Tuesday 29 June 2010

An Old Friend

Tonight because I was short of time I decided to do an old road run that I used to do when I first started running. Its about 6 - 7 miles long and I use to be able to run it in around 40mins.
Looking back in my running log, tonight was the first road run I've done since March, and it told.
What made it more difficult was the fact that is was a glorious night with the fell tops all in good sight, but I convinced myself that this run would be more beneficial to me with it been smooth and relatively flat (compared to the fells) and would be kinder to my groin/hip.
For me running on the roads is so much harder then running on the fells, as on the fells you can take a recovery without losing too much time, but on the road there is no hiding place, its all about 'times' and its an hard effort from start to finish.
So, getting back to tonight's run. It was horrible. The old route has fallen out with me and gave me real turning over. Where as once it encouraged to run faster, tonight it made life very hard for me, made me look a chump. I suppose that's what you get if you neglect an old friend.
I ran this hard too, with the idea it would be my benchmark for the summer, but 44minutes dead shouldn't take much beating.
Tomorrow im back on the fells but next week I plan to visit my old friend once a week until we are mates again.....it might take some time!!

Langdale Legends

Things are getting back to normal, the back of the knee as improved but the hip/groin is still causing me discomfort especially on down hills.

Last week I had my biggest mileage for 4 weeks, hitting the big 25.
17 of these were done on leg 1 of the bg route where I joined up with Steve Bennett, who was wanting a long slow plod on the fells and was very keen to show me a fast line of Gt Calva.

We agreed that if I was struggling that I would skirt around Skiddaw and meet him at the bottom of Gt Calva.
On reaching the turn off point for me to skirt away (and miss the big climb) Steve convinced me to carry on and he would go steady.
5 minutes later and Steve is a good few yards ahead with me hanging on just to keep a glimpse of him. We reached the top in 63 minutes and again he assured me he would slow it down a bit. We crossed the fence and hes flying off towards Hare Crag, so I stretch out my legs and overtake but soon have to ease up. Steve's
loving it but I will get my revenge.
We are finally on Calva and Steve is dragging me through the high heather on his short cut. We reach the Caldew some 20 minutes later where it should of took us 10 at the most. He is still convinced tho that its easier then the fence line........how he works this out is beyond me.
We descend Blencathra via Doddick and this is where I really feel my groin but still get back to the cricket club car park in 22 mins whilst Steve ( who is flying, it has to said, does it easily in 19)
A big test for me and glad I decided to tag along.

The next few weeks im going to do some easy miles on the fells, not worry about racing and try and get my little bit of speed back, which I've definitely lost.

I'm thinking of entering the langdale road marathon in September but rather then train on the road for it, do most of my running on the high street range where it is all runnable. Perhaps I will do one session a week on the road, this might be the new streets race route or I might go to the grass track and do a few 800m???

I haven't really got a plan or a time for it but it would be nice to get close to my one and only marathon time of 3.16 ( loch ness ) in 2008.

Steve Bennett and Steve Angus

These two lads (has been's!!) above are well experienced road runners, both sub 3 marathon runners and both done fantastic times at Langdale, if I could get within 15 mins of their time I'll be well pleased.

On Sunday I rode out to Ullswater to watch a triathlon where crazy people swim a bit, bike a lot and then run up and down a valley............mad, but very entertaining.

                                
  Only a 56 mile bike ride and a 13 mile fell run left.

Thursday 24 June 2010

Here We Go Again

Managed a 9 mile fell run today, first one in eight days. Groin still sore, knee still stiff, got attacked by a Buzzard (well swooped down on 5 times, but enough to scare the living daylights out of me) but you know what..... I loved it!!  (the run, not the Buzzard)

Hopefully the knee and groin will sort themselves out and I can get back to tramping about on the fells once more. 


Tonight my son, Max attended the school prom. How proud am I of him. Where's the years gone?






Bobby Dazzler!!!!!!!