10k at Woodley. Nice to be racing again and would recommend Run Through events.
Wind not on Wokey gale scale, but someway off the seemingly never even slightly windy Battersea Park, which has that lovely woody cover which helps a lot. Any race course/airfield etc is always going to be a wind risk to some level.
ps don't ever let not having anything interesting stop you, we don't
The thread works best when there's loads of buzz and different race reports and stuff going on. Clearly there haven't been these races to talk about, but hopefully we're on the quick route back now..
Bit of a rest day yesterday, just a 10km walk with the family and some strength and conditioning stuff. Touch of the CBAs this morning but once I got out for a run I kept going for a while to cover 18.6m I was testing out a new pair of trail shoes, Inov8 TerraUltra G270. Pretty comfy and no issues breaking them in with a long one.
Nice to read some race reports again and solid times from the pair of you.
Freezing 20M bike ride yesterday and a pleasant enough ten mile stroll this afternoon. My left leg is going to be far stronger than the right when I run again as I pretty much only use the left walking uphill at the moment!
Oddly, after a week of not running I've actually lost a couple of pounds!
And Bus, it's not like you've been sitting there gorging biscuits! Tonne load of cycling and walking won't hurt
Strangely tired after a mere 5k race. You walk away after as if you've barely run, but then it sort of comes back later. Although probably haven't eaten enough since.
Good to see Pete and SG leading the return to racing.
Bus - hope the hammies ease soon.
20m inc 13.1 ~mp for me today.
Forgot one weird feature of today's race.
Signs up with stuff like "23 miles to go" on them for the marathon crew.
I'd have thought all you need for a single lap route with 4 distances when two are in km and two are in miles, is 1-10k markers, and 1-26 in miles.
You then know as a runner to disregard the numbers above your distance.
11+ laps sounds torture, I felt sorry for the 8 and a bit lappers today.
Especially if you're taking above 4hours when you've probably only got a few left in the marathon out at that stage.
Bar some people doing cool downs.
But it's a good little experience doing these new venues and formats, as once it's all back most of us will stick to the proper races.
With perhaps the occasional dip back to sneak a pot or two when the standard goes back to usual levels!