Hexham Farmer's Market

Hexham, by rantoutloud.

Jazz folk band in Hexham playing this morning in less than balmy weather. The monthly Farmer's Market in Hexham is a real crowd puller and there's often street entertainment like this to keep the shoppers amused after they've spent all their money. The market itslef is healthy with a variety of sellers, an over abundance of organic meat stalls perhaps but in general the variety and quality food and produce is fantastic and the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming.

Training : Fartlek

And Now in Pairs

I thought a trip to the local builders merchants come DIY store would be just that. How wrong can I be?

As it turns out very wrong. Running in pairs so called 'efforts' about 500m a minutes worth, at first anyway, out and back to your 'partner'. Switch roles, they run you rest, they come back you run and so on. There is two things to note about this. The first point is you only get as much interval rest as your partner takes to run the loop. Secondly if you or your partner are at all competitive with either each other or the any of the other pairs the tendency is to self destruct.

We blew up around loop 8 or so and eventually came in second or third. Not that it was a competiton you understand! Thanks Pip, "Good Effort" indeed. The reference to the builder's merchants, it was their lorry park we were running in, Dove's for the record..

Training : Around and Up and Up and Down

Intervals, again

I think I live in a Escher Like world where even if there are some downs there are definitely more ups than downs. This does appear to be contrary to my friend's experience where Tyneside's East End appears only to have scrap heaps.

Tonight's training run appeared to consist of semi-circular routes around the trading/industrial estate at the back of Hexham followed by a never ending flight of steps. It is the succession of short manic bursts of 'efforts' done at as high a speed as possible followed by very much shorter 'rest' (a euphemism for slightly less effort) periods that make up these 'intervals'. Bryan seems to think they are key to fitness at our age, all I know is I'm bloody knackered.

Comedy Club

Laugh? I nearly drew a blank

The Queen's Hall Arts Centre Hexham

It was a spur of the moment thing, coming home after work on Friday. You can see how engaged I was by the fact that I drew these caricatures of the compare and two of the three performers while drinking my beer. It was funny though and I'll probably be back next month, (Nov 7th.)

Training : Back to it

Intervals

So it's dark now and off road running on a Tuesday evening is off. In it's place is road running training, intervals and rat runs in and around Hexham.

After almost three weeks off, lazing in the sun or just skiving, tonight was a bit of a shock. Steep hills flat out, repeated intervals with bugger all rest and a weird masochistic streak that made me try and out run myself and all around me. Add to that coming down with a cold and thinking "this'll kill or cure me" I'm certifiable but I have to work off the holiday excess somehow and there's another race in a week or so!

Tynedale : Jelly Tea Race

Better in the eating than in anticipation

I'd been panicking all week and more besides, the thought of 10 miles, longer than anything I've run was getting to me.

I'm up early pacing the hallway. Take the train to Hexham, leaving my car at the finish in Prudhoe / Ovingham. Early again pacing the platform. Arrival at the start over an hour to go. Meet up with a couple of the girls from Tyndale Tuesday group, now we're all panicking a bit but the mutual support is encouraging.

The amble to the start turns into a jog and one or two folk think we've already started, not yet! Then we're off!

The route is actually beautiful following the National Cycle route 72 for most of the way. Leaving Hexham on the Beaufront road to Corbridge, through the town it's self a steep section taking you up out of town to the turn down right to Bywell. The road is then goes back down the hill bypassing Bywell and follows the river towards Ovingham. A short steep section at mile 9+ proves as hard as the pre-race horror stories made it out to be.

The end is almost in sight and we realise that with a short burst of speed we could make it in under the hour and a half! In the end 1:27 more than 10 minutes in under my target time. Knackered but well happy with that.

Training : This is becoming a Habit

Addicted to endorphins

View Hexham - Corbridge in a larger map

The Jelly race is just a week away now, Sunday the 6th Sept at 11:00. So I'm trying desperately to put some miles and speed work in. After yesterday's lovely walk in the lakes I was still keen to add more miles. So today I drove to Hexham with a plan to run the start of the road race route to Corbridge and then make my way back via the Dilston road. I had thought it was around 9 miles. In the end I've calculated its 7.7. My GPS packed up half way around, I should have replaced the batteries. But I had noted the time, 1:17mins, that's a steady 6mph again. Yes next week might be possible.

Training : Figure of Eight

Somewhere New

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Thursday night 'Pub Run' from the Crown at Humshaugh was an opportunity for a change of route and scenery with the added bonus of food and drinks afterwards.

The run took us down through Chollerford, Walwick, up to the top of Rye Hill and back around via the Military Road and new Hadrian's Wall walkers' path down into Humshaugh.

The food in the pub afterwards, oh and the beer, was a welcome refuel after the exersion of the evening.

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Training: Hexham

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Route statistics: Distance: 12.88 km; Elevation gain: 243.7 m; Elevation loss: -243.6 m

Training Resumed : Jelly All Round

There's Bears in them Woods

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There's nothing like getting a race bib number in the post and a sudden realisation that the start date is just a few weeks away to get the motivation going. For 'motivation' read PANIC.

After a few weeks of not feeling great and not enjoying the running I decided last night to get down to it and motivate myself. The receipt of the bib for the Tynedale Harrier's Jelly Road Race, start time 11:00am 6th Sept. that morning had something to do with it too. It's 10 Miles! Shit that's far longer than I've run ever at one time before and I'm starting to panic for sure. Tips on how to up the distance from where I'm reasonably comfortable, 10k, to the new goal of 10 Miles, would be helpful.

Statistics: Distance: 10.44 km Elevation gain: 217.1 m Elevation loss: -217.5 m. (As calculated by GPS Visualizer)

Rain stops play

The River Tyne

River Tyne, Hexham

Trying something new, embedded video clip of the river just below the bridge at aHexham after considerable overnight rain. The power and the noise of the flow was considerable and a huge contrast with the conditions seen last week when the rowers were out on the water and the sun was shining.

The weather this weekend is mixed at best with a big anticyclone over the North Sea dumping hige amounts of water all over the north of England. Staying indoors catching up with work seems like a reasonable option.

Training : 2 for 1

Two For the price of one

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Running Hexham

Causey Hill

View Hexham Causey Hill

Back to the traditional Tuesday night runouts, this time Causey Hill. The pull up from the Wentworth leisure centre in Hexham is unforgiving. Halfway up the hill at one of the natural stops, a stile, I had to lie down or else I'd have fallen over, light headed and dizzy. I can only assume that I'm de-hydrated and lacking energy despite eating and drinking; I thought enough; today.

A brief rest and a steady pace up to the top of the hill and I'm managing, the down hill is easy one you get into a stride. Then the long return run, up again and again before the long run back through to Hexham's main street and back to the Wentworth Leisure Centre. 6.33 miles 5.2mph In this heat that's enough for now!

Training : Tyne Green

Bankside along the Tyne

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Tuesday, back running out with the pack, we're short on numbers as it's still half term. Running out of Hexham, west alongside of the river Tyne is especially beautiful this time of year. Sandwiched between the river and the Golf Club the route follows the trail eventually turning left (south) and crosses the A69 before pulling up the steep and unrelenting hill towards 'Low Gate'. Why Low when it's the highestpoint for miles?

Now it's across fields now lush with grass, before the 1st cut silage due late May i.e. any time now. Through the woods than back to the road for the final down hill dash back through Hexham to the leisure centre.

7 miles, plus an extra half warm up which makes all the difference to both the performance and the sense of satisfaction at the end. 6.8mph moving average 5mph overall; not a bad evening out. This is the reverse of this route.

Training : Loopback

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Running : Not Singing

Tuesday and its raining

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Tuesday evening and for the first time it's really raining, actually it's heaving it down. Funny though the pain in the legs, before they warm up and the gasping for breath is just the same as every other time, just wetter.

The run tonight took us up north of Heham to Acomb. I really am beginging to see more of this county that I have ever done in the time I've lived here. I just wish I wasn't quite so knackered so I could take it all in.

As usual the run is a mix of trail, fields and forest or woodland tracs and a long road run back into Hexham. At about 6 miles I'm still raring to go an my liking for long down hill runs pushes me out front runnin hard for the leisure centre. The steam rises from all who dare to hang about outside in the car park in the drizzle.

Postscript, Chris made it around the London Marathon, 3:50 well done!

The Analytics

Some further geeky analysis of the training run from the GPS data. It may be a little too much for some of you, especially those who practice running on the flat but to me wher the problem and achievment is the hilly bits this profile stuff is a true indicator of the level I'm at.

THe route profile using STM data from 'best source'. compare that with live data from my own GPS device.

The route profile using GPS acquired data.

The rate of climb x distance for the route

The speedacross the route

The speed x distance for the route

Training : Wot no rest?

WHERE THE HELL ARE WE

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Rather than take a rest day after the weekend I decided to take the usual Tuesday run out with the guys from Hexham. The evening sunshine and a degree of boredom and no small addiction to this obsession got me up and runnin again.

It was the usual mixture of road and off road work, woodland tracks and fields, loads of up hill, just enough to stretch the strength and stamina. It feels good when it's this good.

The run was around 6.3 miles in just over the hour. The last dash down into Hexham through the evening shopping traffic providing a bit of light relief.

Parting gestures to Chris and ? for their Saturday run....The London Marathon.. best of luck guys!

Larger view

Training : The run out

The final run out before iROC

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Arrgh... ankle, tweaked, you know the rest. So no more work this week, just carb loading.

Training : The run up

The last Leg

Well the bike came out yesterday and got pushed around and about for 13 or so miles. Not bad considering I haven't been on one for years. No crashes or even a near miss.

As a vehicle for training it seems it uses slightly different muscles in the legs than running and I'm not sure that's a good thing or not. Comments from Triathalon friends please. It did get me some reasonable exercise though and was much easier on the ankle than running. Indeed that and the anti-inflammatories seem have been working and it's begining to feel much better. There's one bodily aspect that did NOT fair well, must get a new saddle.

So this week is last training before iROC and it's not looking too healthy with at least one long car journey, expected 8hrs, and one late night at Daughter's 18th Birthday party to contend with. Last run out with the Hexham group on Tuesday then a complete wind down before the Saturday.

Rugby Training : Mark My Words

Youth and rugby training 5 nights a week

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Mark a collegue from work and the other deranged person in the Off Exploring iROC team came and ran along with the Tuesday Night group I've been training with. Well I say along with, what I actually mean is 'ran far ahead of' as he was always way out front. It's youth of course, he's half the average age of the group, and the 5 nights rugby training for Ponteland Rugby Football Club that does it.

Unfortunately my GPS packed up halfway through the run so I had to guess at the actual route we took. It was all new territory as far as I was concerned anyway.

Performance this week, not great struggled most of the way around and damaged my left ankle again. I really will have to rest it over the next few days. Looks like boring cycle training for a while.

iROC is just over a week away now and while I'm not quite in a state of panic it is begining to come to the forefront of my mind. One thing I have learnt over the past few weeks is the state of one's mental fitness is just as important as the body. Any tips on how to stay focussed and positive would be helpful as would words of encouragement; like those from Bryan over at Tyne Dock Green.

Hexham: Runnin around and up and down

Early evening and off road

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Another great but hard training evening out with the crowd from Hexham. It's amazing what running in a group does for motivation and determination. After such a bad couple of days over the weekend this was sooo much better.

Hexham : Runnin round and round and falling down

Training and Falling Down Potholes

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Another evening's running with the group from Hexham and the Wentworth Centre ended in a bit of a disaster, me falling down a pothole and twisting my ankle badly. Bloody hell it hurts but as my colleague Mark said ..you are probably being a wuss... The balloon at one end of my left leg would suggest otherwise. Other than that the training was good, longer sections, hill starts again and it's tough.

Hexham Runnin Around

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Abbey Going to Hexham

Last week I met an Oldie at the leisure centre after going to the gym, Chris as it turns out who's training for a Marathon. I don't remember which one. When I asked about the group of runners he was with, he invited me to join them next week, i.e. today. Which is what I did and it was great. Running with others is a new experience and I had no idea whether I could keep up or not, I genuinely had no idea what was in store.

Five miles of street running and hilly ones at that later I felt I'd had a good workout and not been embarrassed as I thought I might be. Everyone was friendly and encouraging, thanks guys, I'll be back next week.

Note I'm not being cheeky when I say Oldie, it was Chris that brought up the tag suggesting that I was more their age, of his group, than the one's I'd seen running around the track.