When reading during the week in astonishment that every member of the Mett office staff received a £1500 bonus for accuracy this week,I decided my natural instinct about there predictions must be unfounded and decided to take note of there Sunday forecast of Stormy weather to include heavy rain and strong(40mph)northerly winds.
Natural beliefs and instincts are very often based on a good foundation of history and experiences and sure enough I woke up on Sunday to dry and calm conditions !
So I'm glad my suspicions allow me to prepare for good weather despite a multi million pound department telling me otherwise. I woke up and had my bike ready for a nice ride in the local hills.
A steady 32 mile ride in very pleasant conditions and good company around the hills of Chirk and down the Ceriog valley. Pretty lumpy with a total 3166' of climb and including a tasty descent into the village of Glyn Ceriog.
Sunday, February 28
21/02/10-27/02/10
Last week of Feb thank the lord. What a shocker in terms of weather. Some stunning clear skies at times but that all becomes irrelevant when you have 3" of snow on the floor when trying to cycle/run.
Sunday-Bike 39.41mi/2236'
Monday-Run 6.13mi/1338'
Tuesday-rest
Wednesday-rest
Thursday-6.84mi/1181' + 1 hr circuit training
Friday-rest
Saturday-rest
Totals Bike-39.41mi/2236'
Run-12.97mi/2518'
One of the lowest totals for a while. A good start with a nice bike ride on Sunday and a run Monday. Not sure what happened this week. Not a disaster,four sessions in six days is not something to be too worried about. Less than a week until my pursuit of a GB Vest for the World Duathlon championships and I've got mixed expectations. My running is OK but only time will tell if my bike will be strong enough at this,the first of four qualifiers and also National champs. I'm hoping that all competitors have suffered frustration like me with the weather over the winter and are not quite on top form.
On another note,only 20 days until my Majorca cycling holiday,oh yes !
Sunday-Bike 39.41mi/2236'
Monday-Run 6.13mi/1338'
Tuesday-rest
Wednesday-rest
Thursday-6.84mi/1181' + 1 hr circuit training
Friday-rest
Saturday-rest
Totals Bike-39.41mi/2236'
Run-12.97mi/2518'
One of the lowest totals for a while. A good start with a nice bike ride on Sunday and a run Monday. Not sure what happened this week. Not a disaster,four sessions in six days is not something to be too worried about. Less than a week until my pursuit of a GB Vest for the World Duathlon championships and I've got mixed expectations. My running is OK but only time will tell if my bike will be strong enough at this,the first of four qualifiers and also National champs. I'm hoping that all competitors have suffered frustration like me with the weather over the winter and are not quite on top form.
On another note,only 20 days until my Majorca cycling holiday,oh yes !
Sunday, February 21
A Bike ride !!
After waking up to 4" of the white stuff,today's planned long ride was not looking too promising. Just as I was settling down for a day on the sofa the snow was slowly starting to melt. By the time I'd had lunch things were looking better and I decided to take the road bike out for a spin about 1400. It was quite pleasant out,about 3-4c I would guess with little wind and occasional sunshine. I decided to take my Focus cayo road bike out,which is probably the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden. I set off passing through the local villages of Llangedwyn,Penybont and Penybontfawr and to the top of a climb sitting at over 1000' above sea level just past the village of Penygarnedd. Some nice views from the top gave me the perfect excuse to have a breather after the long climb. The long descent that leads into Llanfyllin is pretty long (3.5mile) drops from 1040' to about 640' it's pretty fast and is good reward for the previous climb. Not so great in winter as the wind chill is quite significant by the bottom.
The rest of the ride is relatively flat with the odd pull. I Passed through the villages of Bwlch-y-cibau,Llansantffraidd and onto Llanymynech and Melverley. All in all a fun ride in surprisingly comfortable conditions. I would love to report that I was welcomed home with enthusiasm and open arms but I guess sometimes staying in bed is just too much of a luxury for some !
Total 40mile/2236' In 2hr 20min.
Good week
Sun-Off road duathlon 6m run,12 mile bike
Mon- 4.43m/1159'run 38min
Tue- 12.75m/2765' run 1hr 42min
wed- 4.63m *bike
Thurs- 6.74m/1000' 50min
Fri- rest day
Sat- 9.2m/2047'run 1hr 20
*Bike ride wed was cut short,left house with threatening skies only for it to turn into blizzard conditions within a mile. Not a huge problem but I couldn't see anything and every car had headlights on,so thought best to get home quick!
Total run 39.12m/8000'ish
Total Bike 17 mile !
More like it. Running went well this week,and I'm feeling stronger after every run. Saturday nights run was a joy,sprinted up the hills and watching the sun set early evening at the panoramic view point (2 mile from home) was one of those to savour(wish I'd taken the camera). I feel sorry for the slobs watching "you've been framed" at the same time who didn't appreciate such an experience..oh well there loss my gain.
Biking has again taken a back seat. The nights are drawing out and it won't be long before i can get out regularly after work without the need for lights. Sunday was due to be the day for a long ride. Woke up this morning to 4" of snow,the novelty has seriously worn off for me and it's starting to annoy me to say the least. We are owed an exceptional summer after this winter !
Mon- 4.43m/1159'run 38min
Tue- 12.75m/2765' run 1hr 42min
wed- 4.63m *bike
Thurs- 6.74m/1000' 50min
Fri- rest day
Sat- 9.2m/2047'run 1hr 20
*Bike ride wed was cut short,left house with threatening skies only for it to turn into blizzard conditions within a mile. Not a huge problem but I couldn't see anything and every car had headlights on,so thought best to get home quick!
Total run 39.12m/8000'ish
Total Bike 17 mile !
More like it. Running went well this week,and I'm feeling stronger after every run. Saturday nights run was a joy,sprinted up the hills and watching the sun set early evening at the panoramic view point (2 mile from home) was one of those to savour(wish I'd taken the camera). I feel sorry for the slobs watching "you've been framed" at the same time who didn't appreciate such an experience..oh well there loss my gain.
Biking has again taken a back seat. The nights are drawing out and it won't be long before i can get out regularly after work without the need for lights. Sunday was due to be the day for a long ride. Woke up this morning to 4" of snow,the novelty has seriously worn off for me and it's starting to annoy me to say the least. We are owed an exceptional summer after this winter !
Sunday, February 14
Race Day
Llandegla off road duathlon today. 5km run - 20km run - 5km run
After winning the coed-y-brenin off road duathlon in October I had high hopes of winning the Llandegla version. This event is no different to any other in terms of you never know who's going to turn up. So the simple plan was to go flat out and see who fancies it.
Despite being issued with a strange t-shirt to wear at registration (size large!) by the organisers I was prepared for action. The run was on fire tracks with some interesting single track sections. The pace was reasonable without being frantic and I entered transition on the shoulder of the first runner. Time of 13mins,meaning the run was more like 4k than 5. I had a mini disaster in transition due to losing my bike briefly,wasting 20 secs or so. The bike is the red route at Llandegla and starts with a long drag,nothing steep but enough to warm the legs up. I wasn't sure what position I left transition as a group of maybe 4-5 runners entered together,and with my disaster of losing the bike I wasn't sure what position I was in. I quickly caught and left two riders and pushed on hard up the climb. I asked the first marshal how many riders had gone through and I was a little surprised to hear him say I was first. So I put the hammer down and pulled a gap big enough to be able to look back and see a clear trail. Despite a mini fall on some left over snow on a climb due to some lady (trails were still open to the public) not knowing the difference between left and right,I continued to pull clear of the field.
My bike was starting to get on my nerves due to the continuous gear slipping,probably down to a bent hanger that needs replacing. So I was glad to get the bike out the way and onto the slightly different second run. I'd apparently pulled out a lead of around 2 1/2 minutes after the bike leg,and was able to enjoy the final run without working out of my comfort zone. All done without any drama and thus my first win of the season. I managed to pull out a lead of around 4 minutes,not that my trainers could take anymore abuse !
Finally I can justify the "trophies" in the blog title.
Best buy a new pair.
After winning the coed-y-brenin off road duathlon in October I had high hopes of winning the Llandegla version. This event is no different to any other in terms of you never know who's going to turn up. So the simple plan was to go flat out and see who fancies it.
Despite being issued with a strange t-shirt to wear at registration (size large!) by the organisers I was prepared for action. The run was on fire tracks with some interesting single track sections. The pace was reasonable without being frantic and I entered transition on the shoulder of the first runner. Time of 13mins,meaning the run was more like 4k than 5. I had a mini disaster in transition due to losing my bike briefly,wasting 20 secs or so. The bike is the red route at Llandegla and starts with a long drag,nothing steep but enough to warm the legs up. I wasn't sure what position I left transition as a group of maybe 4-5 runners entered together,and with my disaster of losing the bike I wasn't sure what position I was in. I quickly caught and left two riders and pushed on hard up the climb. I asked the first marshal how many riders had gone through and I was a little surprised to hear him say I was first. So I put the hammer down and pulled a gap big enough to be able to look back and see a clear trail. Despite a mini fall on some left over snow on a climb due to some lady (trails were still open to the public) not knowing the difference between left and right,I continued to pull clear of the field.
My bike was starting to get on my nerves due to the continuous gear slipping,probably down to a bent hanger that needs replacing. So I was glad to get the bike out the way and onto the slightly different second run. I'd apparently pulled out a lead of around 2 1/2 minutes after the bike leg,and was able to enjoy the final run without working out of my comfort zone. All done without any drama and thus my first win of the season. I managed to pull out a lead of around 4 minutes,not that my trainers could take anymore abuse !
Finally I can justify the "trophies" in the blog title.
Best buy a new pair.
Saturday, February 13
week 6
Mon - 6.1m/752'
Tues - rest
wed - rest
Thurs - 1hr turbo with hard intervals
Fri - rest
sat- rest
Total (sun-sat) run 17.6m/5250' + 1hr turbo
Very bare page this week. Felt a little tired this week after the valleys,also I've developed another sniffle which I've tried desperately not to turn into something worse. The main problem with racing regularly and expecting to do well is you have to balance between sufficient rest and training for the event. Which is why the two don't mix very well. Tomorrow (Sunday) I've got another off road duathlon,after winning the Coed-y-brennin duathlon last October I hope to do well again.
After this weekend I've got two weekends off leading up to the national duathlons at Clumber park. This means I've no excuses whatsoever not to train with up coming races in the back of my mind...famous last words !
Tues - rest
wed - rest
Thurs - 1hr turbo with hard intervals
Fri - rest
sat- rest
Total (sun-sat) run 17.6m/5250' + 1hr turbo
Very bare page this week. Felt a little tired this week after the valleys,also I've developed another sniffle which I've tried desperately not to turn into something worse. The main problem with racing regularly and expecting to do well is you have to balance between sufficient rest and training for the event. Which is why the two don't mix very well. Tomorrow (Sunday) I've got another off road duathlon,after winning the Coed-y-brennin duathlon last October I hope to do well again.
After this weekend I've got two weekends off leading up to the national duathlons at Clumber park. This means I've no excuses whatsoever not to train with up coming races in the back of my mind...famous last words !
Monday, February 8
Long mynd valleys
Race two of the year complete. A bit of an eye opener for me as to what standard I'm at and what i need to be. The two are quite different ! The Valleys race is tough and is a good test to see where you're at fitness wise,there is no hiding here with 11mile and 4500' of climb. You can get away with being slightly short of fitness on races up to 5/6 mile and little ascent but not here. The conditions were cool,with a slight drizzle,but with no wind they were just about perfect. The start line attracted some good lads including ex British champions and national representatives.
As we set off I felt reasonable,lying in about 10th or so behind the big names. For some reason just after the first check point I completely switched off and missed the first gully losing maybe 30 seconds but more importantly the back of the leaders I wanted to stay in touch with. The race then has a flat fast section on the tops,i was feeling angry but comfortable. The fog was down on this section and the earlier mistake was annoying me as i was slowing to remind myself the route on many occasions,small things that are not required when in a group. It's amazing how much these small errors add up to account for sizable chunks of time.I plodded on and the first fast downhill section saw me switch off slightly again and I hit the deck,scraping my forearms,which seemed to knock my stride somewhat in the next couple of sections. I was glad for some climbing and began to catch some of the better runners. Then comes the three big climbs,by now i was beginning to catch people,pulling clear of two runners and catching a third. The second of these big ascents is the Callow,I reached the top feeling strong but then made a right howler by baring right off the top after punching my number,down the wrong valley. I couldn't believe my mistake despite the 20 yard visibility i should have known better. I think I lost maybe 2-3 mins and was on "catch up" with a couple of lads I'd managed to over take previously. I got to the finish without anymore dramas in a time of 1hr 56,9th overall but most disappointingly 16 mins behind the leaders ! It was still quicker than last year despite the mistakes.
Lessons will be learnt today and i need to take note of them and move forward to make improvements. Firstly I need to do some more off road running,my ankles were quite sore whilst descending and i can only put this down to lack of running in the terrain and conditions. You can lose a lot of time on a fast descent if you're limping about. I also need to get some more climbing under my belt,I'm way off the pace with my ascending mainly due to the lack of steep hills in my training runs.
I'm pleased this wake up call has come early in the season and i've taken it on positively as I'm keen as hell about making the changes needed,I've not thought of anything else all day at work. The trick now is to put them into practice and hopefully see the improvements on the results sheets in weeks to come.
Friday, February 5
Week 5
I'll post this a day early as it'll be feet up tomorrow in preparation for the Long Mynd Valleys on Sunday.
Sunday - 12.75m/4656' LMV race route recce.
Monday - Rest day,put in some loft insula...almost fell asleep with boredom just writing that !
Tuesday - Rest day,lazy lazy lazy no other word needed.
Wednesday - 24.52mile/4503' 3hr 18, Went out with the boys on a mtb night ride.
Took the single speed out which was pretty tough going with the amount of ascent.
Thursday - 6.77mi/1002' 50min + circuit training,1 hour of mainly core work.
Friday - Rest day
Saturday - Will be rest day in prep for valleys.
Totals - run 19.52mi/5658' 3hr 51
Bike 24.52mi/4503' 3hr 18
I need to get out more if I'm going to achieve my goals this year. When i do get out the sessions are good. Glad to get out on the bike this week,even if it was just for one ride. As soon as the weather picks up and the light draws out i am certain that the number of sessions will increase....BUT.... with some of my main races very early in the season (Clumber park,national du champs + World Qualifier) in the first weekend of March i need to be doing these training sessions now.
Tough race on Sunday (6th) is followed by a Mtb Duathlon (14th) and then a night race (19th) so i hope i can juggle racing with training without one effecting the other.
This is sounding a little negative,however I must add that i felt strong on the bike the other night despite little riding and I'm only 2 weeks after a pretty fast 10k pb. However i want and feel i can push onto another level which means increasing training quantity. Make hay when the sun shines and all that...still young(ish),still keen,and not injured,so it's time to make some bales !!
Sunday - 12.75m/4656' LMV race route recce.
Monday - Rest day,put in some loft insula...almost fell asleep with boredom just writing that !
Tuesday - Rest day,lazy lazy lazy no other word needed.
Wednesday - 24.52mile/4503' 3hr 18, Went out with the boys on a mtb night ride.
Took the single speed out which was pretty tough going with the amount of ascent.
Thursday - 6.77mi/1002' 50min + circuit training,1 hour of mainly core work.
Friday - Rest day
Saturday - Will be rest day in prep for valleys.
Totals - run 19.52mi/5658' 3hr 51
Bike 24.52mi/4503' 3hr 18
I need to get out more if I'm going to achieve my goals this year. When i do get out the sessions are good. Glad to get out on the bike this week,even if it was just for one ride. As soon as the weather picks up and the light draws out i am certain that the number of sessions will increase....BUT.... with some of my main races very early in the season (Clumber park,national du champs + World Qualifier) in the first weekend of March i need to be doing these training sessions now.
Tough race on Sunday (6th) is followed by a Mtb Duathlon (14th) and then a night race (19th) so i hope i can juggle racing with training without one effecting the other.
This is sounding a little negative,however I must add that i felt strong on the bike the other night despite little riding and I'm only 2 weeks after a pretty fast 10k pb. However i want and feel i can push onto another level which means increasing training quantity. Make hay when the sun shines and all that...still young(ish),still keen,and not injured,so it's time to make some bales !!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
