Hebers in ya legs!

Yep, I can certainly tell I've had a session in Hebers Ghyll Woods right now. My legs feel a little achy and generally tired. It's hardly surprising however after 4 reps of possibly the hardest location I will ever encounter to do my hill reps. I didn't really know what to expect after a reasonably hard session yesterday and a sore heel which came about as a result of me jumping off a roof at school to retrieve a football. Foolish I know.

Still I set out today with the ambition of running every single rep. Each rep isn't particularly long, probably 3 minutes for the fastest and 5 for the slowest, but by God it gets the legs and lungs going. I did achieve this goal as I chipped away at the reps and manage to run every single one of them without any troubles ie. I didn't venture into the territory of that familiar Fell Running race walk. Many of the group did, even on the first rep (!) as the going gets particularly steep and slippy near the end with various roots and steps to overcome.

I felt to run really well. I felt to have a really flowing style and felt to have lots left in the tank ahead of Saturday's race. Normally, I wouldn't have done something as tough as this 2 days prior to a race, but the upcoming race isn't particularly important so I'll just see how it goes and always know that whatever the result, I've come off the back of a tough week's training.

The picture shows the last two bridges of one individual rep - as there are about 6 bridges in total on each one, each one having a similar distance/climb in between, the task in hand becomes apparent.

A nice rest day tomorrow as I go and look round Manchester University and then it's Buckden on Saturday. Onwards and upwards!

2+2+2=6

Well after yesterday's steady 30 mins on the Cross Trainer (sorry not worth reporting!) which helped me recover from Monday's hard session, I thought it was time to rev the engine again in another speed session. This one, despite taking place in the same location (ie the School's grass track), took a completley different format and direction. It was much more endurance based, more of a 10k session than the 5k one encountered on Monday.
So, 2 miles 'easy' followed by 2 miles at a 'medium' pace, followed by a 'fast' last 2 miles. Yep, no rests, just continuous running which gets progressivley faster throughout the session. My next trouble would be what pace was fast, slow and medium. They are all fairly general terms; I did however have a rough idea of what these meant. 'Slow' would be 7:30 min/mile pace, 'medium' at around 7 and 'fast' hopefully in the region of 6. These predictions proved pretty accurate. I set off with these paces in mind and they felt to be pretty much perfect, although the slow may have been a little fast. Still, the session grew older and the pace got faster - a lot faster.
I ran the first mile (easy) in 8 minutes pretty much exactly and so decided to use this as a precidence for the second mile. I then had to up the pace to 'medium' which involved taking a minute and a bit off per unit as I did the first one in 7 minutes and the second in 6:50. The session, at this point, was far from over. I'd had it pretty easy up to the 4 mile point and I know had to kick on to a hard pace. This I did with a real vengeance as the legs got shifting and the heart got pumping. The first mile is a good effort, 5:58. I want better now though, I feel mentally strong and it's the last burst. I'm now going hard and really in full swing, going for it like it's the end of the race. I'm now into the last 10th of a mile and I sprint to the imaginary line for a 5:38 last mile! Boom!
What a reeeeeeally great session. I was ecstatic as I warmed down in the baking sunshine. I felt physically and mentally strong, almost revitalised and as if the form from Monday had continued. I feel so much better now than I did a couple of weeks ago. Roll on tomorrow for some Hill Reps on Ilkley Moor with the club!

Back on track!

Well, I've summoned up the courage to blog a post in a time where running has been pretty tough for me personally. It's a bugger of a sport - one minute you feel on top of the world, the next it beats you down.
I seem to be finding my feet once again however. I did 30 miles (up and down Yorkshire Dales terrain) last Tuesday on the bike and since then things have come on nicely. Today was the peak of things. I had 2 minutes, 4 minutes and 6 minutes all of 2 minutes recovery x 2. I wouldn't however have been surprised if I only managed the first set. I really went for it though and revved the engine, feeling really good and getting some great reps in. I got to the 4 on the second rep and after that, decided to call it a day. Still, an awesome session and the 2 sets is something to build up to next week.
Tomorrow is a nice recovery run before a hard session on Wednesday. Let's move forward together!

Where to start?

Well, I've been busy revising for exams so I'm sorry to say that the blogging and the running have both taken a back seat for a while. Last time I blogged, I'd had that fantastic KM rep session. I went on to complete a hill session, and then a Fartlek session to hit 35 for that week. I then set about the task of resting for Blencthara Fell Race - a mid week race up in the Lakes over 8 miles with nearly 3000' ft of ascent. Sadly, my legs haven't quite made the adjustment to climbs like that yet and so I found the climbs really tough, but managed to fly on the flatter bits which was pleasing. That set me thinking though: I need to get some strength in my legs. Since then, I've thought about how I'm going to do this and I've decided to introduce road cycling into my weekly programme as well as another hill session, which will take prioirity over that '10 x 4 mins off 2 mins recovery session' which I don't feel I need when I have a hill session which is very similar, as well as a KM Rep session.
So, since Blencthra I've done a bit of cycling and some steady running. I found the ultimate hill for the shorter hill rep session (around 1 min climb, jog down efforts drop till your dead routine) which is now being incorperated into the week's training. So this week I plan to do some speed work tomorrow, a long bike ride on Tuesday and then, either some hill reps on Thursday or possibly a race for a BOFRA up at Kettlewell a week today. I'll keep you posted!

'Baby we were born to run!'

As I type that ever so famous track by Bruce Springsteen is blasting out. As you probably have now guessed, I'm in a great mood. Today I set myself the challenge of the KM Rep session (6 x 1k @ 10k race pace ie. 3:40- 3:50/km off 1 minute recovery.). I almost needed some reassurance that I'm still in-form. It has been drizzling a bit today and there is a bit of a wind - of course it's very different to the wonderful sunshine we've had but to be honest, I'm glad it has cooled down a bit. So after a few strides and stretching I was good to go:

Rep 1: I set off steady and I hit the first hill of the run - probably the biggest and steepest too. It's a real toughie but then there's a nice downhill straight away as I instantly lose the height I'd only just gained. Then it's flat all the way - I feel really comfortable, but the pace is not blistering by any means so it's hardly surprising I don't feel pushed. 3:48.

Rep 2: Under the railway bridge and then up the second hill of the run - another steep incline but it's shortish and flattens off reasonably quickly. Over the canal I go and then it's a really steady downhill run before a flat finish on a newly surfaced road. No quicker, no slower than the last one. 3:48.

Rep 3: I am now determined to up things now I've got two of the main hills out of the way. This rep is mainly flat apart from a climb with a false summit - it's nothing on the other two but all the same it's enough to drop the pace. I'm starting to open up the legs now though and am confident I'm moving faster. How right I was - my extra effort counted as I get a pleasing 3:38.

Rep 4: This is an awkward point now. I'm over halfway and I've turned to run for home (back the same way I came.) That's all well and good, but the last time I did this very same session over the same course, my fastest rep was the same as the time as that of Rep 3. Never mind that I thought. I push on hard, I'm now flying and the leg speed feels incredible. Unbelievable 3:26.

Rep 5: I feel home getting nearer. I feel to be really shifting but I have to contend with that drag I descended in Rep 2 - It's a hell of a lot harder going up it. I'm then saved by the descent down the hill I had to climb in that rep though and I finish strongly on the flat. Things just get better 3:25.

Rep 6: This is it - the final push! I can see the hill I'm going to have to climb, but for now I'm going well on the flat. Suddenly I hit the hill and it's a killer. The pace drops by a chunk but then it's all downhill and flat to home. I open up the legs. I know it's not going to be anywhere near the last 2 but I still want a grand finale. It's not a bad effort 3:32.

So there you have it! I'm really pleased with that session and it's a good feeling comparing it with the other time I did it!

January April May

1. 3:49/km 1. 3:50/km 1. 3:48/km

2. 3:45/km 2. 3:41/km 2. 3:48/km

3. 3:48/km 3. 3:47/km 3. 3:38/km

4. 3:41/km 4. 3:38/km 4. 3:26/km

5. 3:45/km 5. 3:40/km 5. 3:25/km

6. 3:39/km 6. 3:40/km 6. 3:32/km

Today's average was 3:36 - 7 seconds better than last time. Happy days! One last thing - those shoes and the new socks are absolutely awesome!

Triple Chocolate Truffle Trifle!

Yep, what a mouthful - that's what we were serving at a function at work last night! Anyway, I thought I'd better let you know how things are progressing. The calf turned out to be alright and so I managed a session on Monday. I also spoke to my Dad's friend, who is an orthopedic surgeon, but is also trained in physiotherapy. He reckoned it was just bad circulation and recommended some compression socks. I therefore put my compression socks on for Monday's session in a hope that they would improve things, but they made it worse instead; they must be too small! Apart from my legs feeling dead, I had a good session - it was the 4 blocks of 10 minutes off 2 minutes recovery.

1. 6:36/mile.

2. 6:52/mile.

3. 6:58/mile.

4. 6:48/mile.

Overall not bad times to say it was all off road on fields in very hot conditions with lots of hills chucked in! I came back and ordered some Skins Compression Socks which have come today and feel much better, nowhere near as tight and much more comfy, so I will be trying them out today.

Yesterday was a steady 6.5 miles on the cross trainer to try and get some real climbing strength in the legs - I felt really good and felt to really go well on Level 15 (the hardest!). Today I have my KM Rep session in my new socks and new road racers. Let's see how it goes!

Yep, the weather is better than me!

First race. First test. First chance to shine. As I set off in sweltering heat and glorious sunshine this morning, I still had a good feeling. Traffic jams held us up and arrived 15 minutes before my race. Ok, not ideal preparation but still feeling confident. I'm however worried at the lack of warm up I've had.
Then we're off. Up the track and onto the fell - I take the lead after passing a few fast starters, but my calves soon stiffen up; I now wish I had warmed up properly. The calves burn and I begin to feel dehydrated, but I'm still in a strong second. Then there's a pull in my calf. I stop, I collapse and I feel fear. The race passes me by and I'm dropping down the field. As I get up, my legs feel weak, almost struggling to hold me up. I walk down the fell, now a straggler of the field. There's a knot in my calf - bad cramp due to dehydration or a pull due to a lack of warm up? The former I hope.
Now I'm home with a great bag of peas on my achy calf. What happened between the story above and now is a bit a mystery - I sat, feeling almost confused and worried. I was fearing the worst - that the whole season ahead would be destroyed. I have so many plans for the season ahead and it's been derailed at the first hurdle. I failed badly - I wanted to win the race, end of. The more worrying thing is the damage that has been done. I will access the situation tomorrow - I hope it was just bad cramp but there again perhaps I'm forever the optimist.