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 : Figure of Eight

Somewhere New

View Humshaugh in a larger map

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.

Tuesday : Training

Causey Hill again, the hard way. I'm sure I live in the world of Escher where everything is uphill.

View Hexham_Acomb in a larger map

Training: Hexham

View Hexham Causey Hill in a larger map

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

View Hexham in a larger map

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)

10K: Wiped Out

Thynedale 10K

Nearly 600 finishers by runnerwanderings

Pensive

0:54min My goal achieved; under an hour, still standing at the end of a very hot and humid race. Pacing as usual a bloody nightmare, went through the 3 mile marker in just 23mins but started to flag badly through miles 4 and 5. It's the first time I've run with so many people and spectators, the encouragement was clearly helpful. The Pie and Peas in Ovingham School dining hall was like eating in a turkish bath.

No rest for the knackered

Back on the treadmill

Too soon perhaps? Last night's regular training run didn't seem to be faster than ususal and the GPS record when examined afterwards confirmed it; a measly 7.11 miles at an average of 5.5mph. However I was at the back of the field most of the evening and suffering.

Obviously that's going to get me nowhere in the forthcoming Tynedale 10k, well not nowhere hopefully 10k but in terms of placings... well you know what I mean. The fact was I was still knackered after our afternoon walk in the Lakes last weekend. I'm still finding it difficult not to eat everything in sight. The fridge is now empty save for some garlic stuffed oilives bought in Keswick market on the Saturday we were there.

So the plan for the next few days, the 10k is on the 1st July, is build up the constant run capability. Road work, maybe down by the Tyne at Corbridge. We'll just have to see how it goes over the next week or so. At least I don't have to wear rubber like some Triathalon Training

Training : Tyne Green

Bankside along the Tyne

View Hexham_X in a larger map

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.

Murder Miles

1 dead 6 more

View mm in a larger map

Yesterday evening's Murder Mile was, well murderous. A sort of handicapped, staggered start times, up hill run up a series of hairpin bends which never seemed to end, from The Dyvels Pub just out side Corbridge to the top of prospect hill. I didn't do as well as I had hoped but there again I'm always self critical. But it was as they say just for fun.
This was followed by a 6+ mile training run over to Dilston and back down along the riverside to the pub. A beautiful evening, sunshine views and everything, did not detract from the fact that this was very hard work. All the best runners from the club were there and it was all on the road, non stop. Normally Tuesday's running is off road, and the odd 30sec stop for gates or stiles makes all the difference. But a good evening was had by all, food and beer at the pub making it all the more enjoyable.