training and Olympic news

Training this week has been very enjoyable indeed - mainly because of the sunshine (at last) but also because I decided that the three final long runs would be done plain and not fartlek.  Perhaps running 25 to 27 miles (40 to 43 km) with 12 x 7 to 8 minutes at 10k pace is a bit too much for my old body.

Especially as there are a couple of bits missing.

For those reasons I am seriously considering not doing the week of crash training which has characterised my build up to major races over the past few years.

So, yesterday I rose early and was out of the house at about 6.30am for a long run of about 26.5 miles (42.6 km).  I only ran up the valley to Addingham and then over the hill and down into Airedale before turning for home via Menston.  A wonderful early morning run which was made all the more pleasurable by being able to run on the roads BEFORE the early morning rush hour.

Today - another long run.  This time it was 29.3 miles (47.1 km) which used a long section of the Leeds Liverpool Canal between Kirkstall and Hirst Lock.  The trek up Hollins Hill after 3.5 hours of running wasn't much fun ... but was greatly rewarding.

As an aside, the Royal Mail are painting some of their pillar boxes gold in honour of the UK Olympic gold medallists.  They will be in the winners' home towns.  By coincidence I happened to run past one in Horsforth (near Leeds) this morning.  The paint was still wet and the workman had just finished the job and was putting his tools away.  I know Yorkshire has a few gold medallists but I wasn't aware of any that came from Horsforth ... and then I remembered, I know Alistair Brownlee lives in Bramhope but he was born in Horsforth.

Olympics and World Championships

Fantastic few hours for UK last night at the London Olympics.  Gold for Jess Ennis in the heptathlon.  Gold for Greg Rutherford in the long jump.  Gold for Mo Farah in the 10000m.  Great Stuff ... especially when added to more gold medals in cycling and rowing.

Shame about the men's football though.

As I type this the women's marathon has just started in a rain soaked London.  I don't think we'll get a medal in this event though.  Especially now that Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn because of injury.

Planning for the World 24 hour Championships goes ahead unabated.  Flights have been booked for the runners, team managers, physio and helpers.  Accommodation will be booked shortly.  Then there's kit to sort out.  Fay reckons we'll be wearing the same kit as the Olympic runners (minus the 5 rings logo) but I'm not so sure ... we'll have to wait and see.  I guess UK Athletics are a bit busy at the moment.

It would be good to get the stuff as soon as possible though so that it can worn, washed and worn again in training to make sure it fits perfectly and won't chaff or rub anywhere.  Twenty four hours is a long time to wear running gear ... it NEEDS to fit properly.

Training today is 6 x 1 mile (1.6km) and tomorrow is just cycling and strength work.  Long runs on Tuesday and Wednesday but on the former I need to leave home early so that I'm back in time for the men's triathlon in which the Brownlee brothers are competing for Wharfedale.  Start time 11.00am

Must go now ... the flapjack needs to come out of the oven and then I'll start on the bread.  The smell of fresh bread ...

the week so far

After last weeks good training I was brought down to earth with a bump yesterday afternoon.  As usual on a Monday afternoon I had a long run planned - fartlek.  In this case it was just over 26 miles (42 km) [coincidence] and after a 30 minute warm up the plan was to alternate 7.5 minutes at 10k pace with 4 minutes recovery.

The route was quite hilly and the wind a little strong but I ran well to the end, finishing in under 3 hours 20.  But then the problem started.  It just seemed to take ages to recover and no amount of rest, milk, ice baths or bananas could make me feel like completing the scheduled 28.8 mile (46.4 km) run this morning.

So I went for a slow run this afternoon - 10 miles (16 km) in about 1h 20.

Complete rest tomorrow.

Good Olympic news for my home town though.  At one point Otley (population about 15000) was number twelve in the medal table.  Lizzie Armitstead rode magnificently in a very exciting cycle race on Sunday afternoon to finish with a silver medal.

Watching it on TV was most inspiring and I dare say I ran a bit too hard yesterday.  Surprising to come across Ian Fisher shopping in Shipley though.  I had run about 20 miles (32 km) at that point and was looking forward to a long haul up Hollings Hill about 2 miles (3 km) further along.  Stopped to chat about Lizzie's achievement for a couple of minutes ...

bits and bobs

First of all many congratulations to Matt Podd and Matt John on completing their first ultra race last weekend in north Yorkshire ... a trail race but it's a start.  Hope they plan to do some more.

Earlier this week the Olympic kit was launched for team UK.  There has been quite a lot of things written in the media about 'the missing red' but the best thing I saw was on Terry Lonergan's blog - Running On Empty.

Also found some good stuff on the West Highland Way website from a 'night of inspiration' held in Edinburgh recently.  A few hundred people turned up for talks by various knowledgeable people including Adrian Stott and Dr Andrew Murray.  Videos and downloads are on the site and are well worth looking at.

My training this week has been a bit tiring.  Tempo run on Sunday then two long runs (Tuesday and Wednesday) followed by two 7 mile (11.2 km) runs yesterday and speedwork this morning.  Plus lots of core and strength work.  Yesterday's early morning run was completed with heavy legs but the porridge back at home was well worth the five or six minutes effort in making it.  The combination of oats, milk, fruit and spices soon had me back to normal and the evening training run with the club saw me moving much better.

This morning's speed session was also quite good as, once again, I managed to hit all my targets in the cold early morning mist.

A good week but a bit tiring.  The improving weather is definitely helping - almost spring like at times.  No training tomorrow ... a scheduled and well earned rest day.