w/c 16 Jan - Cautiously optimistic

This week has been another good one - 5 training sessions and a good mix of quality and hill work.  It feels like a week of transition from one phase of fitness to another.  Up until last weekend's XC race, my current state of fitness was "returning from injury", which is code for 'don't expect much' when speaking to other runners.  It's a common start-line excuse.  Now, I'm definitely feeling like I'm "in-training" and starting to feel stronger.

Calf Summit - looking west towards the Lakes

I wondered this week if i was strong mentally though.  I set off on Wednesday to do a run around the Sedbergh Hills course, 16 miles and 6000' ascent but as I ran up the first summit onto Arant Haw the cold wind really got up and the prospect of a long day was not appealing.  When I was a 24-hour round virgin this would not have put me off, but I didn't have masses of time and found myself doing a reasonable run to the Calf and back taking in Winder on the way down.  I ran well but didn't have the stomach for a huge day in the cold and strong wind.  I don't know why.

Summit plate on Winder

Maybe I'm being a bit more discerning thesedays, knowing that the coming weekend might yield better conditions and a chance of a longer run?  I don't know, but the indiscriminate hunger i had 5 years ago is now something else, something more calculated perhaps?  Whatever it is, i realise that doing the PBR as the person I am now does not mean trying to recreate all of what I did 5 years ago on the BGR.  I have to use everything I;ve learned about getting ready for rounds having done them summer and winter.

One of things I learned is that getting race fit, with quality and climbing, first before moving into the phase of doing really long days in the spring an early summer is a good move.  Hammering out big days form Jan onwards will wear out your head and legs, and your home and work life.  Training for long races involves long runs of 3 hours or so, not 8, 10, 12 hour epics.  These are needed, but not yet.  I'm also keen to run as much as the ups for now.  This builds strength and power.  The big days April and May will add stamina and mental strength.  This is my approach.  It balances all the forces in my life, and gets me strong for some confidence boosting race performances, with the Edale Skyline (March) and the Long Mynd (February) being particular targets.

With that in mind, running for 2 hours on the Howgills instead of 4 hours is not going to hurt, but come the summer it has to get serious.

Week summary:

Mon - Rest
Tues - 5M, 5 efforts on Bickerton Hill
Weds - 8M 2800' - Sedbergh, Arant Haw, the Calf and back again + Winder
Thurs - 7M 6 * 800 metre efforts (club session)
Fri - 5M, 5 efforts on Bickerton triangle hill
Sat - Rest
Sun - 11M, 4100' run in the clywdians (very windy)

Total: 36 miles, 8,900'

w/c 9 January - Back to average

Elidir Fawr from Carnedd Uchaf on a cold clear day - 15/1/12

A decent week - 5 sessions and a return to normal form.  This is more of a statement than it sounds because I have been well below par for about a year for one reason or another.  But at the cross country at Lilleshall on Sunday I was back to being fair to middling, inside the top half and amongst my running peers.  It's a good place to kick on from and was my target for the end of January.

I've decided against going solo, and soon after mentioning that, I've had some volunteers to help already which never ceases to amaze me.

As for last week's training, it was a good week, with two hill days and three quality sessions, including the XC race.

A dreary day on the rocky Glyders - 11/1/12

The Glyders on Wednesday were under thick cloud and rain, making for a tricky run across the top.  It was one of those days when you pull up in the car and think twice about getting out.  I managed a reasonable run out over Y Garn and the two Glyders, but didn't fancy Tryfan and that gully descent in the wet on my own.  A bit of SMJ i thought (Sound Mountain Judgement, which is what you say to yourself it is when you think you're being a wuss).


A tough club session (hill sprints), the XC and some mile intervals near home worked on the quality aspect and then on Sunday, the sun came out and so I took off to the Carneddau.  It was a complete contrast to the Wednesday run, a blazing winter sun and perfect visibility on and around Foel Fras.

So in all, about a 40 mile week with about 8,000' of climbing - not bad.

Week summary

Mon - 6M, 5 * 1M intervals
Tues  - Rest
Weds - 8M, 3500' ascent - Y Garn and Glyderau in bad weather
Thur - 8M, club session hill sprints
Fri - Rest
Sat - XC race 6M, 39mins
Sun - 13M, 3800' ascent - Foel Fras round to Moel Wnion

Wild Horses on the Carneddau - 15/1/12

Not alone with Paddy

I've been talked out of a solo attempt, by two people - my missus and myself.

I had a run out on the Glyders on Wednesday in terrible weather, heavy rain, mist down to the valley and high winds.  I wouldn't fancy being up there on my own after 18 hours or so if it were like that, and it could be.

More importantly, neither would my wife.  She's having to put up with yet another round after summers and winters on the Bob Graham and so i really ought to listen a bit.

So, it's on, but i'll get a little help.

w/c 2nd Jan - Nothing yet....

Kinder Downfall

These are the hard yards.  I can't see any big changes yet.

When you're returning from injury, or even just upping the training, there is a point where the increase in training seemingly produces just increases in tiredness rather than in athletic performances.  It's a rite of passage, and has to be endured before the speed and power start to show themselves.  Until the rite is earned, it just feels crap.

This week I've really enjoyed being able to run as much as I have.  My client is being a bit slow in calling me back after Christmas and so I've a little more time than expected.  This means more time with my gorgeous wife and baby daughter, but the runner in me is smiling also ;-)

I have been away to work a couple of days and had to be sneaky about getting runs in, but for the most part it's been great week, including two lovely days in the hills.

Hard yards they may be, but when those yards are spent in the hills it's such a pleasure.

Next week: a race, to see whether i'm any fitter, really....

Week summary:

Monday - 10M, 2100' Kinder Downfall route
Tuesday - Rest day
Wednesday - 12M, 5000' Long Mynd Valleys (plus extra hill) route
Thurs  - 5 sprint efforts (at 11pm after conference dinner - amazed i sneaked it in!)
Fri - Rest (well, driving most of the day :( )
Sat - 6 reps up Pistyll Hill, which is an evil and VERY steep road rep.  5 flat out and 1 warm up - red lining all the way
Sun - 2 Tattenhall Railways and a bit of trail running - too many dogs around

Total - 8,000', 30 miles or so

Yearlet, Long Mynd

w/c 26 December - Back in the Habit

For the first time in years, I ran every day this week.  It was limbo-week, between Christmas and New Year, and it was great to be able to get out.  I didn't manage to get out for long each time generally, but I do feel like after a year of inconsistent training, I'm finally getting into a rhythm and starting to improve after the injury.

One of the most difficult things about training for a round is sustaining the motivation and interest over a  6 month period with just one goal.  It's easy now, at the start, especially having been starved of running for a bit. But it gets hard when everyone else is racing and you're focussing on long days.

It's New Year's Day today and I ran a local fell race, the Hangover Hobble near Llandegla.  A few of my friends did it too and it made for a great way to start the year.  I ran ok, and had the aforementioned hangover at the start!  But I really really enjoyed it.  Boy have I missed racing.

It occurs to me that missing racing and the difficulty of a single goal for 6 months points to a simple plan - to train for fell racing for 3 months to get really fit and then hone that towards a round for the summer.

First target will be the Long Mynd on 5 February.  The aim is to get a time that is roughly in line with my previous ones.  That doesn't sound very ambitious but given how much fitness I have lost recently, and that I've been in generally good nick when I've done that race, it would be great to be properly 'back' by then and I can kick on from there.  My best time there is 2:13 (2008) so I'll aim to beat that, conditions permitting (I did 2:31 in snowy conditions in 2009).

After that, we'll see but come Easter I'll focus on long days and the round.  Provisional date, 30 June 2012 - a full moon and 5 years to the day that I did the BGR!

Week Summary:

Monday (Boxing Day) - Easy 4M with Alison - our first run together since before Rosie was born
Tuesday - 10M and 2,700' on Moel Famau with Nick, Kate, Shaz and Heli
Wednesday - 4 0.9M efforts fast around Marford Quarry - a brilliant circuit
Thursday - 6M at the club, Border League route with Martin and Kate
Friday - 3M 1000' dash up Moel Famau - very wet!
Saturday (NYE) - 3M 1000' dash up Moel Famau - very dark!
Sunday (NYD) - Hangover Hobble, 6M  800', 47:29 - very muddy!