club run

out with the friendly club tonight

there is a chap, P, who is a vet of some considerable years who has decided he will look afterme - which is really nice, he is happy to plod round with me, chat adn encourage

so we repeated our run from 3 weeks ago, but I did not stop for stretching and only walked to cross roads and up the steep bridge over the island - much better than a week ago and about a minute quicker for 3.2 miles :>)

I really must make the effort to get there every week - it is so good to run with someone who keeps you going

in response to pixie's plans, I have nothing so structured

I have Hal Higdon's beginner schedule to work on - but trying to make my long runs build up a bit more than he does - he only goes to 10 miles the week before the race, I would like to get a bit closer to 13.

So I am trying to run 4 times a week - plus if possible, a session at the gym for core strength, plus my core stuff I can do at home or in a hotel room - asssuming there is enough floor to lie down on!

And eat properly too - that has been a real struggle recently.

reflections

Some numbers from Sunday

Mile	Pace	AHR	time
1	12:58	150	12:58
2	14:07	148	27:05
3	12:59	151	40:04
4	13:12	153	53:16
5	13:05	152	1:06:21
6	13:48	147	1:20:09
6.2	12.25	154	1:23:24

I was looking back at the first six miles of Robin Hood, which was not a good run.

Mile	Robin Hood Pace	Robin Hood AHR	Leeds AD Pace	Leeds AD AHR
1	12:59	165	12:58	150
2	13:59	152	14:07	148
3	13:08	156	12:59	151
4	13:38	160	13:12	153
5	13:12	159	13:05	152
6	14:08	150	13:48	147

The Leeds run was marginally quicker - but, more to the point, at a lower heart rate - so maybe I am getting fitter.

I knew all that data would come in handy sometime!

Pyramids

So today, I was originally going to run outside, needed to do 4 miles, but the teenbeanzes have rotten colds, so I offered to take them to school and then go on to the gym - have not been for ages.

I started off planning to do yassos - but setting my target time as 6 hours for a marathon gives 8 km/h on the tready - and that is very hard work. So after one 800m at 8km/h and recovery 200m at 6 km/h and then 200m at 7 km/h I decided to do a pyramid speed session.

It goes like this:

warm up to 7 km/h in first 400 m then increase by 0.1 km/h each 100 metres, up to 7.5 km/h (which is quicker than my average pace on Sunday, so first target) then back down in steps to 7 km/h, recovery at 6.o for 100 metres then up again. Repeat until 6.4 km (4 miles ) done.

next time I shall do the same thing but go up to 7.6 km/h

the thing is, I do find the tready hard going, so need to have some variety in there to keep me going, and 100m slots are short enough to do that

beautiful blue sky outside now - so I must go and do something in the garden, as this is supposed to be a day off

Running again

So Leeds Abbey Dash
Up early to drive to Leeds - worried about getting lost or the roads being closed - so I arrived very early. Fortunately I was parking at RunnyBunny's office, so I had somewhere warm to wait and meet friends.
Eventually I met up with RB, XB, Ailsa, Jars and MrJars, Elephant Feet and Daffy.
Ailsa, Daffy and I started at the back and planned to plod round together.
It didn't start well when the paramedics and police bikes passed us within minutes of the start, releasing the traffic into our lane of the dual carriageway. This meant moving onto the pavement and lots of fumes - ugh.
Next hazard was being ignored by the marshals, who stood on the central reservation, watched us waiting to cross and then told us we didn't need to - wasted a minute or so there.
This is an out and back course so soon (about 3km) the front runners were coming back!
I thing this made me speed up because I drew away from Ailsa and Daffy (sorry pals). I was plodding ok and felt I had a demon to deal with - missed the last two races and messed up the two before that. So I didn't wait for them. (I do feel guilty about that but there were two of them.)
Saw Tracey Morris and BarnsleyRunner running well the other way and soon all the forum friends were coming back too.
Encouragement from fast peeps kept me going and soon I was at the Abbey and the turn round.
My target time was 85 minutes - predicted by fetcheveryone, based on training times. I seemed to be keeping to 8.5 minute kms so it was looking good, and at this point I remembered Trinity's tactic in ultras (ok I KNOW this isn't an ultra) - you run your mile (or in this case km) and if you arrive ahead of time you allow yourself to walk to the end of the time.
So I used this tactic on the return half. I gradually caught up with a few stragglers which is a good morale booster. I was then overtaken by faster bloke whose car had broken down!
Coming back into the city there was a nasty little hill just before the end. Then I could see the town hall and the finish!
Made it in 1:23:24 on the Garmin so very pleased. A pb of course as it was my first

Thursday

another train journey to London - with a chance to read papers for the meetign and then relax

a walk along the embankment to the meeting and then back 4 hours later

sitting on the train on the way home I realised that my cold seems to be easing - no longer bunging up my sinuses :>)

back to London tomorrow then to Brum for Friday evening and Saturday

then Leeds

feeling more positive now

thanks for the support, peeps

bleurgh

this is a non running beanz here - have not run for 10 days now - a combination of stinking cold, lots of travelling and tough days and TOTM has laid me very low

and now snow is forecast for Sunday :<(

and I have to drive up to North Yorkshire anyway on Sunday - planning to go on after a brunch with forum pals


but the prospect of getting up before dawn to drive north is not enthralling at the moment

still no running

I have nto run since Monday

today was matthew walker Xmas Pud 10k was planning to do it but just could not imagine running with this cold


but


I DON'T DO COLDS

so I am rather fed up


however teenbeanz ran and did 45:49 - not quite a PB but a tougher course than his last couple of races so he was pleased.

really want to run Leeds next weekend with some forumite friends

so need to get rid of the cold

off to Gateshead tomorrow - want to arrive in time to see the Millenium Bridge

it started well......

Monday

after not running in the relay I HAD to get out on Monday so went over to see TP - lots of nice cycle tracks and nothing too undulating

its going to be a matter of exploring the routes I think - we wanted about 4 miles - didn't do quite that far but an encouraging run:

Mile	Pace	AHR	time
1	14:40	134	14:40
2	14:07	147	28:47
3	12:58	145	41:45
0.76	12:45	151	54:30
3.76	13:41	144	51:30

so I was getting faster - this is definitely a function of warming up - and calf was a lot less tight - just a little stretch after 1 mile and then it was ok

walked a little in the first couple of miles when HR went skyhigh, but from about 2 miles only slowed to cross the odd road

a good run

the fetcheveryone predictor says I should do the 10K in 85 minutes - but this first one on Sunday is HILLY and muddy so I am not getting too optimistic - last runner last year was about 85 minutes

Tuesday

travelled up to York on Monday afternoon ready to do some training on Tuesday

decided not to take my kit because I knew we'd be starting work at 8.00 and that would mean running in a strange place in the dark

however had plenty of exercise , my fell-running friend and I spent a lot of time carrying piles of paper up two flights of stairs

Wednesday

Wednesday is club night and after a good run last week, I was fully intending to go, but the cold that has been hanging over me for a few days took a turn for the worse, so I decided that running on a freezing cold evening was not the best way to look after it

of course it doesn't feel so bad this evening :<(

however it was probably for the best, as I have not been spending much time at home recently so an evening at home cooking and washing up with the teenbeanzes took the strain off mrbeanz a bit

off to London then Cambridge tomorrow - will take my kit and see how I feel on Friday morning

High Peak Relay 2005

scroll down for pics!


not blogging for just a few days seems to make it harder to get going again


but I met up with EvilPixie today, so back in blogiverse

life is just so hectic at the moment that I can't quite rememebr what I am supposed to be doing where and when - last week finished in Durham and then Bath - took my kit but didn't run on Friday mornign when the alarm went off I just decided I needed the sleep

back home Saturday evening and straight into organising for the High Peak Relay - while I was away I had texts and emails about team members were dropping out - injuries, incoperative wives, forgetting all about it ........

mrbeanz did sterling work in working out the logistics of how two drivers could get everyone to the start of their races and yet not leave anyone hanging around getting cold at the end of their run

I was busy making the usual batch of flapjack for refuelling


and worrying - especially for the newbies, would they enjoy it or hate the hanging around for just a few miles running?

Sunday

The day dawned bright and beautiful and stayed that way - the drive up into the Peak was full of autumn colours, absolutely glorious

as we drove up the A6 past Belper I could not believe I used to run out along there in my FLM training - did I really run that far?

a phone call from Pix signalled that at least one runner was in place at the start - and we were nearly there

arriving in a car park heaving with whippets is always disconcerting, but we met up with our forum team mates - Little Miss Happy, mark*w, Muzzy, Suzy Q, Photoman (MrQ), Space Cadet, Robin and of course Pixie - final team member, teenbeanz had come with us, Mrbeanz was injured and not running but was going to drive a support car, as was MrQ

all present and all ready to run!
the next three hours were spent driving round the countryside dropping off and collecting runners - the master plan all worked out brilliantly - in spite of a major road closure we did not know about until we saw the diversion signs!

mrbeanz & suzyq check the logistics








Little Miss Happy warms up for leg 3



(left) Muzzy prepares for Leg 5 with a broad smile


















Dave Denton, Mastermind of the whole thing briefs leg 7




at the start of leg 7 Dave Denton admires teenbeanz's Aldi gloves!





SuzyQ finishes leg 8 strongly


everyone enjoyed their runs,




people running the same leg as last year beat their previous times

and this year we were not last!!

in fact we came 44/48 - so well pleased











teenbeanz, mrbeanz, Robin, LMH, mark and Pixie after finishing off the flapjack

if you fancy this race next year is 12th November - get it in the diary!

yet more pics here

not a runner

after a couple of good runs last week I am now completely useless

Monday
dutifully went to the gym cos that was what I had decided - in spite of the fact that it was a LOVELY morning

went on the tready looking out over the nice flat riverside path (which I've just remembered I don't do on my own)

Aim to do 4 yassos (4x800m) at 8 km/h - managed 3 a couple of weeks 2 weeks ago so supposed to increase them
Did ONE and my legs were not liking it, so reduced the pace a bit and did 400s with 200 walking intervals instead - decided I needed to do 5.5 km - nearly 3.5 miles as that was one of my Hal Higdon targets for the week.

So managed 5.5 km of intervals, but the quick bits were only 7.5 km/h which is 8 minute km or 12.8 mm - I suppose it IS faster than I usually run, so will have done some good

Tuesday
TP's day off so yes we can do a run, but not from the gym cos she doesn't want to be called in and they are short staffed.

So from my house or hers? I have loads to do so she came here. But i cannot drag her out on teh main road at 10.00 am - too trafficy, so we go donw to the park. But that is even more 'undulating' and I wimp out almost cpmpletely and we walk back. I feel so sluggish this week.

And I've enetered my first 10k in less than 2 weeks and I will be last (really last runner last year was 85 minutes, which is what I am runnning on teh flat) and it is hilly and ........

but I must not moan about being last 'cos somebody has to and I tell teenbeanz it doesn't matter, but .....


hmmmph



High Peak Relay
Last year a crowd of forumites ran the High Peak Relay - reportand pics here .

The plan is to do it again this year - all seemed to be going smoothly until other things got in the way - injuries, XC leagues ....
So as of today we have 9 runners for 10 legs - the runners are of varying paces and it would be really good to do a quicker time than last year - and maybe even not come last - hence my reason for not running!
Pix has nobly offered to do two legs and even a longer one - we'll see what transpires.

I am going to see if I can persuade someone from the club who is not doing XC to do a leg.

Who'd be team manager eh?

home for a few days and trying to catch up on family and work stuff


Sunday is long run day right?

but now my long run is getting longer (ok only up to 6 miles but it takes me a long time) it is getting harder to fit into Sundays

woke at 7, heard the rain hitting the window at about 90 degrees and decided I could not face going out for 6 miles withouth breakfast and no time ot eat, digest and then run before church, so went back to sleep

woke at 8.30 and then its a rush to get organised for Church

back from church, MrBeanz and teenbeanz went for their run and I didn't - excuse there is no time for me to do 6 miles before lunch

after lunch - need to digest, do a few other things and then get the evening meal in the oven and now its getting dark

so after a load of pathetic excuses, I have not run

what I should have done is gone out for a shorter run instead of nothing :<(( lesson learned - need to reschedule longer run away from Sunday - as I am working for the next five Saturdays its going to have to go on to Mondays most weeks I think so what happened while I was away?

I DID get to the club on Wednesday night and a couple of peeps plodded with me - pulling me round 3.6 miles in an average pace of 13:34 which is slow and not much faster than my power walking, but is the best pace I have done on the road for a while.

And I DID run on Friday morning 3.2 miles at 13:36

So what about this week?

TP wants to run on Tuesday, but it is forecast heavy rain, which she hates, so will she want to do 6 miles in the rain? Or shall I do 6 miles tomorrow on the grounds she will not want to go out? Maybe I can cope with two 6 milers on the trot, but its club on Wednesday, so tha would be three 'hard' days on the trot.

So:

Monday	gym - yassos 4 x 800 m at 8 km/h = 12 mm pace
Tuesday	run with TP or alone
Wednesday	club run 3.6 miles
Thursday	day trip to Durham then on to Bath - no chance of a run
Friday	hotel in Bath so find a run in the morning
Saturday	Rest Day
Sunday	High Peak Relay - may be running or just driving

From Durham

So one down one to go.

Yesterday I did the same presentation four times - it was difficult to be sure whether I included everything in the last one!

Did all my core stuff yesterday - crunches, sit-ups and various glute strengtheners.
And done them all again today :>)

I do still have races planned - 2 10ks in November, the first I will have done, and a good chance of being last in the first one.
The trouble is that most races are on a Sunday morning, which is not good from a family/church point of view.

Ah well home tonight :>)