Bloody hell i'm two weeks in and i'm not sticking to the plan already.
The idea is that i do between 10,000 and 15,000 feet of ascent each week, including one big day out. Life is getting in the way and this week i managed just 7,000 feet. The good thing is that all 7,000 feet of that was run. There were two tough little races in there, one fantastically random and the other amazingly opportune, so there's been some good effort - but i'm craving the the big outing...
After the big day out on Richard's BGR, i rested on Monday. On tuesday I ran 10 miles and about 600' ascent on a trail route in Nottingham around Arnold, Woodborough and Lambley - really pretty and good ground. Ran at a reasonable pace too.
Wednesday was hilarious. I decided to drive home and do the green green grass of home fell race on the clywdian hills. It's a local race which i love and working away means i would miss it for the first time since it was staged 6 years ago. So i headed back and felt a bit tired on the start line, surrounded by friends.
Well, i started ok (photo thanks to Ali Tye) and began to feel stronger after about half an hour. Just as i decided to pick up the pace, i found that noone was around me, and the trusty tapes guiding us around had gone. I had obviously strayed off course. I picked my way up the hill and saw a marshall waving at me from below. I raced down to him and he said i was leading the race. Well, that aint right!!! Turns out the leaders had gone even wronger and took a huge short cut. I sort of did an inbetween route and the runners behind me did the proper route, benefitting from the fact that the race organiser was having a run out and was telling people where to go! So a trip back from Nottingham to Wales and a DQ!! Still, it was such a laugh and i won a prize for winning my own personal race - well a win is a win (well, not really). Hats off to all competitors for enjoying the chaos and creating a really fun prizegiving rather than kicking off...
The next day was even more random. I was driving home from Nottingham for the weekend and decided to go via peak district because i'm sick of the A50 and Stoke. The sun was out and the sky was blue (no, really) and as i passed from one village to the next i realised how long it had been since i'd enjoyed a drive. Out of nowhere in a villiage i couldn't name, a sign appeared by the side of the road pointing to a field full of cars. It read "fell race". I couldn't beleive it. I pulled in without thinking and saw loads of runners limbering up. I checked the boot and sure enough, my 'keep emergency kit in the boot policy' finally paid out, well sort of. I dug out some old fell shoes and a pair of shorts that were almost threadbare but that was it. So i entered the race, donned a cotton T-shirt which would have looked more at home in a trendy bar and the black xmas gift pringle socks that i wore for work thay day along with the worn out shoes and shorts. I looked like an arse, but was good to go. I approached the start line and had no idea where i was, how far the race was and how much climbing there was in it. Then I Daz H from Pennine who i've seen a few times this summer at the various BGRs we've both supported. I tapped him on the shoulder and asked him a) where i was and b) how far the race was. He looked surprised, probably at my stupid t-shirt with a tiger on it. Stoney Middleton apparently! Well the race was great! 5.5 miles and about 700' feet of climbing, and all runnable. Just loved the randomness and unexpected nature of it and enjoyed every knackered step.
On Friday I was planning a big day in Snowdonia and was hoping to have a day out with Pete, good mate and fellow Tattenhaller. I got home to find an email which said there was a chance of extending my contract at Nottingham until December and I needed to get my CV sent to the Director in charge asap. I knew that my CV needed a lot of work and so I had to sacrifice my day out. Was most peeved, as I'm sure Pete was too esp as all this happened on Thursday evening. The good news is that I got the gig and have good, well paying work leading up to the time at which the baby is due. This means i can probably take a month or so off, maybe two, early next year and do the dad stuff.
So i sacrifced the big day out but still managed to sneak an hour of so in on Moel Famau. I ran in the pouring rain and felt tired from 2 races in 2 days. I realised that part of the training has to include running when tired. The last three legs of the BGR are done whilst tired and so you have to get used to running on jaded legs.
Most generally, it's important to train harder for this thing. I am realising that the usual caution that that prevented me from being injured for four years (bar the odd niggle) has also led to my plateauing performance. So I have to train hard, run everyday and run hard for much of that. It's no good just knocking out the 10,000 feet per week. I need to do long days, hard runs, even harder efforts and some tough mental workouts.
Saturday was lost to the in-laws in Newcastle but i did manage to haul myself out of bed and get to the nearby Cheviots on the Sunday. I couldn't run all day but managed a lovely three hour circuit from Alwinton (Dalewinton as i called it), taking in Yardspaeth Law, Bloodybush Edge, Cushat Law and Wether Cairn. It was 16 miles and 3,400 feet ascent and I ran it all, feeling quite strong. Not a big day, but a good run out and there were signs there that i'm getting stronger.
Time to up the ante nect week. Borrowdale looms and I'm not going to taper for it. Let's see how strong I am mentally by racing the mighty Borrowdale with tired, non-rested legs??
Week summary:
Mon - Rest
Tues - 10 miles on the trials in Nottm, 600 feet ascent
Weds - 5 miles, 1600' ascent - Green Green Grass of Home, sort of
Thurs - 5 miles, 700' ascent - Stoney Middleton, apprently
Fri - 7 miles, 1300' ascent - easy run on Moel Famau
Sat - Rest
Sun - 16 miles, 3300' ascent - Dalewinton circular
43 miles, 7,500' ascent - must do better...
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