Running (4 Viewers)

[Travs]

National Cross Country Championships on saturday at Weston Park (between Wolverhampton and Telford).

A new course so nobody knows what to expect.

I'm 50/50 whether to race or not, as currently juggling a couple of minor niggles (tendonitis in my left ankle and bursitis on my right hip). With a fell race coming up the following weekend, and a couple of important races to prepare for in April, i might have to give it a miss.

Will make a final decision tomorrow evening.

 

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[Skybluefaz]

Ran the Winter Warmer 10k in Sutton Coldfield last Saturday. Got a PR of an hour and 3 minutes.

 

[Sick Boy]

Been told my shins are worse than thought, so looks like May at the earliest to start again. It’s my own fault for running through the pain!

 

[Great_Expectations]

London Marathon is scarily close and while I’ve been running good mileage overall each week, my longest run so far is 9.5 miles. Until today….

Ran the Leicestershire Half this morning and really enjoyed it, time of 1:37 too which I was happy with.

Also changed up the training a bit as of last Monday as we purchased a Peloton Tread. I honestly thought I wouldn’t use it (it was my partners idea) but it compliments the outdoor running well, as it has lots of HIIT and interval classes that I wouldn’t do (or at least not as strictly) if I was organising it myself and doing it outdoors.

 

[Razzle Dazzle Dean Gordon]

Been told my shins are worse than thought, so looks like May at the earliest to start again. It’s my own fault for running through the pain!

From what i gather they're a really bad one to "run through" as you can end up with fractures in the bone. Accupuncture seemed to sort them when i had the issue previously, one session of that and a couple of massages and they were gone.

Building up to Cov Half at the moment and it all seems a bit inconsistent. Managed 10 miles in 1:27, then 1:25 but this week barely scraped in under 1:30 and feel utterly exhausted. I was hoping to go under 100 minutes for the first time this year but may have to bring that down a bit based on how it's going.

 

[Travs]

A return to Godiva hard club sessions tonight, after a few weeks juggling a couple of injuries.

3 x 1 mile (3 minute rests), on a loop around the Univ Of Warwick campus.

5:38
5:36
5:32

Very pleased how it went considering i'm still not absolutely 100%.... would like to see those at 5:30 when properly sharp.

11 miles for the session, and 3 very easy miles AM.

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

Rejoined spindles on Sunday so lovely run last night from the royal court , up Tamworth road, left at corley church along that road left onto stonehouse lane down past the white lion through coundon park and back to the royal court roughly 5 miles but disappointed in the time as it was the first run for about a week.Then I swam for half an hour

 

[Razzle Dazzle Dean Gordon]

Rejoined spindles on Sunday so lovely run last night from the royal court , up Tamworth road, left at corley church along that road left onto stonehouse lane down past the white lion through coundon park and back to the royal court roughly 5 miles but disappointed in the time as it was the first run for about a week.Then I swam for half an hour

Good circuit that, quite a few hills to build your stamina up on

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

Good circuit that, quite a few hills to build your stamina up on

Yes enjoyed it , will do again Saturday morning, and a few other routes to add to eventually

 

[Great_Expectations]

Two Castles registration opened today.

I haven’t done it before, so I’m planning to enter.

 

[Travs]

Adam Fogg (Cov Godiva) about to go in the 1500mtr heats at the World Indoor Champs, BBC2 8:10pm

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

5.5 miles today and a half hour swim

 

[DawlishSkyBlue]

16.5 miles / 1300 ft elevation on lanes and trails today. Tore an ankle ligament 4 weeks ago so been building gently since then, and today was first time felt it was strong enough to hit the trails. Progressing nicely towards a marathon in May

 

[Great_Expectations]

Ran 20 miles today, the majority of which was on a very muddy and slippy canal towpath.

Did it in just under 3 hours (2:59!!) which I wasn’t particularly planning for and am quite surprised I did, especially considering the conditions.

I’ll absolutely take it though especially as I’m out tonight and the kids are at the grandparents so I’ve earned a few beers!

 

[Travs]

I've probably mentioned that i'm training for the World Masters Uphill Mountain Champs in the Pyrenees in September.

All arranged now, flying out 5 days before in an attempt to acclimatise a little prior to the race.

Race is about 4 miles, but starts at approx the height of Ben Nevis, then climbs another thousand metres, to finish at about 2250mtrs. So altitude, and possibly heat, could play a part.

I've been doing gruesome treadmill sessions, 40 minutes continuous running up at 15% gradient... then increasing the pace a fraction the next time. Sunday was the first one where i couldn't complete the 40mins, only managed 35, so clearly i've hit my current limit.

The heat and sweat of doing these sessions in a gym is incredible, and will hopefully stand me in good stead for September.

Once the regional and national road relays are over in a few weeks, thats my club commitments done until the autumn... i plan to drop down to one session a week with Godiva, and add in a 2nd hill session, which will be reps rather than continuous... some on treadmill but quite a few on the fells.

Had a fell race in Shropshire a couple of weeks ago where i hoped to put my (hopefully) increased uphill capacity to good use... unfortunately it was full winter conditions and about a foot of snow on the tops... couldn't get any grip going uphill, and everyone just went downhill on their arses because it was so slippy. Think i came 16th, but was 7mins slower than last year, which was in near perfect conditions.

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

Thev

I've probably mentioned that i'm training for the World Masters Uphill Mountain Champs in the Pyrenees in September.

All arranged now, flying out 5 days before in an attempt to acclimatise a little prior to the race.

Race is about 4 miles, but starts at approx the height of Ben Nevis, then climbs another thousand metres, to finish at about 2250mtrs. So altitude, and possibly heat, could play a part.

I've been doing gruesome treadmill sessions, 40 minutes continuous running up at 15% gradient... then increasing the pace a fraction the next time. Sunday was the first one where i couldn't complete the 40mins, only managed 35, so clearly i've hit my current limit.

The heat and sweat of doing these sessions in a gym is incredible, and will hopefully stand me in good stead for September.

Once the regional and national road relays are over in a few weeks, thats my club commitments done until the autumn... i plan to drop down to one session a week with Godiva, and add in a 2nd hill session, which will be reps rather than continuous... some on treadmill but quite a few on the fells.

Had a fell race in Shropshire a couple of weeks ago where i hoped to put my (hopefully) increased uphill capacity to good use... unfortunately it was full winter conditions and about a foot of snow on the tops... couldn't get any grip going uphill, and everyone just went downhill on their arses because it was so slippy. Think i came 16th, but was 7mins slower than last year, which was in near perfect conditions.

the very best of luck mate

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

Had a lovely 5 mile run yesterday from the Royal court hotel to where the old Saracans head on the head was on the Tamworth road

 

[Travs]

Had a lovely 5 mile run yesterday from the Royal court hotel to where the old Saracans head on the head was on the Tamworth road

That must've been "there and back" to make 5 miles???

I like running Tamworth/Radford Road.... once you've got to the top of Corley Rocks (i'm coming from Bedworth side) and heading towards the city centre its flat/downhill nearly all the way into town

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

That must've been "there and back" to make 5 miles???

I like running Tamworth/Radford Road.... once you've got to the top of Corley Rocks (i'm coming from Bedworth side) and heading towards the city centre its flat/downhill nearly all the way into town

yes it was

 

[Travs]

Absolutely grim training session with Godiva at the Univ Of Warwick track tonight in the wind and rain.

9 x 400mtr reps. Starting with 2mins rest, but rest period decreasing by 15 seconds each time (so between rep 8 & 9 there is only 15 seconds rest).

First three reps with the longer rests felt like a dream. Reps 4,5,6 were unpleasant. 7,8,9 were utter hell.

First five reps were 74/75secs, which is a pace i can maintain when the rest periods are consistent, even if only a minute rest. But final four reps i dropped to 76, 77, 79, 78.... just couldn't hold it, but no embarrassment in such a tough session. Legs really came off about 150mtrs to go in the last rep, i have no idea how i beat the previous one by a second!

Couple of miles warmup, then we do a few "drills" on the track, a few short strides to raise the heart rate, then into the session, and a couple of miles warm down. I also get there early to get a couple of easy miles in (as i'm a decade older than the next oldest person, i need a little bit more warmup!)...... total of 10 miles.

 

[Travs]

Midlands Road Relays tomorrow at Sutton Park.

One of the best races of the year.

All the local teams have at least one men's team running, and all the local teams except ourselves and Nuneaton have women's teams present (which is a shame as Godiva and Nuneaton are two of the stronger women's teams in the Midlands)

I'm running Leg 9 in our first team, which is rather daunting as i'm probably the slowest runner of the 12, and we have the potential to be quite high up the placings... although i've made the first team for the Nationals the past couple of years, so i should be able to handle it.

Last tuesday's club session was 5 x 1km with 3mins rests.
3:21
3:18
3:19
3:21
3:21

Last night we just did a steady run out of Warwick Uni, Gibbet Hill Road, Kenilworth Road, across the A45, into Earlsdon via Beechwood Ave, cut through Earlsdon back to the A45 opposite the Phantom Coach, and back to the Uni via Charter Ave.

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

Got a 3 mile run in today just to clear the cobwebs

 

[Travs]

Midlands Road Relays today and a windy/hail/snowy/sunny Sutton Park....

1st Western Tempo (from Cheltenham)
2nd Bristol & West
3rd BRAT (B'ham Rowheath)
Leamington 7th
Cov Godiva 16th
Nuneaton Harriers 29th
Northbrook 32nd
Kenilworth 36th
Masseys 43rd
Sphinx 51st

Much local excitement on the opening leg when Godiva's top man came through with a 20 second lead over the entire field, with Leamington heading the chasing pack in 2nd! Although we didn't have the strength out to maintain it.... if i'm making the 12-man team then it isn't strong enough to compete right at the sharp end.

Personally though it was a good run.... a pb of 18:57 on a course generally regarded to be about 45 seconds longer than a normal 5km. Last year i ran 19:13 in perfect conditions, and today the wind must have cost around 20 seconds minimum as well.

Apologies i haven't seen the ladies' results, and i must confess i wasn't paying much attention to it as we didn't have a team, and neither did my friends from Nuneaton.

On to the National Champs at the same venue in a fortnight. Top 25 Midlands teams make the national, along with the top 25's from the Northerns and Southerns. Wait to see if i've done enough to make the team again.... a couple of guys in our b team had stormers today and put themselves higher up the pecking order than me.... and while i was technically 5th fastest of the 8 "short" legs in the first team, three of us ran within 5 seconds of each other.... and with potentially a couple of stronger runners back available for selection, i wouldn't fancy being the team manager and sorting that lot out.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Took my 6 year old son on his first Parkrun yesterday.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Travs]

Track session last night at Godiva/Warwick Uni track, in utterly foul conditions.

Really wanted to atttack this and hit some good rep times, but the torrential rain and howling wind made it difficult.

8 x 400mtr reps with 2mins rests. Nice and simple, just bang them out as well as possible.

75,75,75,75,76,74,75,76

Pretty consistent despite the wind being all over the place, and our "all weather track" being pretty slippy in the wet. Our coach claimed the weather was worth 5 seconds a rep... which i think is a little generous as i don't think i'm in 70 second shape, but it was definitely worth 2 seconds minimum.

 

[Sick Boy]

Finally able to run again for a couple minutes at a time on a treadmill.

 

[DawlishSkyBlue]

Track session last night at Godiva/Warwick Uni track, in utterly foul conditions.

Really wanted to atttack this and hit some good rep times, but the torrential rain and howling wind made it difficult.

8 x 400mtr reps with 2mins rests. Nice and simple, just bang them out as well as possible.

75,75,75,75,76,74,75,76

Pretty consistent despite the wind being all over the place, and our "all weather track" being pretty slippy in the wet. Our coach claimed the weather was worth 5 seconds a rep... which i think is a little generous as i don't think i'm in 70 second shape, but it was definitely worth 2 seconds minimum.

Solid 400s

 

[DawlishSkyBlue]

39.55 at Exeter Fast Friday 10k this morning. Lack of training told at 7k and had to take a 30 second walking break... had to put a spurt on at the end to get sub 40

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

Did a nice 3.5 mile run today nice to get back out will try and get back up to 5 over the next week

 

[Travs]

We had a club session last night.

Seem to be in a prolonged run of every club night being abysmal weather. No exception last night with heavy rain and wind.

A couple of miles jog to warm up, then a few drills in the Phantom Coach Car Park (attracting more than a few comments from the smoking guys and girls outside the main entrance to the pub).

2 x 2.1km along Cannon Hill Road, Cannon Park Road, and back along the A45 to the Phantom Coach.

With only 2 reps, and a generous 5mins rest between, these were supposed to be fast.... however my legs are still suffering from saturday's brutal hill rep session on the Shropshire Fells, and i managed 7:32 and 7:29..... only a couple of seconds quicker than last time i did this session with less rest.

Made the team for the National 12-Stage Road Relay on Saturday, back at Sutton Park.... so its nice and easy for the rest of the week, and hopefully beat my pb from the Midlands Relay a couple of weeks ago.

 

[DawlishSkyBlue]

We had a club session last night.

Seem to be in a prolonged run of every club night being abysmal weather. No exception last night with heavy rain and wind.

A couple of miles jog to warm up, then a few drills in the Phantom Coach Car Park (attracting more than a few comments from the smoking guys and girls outside the main entrance to the pub).

2 x 2.1km along Cannon Hill Road, Cannon Park Road, and back along the A45 to the Phantom Coach.

With only 2 reps, and a generous 5mins rest between, these were supposed to be fast.... however my legs are still suffering from saturday's brutal hill rep session on the Shropshire Fells, and i managed 7:32 and 7:29..... only a couple of seconds quicker than last time i did this session with less rest.

Made the team for the National 12-Stage Road Relay on Saturday, back at Sutton Park.... so its nice and easy for the rest of the week, and hopefully beat my pb from the Midlands Relay a couple of weeks ago.

Nice work. Good luck for Saturday

 

[DawlishSkyBlue]

Decided to do my first Ultra next year

 

[Travs]

Decided to do my first Ultra next year

What are you doing and how far?

I've done (i think) 12 ultras, but mostly on the mountains. And never more than 45 miles. Finished 8, dnf'd 4. My one attempt at a 104 mile Ultra was quite a spectacular dnf after about 30 miles.

Only flat ones I've done are Coventry Way Ultra x2 (dnf'd first time, finished 2nd time)......

 

[DawlishSkyBlue]

What are you doing and how far?

I've done (i think) 12 ultras, but mostly on the mountains. And never more than 45 miles. Finished 8, dnf'd 4. My one attempt at a 104 mile Ultra was quite a spectacular dnf after about 30 miles.

Only flat ones I've done are Coventry Way Ultra x2 (dnf'd first time, finished 2nd time)......

It's 33 miles so quite short for an ultra, however it is on Dartmoor so very hilly. Its called Dartmoor Discovery and is apparently the longest single lap road race in UK. Its not until June 2025 so plenty of time for training. I think it will be my one and only ultra but you never know. 45 miles on mountains is some going, were they in UK?

 

[Travs]

It's 33 miles so quite short for an ultra, however it is on Dartmoor so very hilly. Its called Dartmoor Discovery and is apparently the longest single lap road race in UK. Its not until June 2025 so plenty of time for training. I think it will be my one and only ultra but you never know. 45 miles on mountains is some going, were they in UK?

I've done a couple of 33 mile ultras in Yorkshire/South Pennines.... so probably quite similar to your Dartmoor race.... i think there was about 4500-5000ft climb in total. I think when its that short there's a tendency to go off a bit hard "oh its only a little bit more than a marathon" etc.... and then suffer towards the end.... i know i did.

But its still around 6hrs+ of running if its in the hills.

Yes the 45 mile ultra on the fells was in the Lake District. It was the 10 Peaks, which was the highest 10 tops in the Lake District, i think there was about 18000ft of ascent in total, took me about 17.5hrs and i finished in the top 25%..... i think there was a time limit of 24hs if not a bit longer. Was incredibly unpleasant as i was "racing" rather than just trying to complete it... but i'm glad i did it.

I stopped doing ultras around 2018/19 as i'd rather concentrate on races where speed/athleticism counts, whilst i've still got a bit! But i certainly wouldn't rule out going back to ultras when i'm older.