Almost there now ... one more training run, two more sessions of strength work, two of stretching and no more cycling.
And plenty of rest.
Glad to be able to report that last weeks selection stresses have been resolved and it's fair to say that good old fashioned common prevailed. I would like to think that all sides have learned a few lessons for the future though which can only be a good thing.
The weather has been excellent in Yorkshire for the past few days ... warm and dry with sunny spells. I'm not sure it's going to last until Friday though but I don't expect it to rain as much as it did last year ... PLEASE.
Apparently there are a few other races this weekend, so ... all the best to all the runners but especially: Richie Cunningham, Adrian Stott and Paul Tranter in the West Highland Way Race; Jez Bragg in the Western States Endurance Run (Western states 100); and Racheal Bamford in the UKA Olympic Trials (1500m).
Hope we all have a good one.
Showing posts with label Jez Bragg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jez Bragg. Show all posts
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Sunday, 28 June 2009
new fitness website
Apologies for not posting for a few days. I've had a few internet connection problems over here.
Great run by Jez Bragg in the Western States 100. Third place is a fantastic result and under 17 hours is a great time too.
Great run by Jez Bragg in the Western States 100. Third place is a fantastic result and under 17 hours is a great time too.
Monday, 18 May 2009
Ultra Squad Weekend
I was at the England Athletics Ultra Distance Squad Weekend in Gloucester on Saturday and Sunday. I wasn't particularly looking forward to the five hour journey involving two buses and two trains. It could have been worse though.
Everything was fine until we reached Birmingham a bit late. The train was supposed to arrive at 1107 but arrived at 1128. My next train was supposed to leave Birmingham at 1130 so I was beginning to panic a bit until I found that it was due to leave from the same platform I had just arrived at ... but it was going to be 10 minutes late. We all got on and a few minutes later heard the following message over the public address system: "this train will now leave at 1200 because there's no driver available."
Arrived in Gloucester half an hour late and not too happy.
Got to the hotel at two o'clock, on the early side but it would give me time to meet everyone before proceedings began at three. Never been invited to one of these before - never considered myself 'elite' before and that's still an unfamiliar tag. Chris Finill, Vicky Skelton, Ramona Thevenet-Smith, Andy Smith, Jez Bragg, Dominic Croft, Matthew Lynas, Brian Cole and the other runners I spoke to were great at making me feel very welcome and I'm very grateful to them for that (particularly Chris and Ramona - you were both fantastic).
I always find these type of get togethers rather awkward, mainly because I'm a shy and introverted person by nature - mainly because of my medical history. Apart from cancer as an adult I had recurring major throat problems as a child and I spent three or four weeks in hospital every 18 months or so having throat surgery and not being able to talk for a couple of months afterwards.
Had less than four hours sleep before going for a run on Sunday morning with Jez Bragg, Chris Finill, Matthew Lynas and Dominic Croft. I found that quite a surreal experience ... running down the road with a group of international runners, chatting away and covering well over nine miles in 70 minutes or less before breakfast.
Then came a long relaxed breakfast before the rain started. That wasn't good as I had to walk back into Gloucester to the train station [no buses there on a Sunday]. Journey home was uneventful except that we left Sheffield seven minutes late and arrived in Leeds two minutes early !!! The scheduled journey of 48 minutes actually took 37 minutes - very strange.
Overall a good weekend. I picked up a few tips from Chris Finill, Andy Smith and Hilary Walker and learned about the forthcoming Commonwealth Championships. It still rankles a bit that I haven't been officially selected yet even though I exceeded the tough qualification criteria easily in my last 24 hr race ... all this waiting makes planning and training a bit difficult.
Oh yes, less than four hours sleep. Well, the bloke I was sharing a room with snores, loudly. Very loudly at times. So loudly that, a couple of hours after getting into bed I decided to try using my MP3 earphones as makeshift earplugs. Not much better but I eventually drifted off to sleep ... sort of.
Everything was fine until we reached Birmingham a bit late. The train was supposed to arrive at 1107 but arrived at 1128. My next train was supposed to leave Birmingham at 1130 so I was beginning to panic a bit until I found that it was due to leave from the same platform I had just arrived at ... but it was going to be 10 minutes late. We all got on and a few minutes later heard the following message over the public address system: "this train will now leave at 1200 because there's no driver available."
Arrived in Gloucester half an hour late and not too happy.
Got to the hotel at two o'clock, on the early side but it would give me time to meet everyone before proceedings began at three. Never been invited to one of these before - never considered myself 'elite' before and that's still an unfamiliar tag. Chris Finill, Vicky Skelton, Ramona Thevenet-Smith, Andy Smith, Jez Bragg, Dominic Croft, Matthew Lynas, Brian Cole and the other runners I spoke to were great at making me feel very welcome and I'm very grateful to them for that (particularly Chris and Ramona - you were both fantastic).
I always find these type of get togethers rather awkward, mainly because I'm a shy and introverted person by nature - mainly because of my medical history. Apart from cancer as an adult I had recurring major throat problems as a child and I spent three or four weeks in hospital every 18 months or so having throat surgery and not being able to talk for a couple of months afterwards.
Had less than four hours sleep before going for a run on Sunday morning with Jez Bragg, Chris Finill, Matthew Lynas and Dominic Croft. I found that quite a surreal experience ... running down the road with a group of international runners, chatting away and covering well over nine miles in 70 minutes or less before breakfast.
Then came a long relaxed breakfast before the rain started. That wasn't good as I had to walk back into Gloucester to the train station [no buses there on a Sunday]. Journey home was uneventful except that we left Sheffield seven minutes late and arrived in Leeds two minutes early !!! The scheduled journey of 48 minutes actually took 37 minutes - very strange.
Overall a good weekend. I picked up a few tips from Chris Finill, Andy Smith and Hilary Walker and learned about the forthcoming Commonwealth Championships. It still rankles a bit that I haven't been officially selected yet even though I exceeded the tough qualification criteria easily in my last 24 hr race ... all this waiting makes planning and training a bit difficult.
Oh yes, less than four hours sleep. Well, the bloke I was sharing a room with snores, loudly. Very loudly at times. So loudly that, a couple of hours after getting into bed I decided to try using my MP3 earphones as makeshift earplugs. Not much better but I eventually drifted off to sleep ... sort of.
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Otley - home of the ultra distance runner
First of all a big well done to Phil Robertson of Otley AC who has completed the West Highland Way Race (95 miles) in just under 28 hours - an amazing achievement. He was with Paul Tranter [another Otley resident] who has now completed the Marathon des Sables and the West Highland Way Race in less than five months.
For more details about Phil Robertson see his blog at http://www.runtothehills.blogspot.com
Just noticed, on the UK Athletics website the selection criteria for the IAU European Championships and World Cup 100k to be held in Etruschi, Italy on 8 November. Basically they are only considering individuals if they are confident of a top 15 placing. This means they have set standards of 7h 05 for men and 8h 15 for women. In the last 18 months only one man and two women have achieved this (Jez Bragg, Adele Salt and Emma Gooderham).
They have also set lower, team standards, of 7h 20 and 8h 30 but, again, I think that perhaps they are setting their targets a bit high as no other British runners have achieved this lower mark in the qualifying period which began on 1 January 2007.
I wonder what the criteria will be for the 24 hr World Challenge in Korea on October 18/19.
For more details about Phil Robertson see his blog at http://www.runtothehills.blogspot.com
Just noticed, on the UK Athletics website the selection criteria for the IAU European Championships and World Cup 100k to be held in Etruschi, Italy on 8 November. Basically they are only considering individuals if they are confident of a top 15 placing. This means they have set standards of 7h 05 for men and 8h 15 for women. In the last 18 months only one man and two women have achieved this (Jez Bragg, Adele Salt and Emma Gooderham).
They have also set lower, team standards, of 7h 20 and 8h 30 but, again, I think that perhaps they are setting their targets a bit high as no other British runners have achieved this lower mark in the qualifying period which began on 1 January 2007.
I wonder what the criteria will be for the 24 hr World Challenge in Korea on October 18/19.
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