Friday, January 23, 2009

Full Sun - 22nd January - Training Run

This is a hard route - leaving Milford and heading for a ridge run, dropping back down into the Belper Valley before another up hill section.

This really is a tough route and when racing last year completed this is 1 hr 31 mins.

Pushed hard in the first 2 miles up out of Milford and then settled down,

So So Muddy and sticky, really noticed this taking its toll on my legs,

Ran hard and kept pushing, Finished in 1 hr 21 mins

Thats 2 mins faster than 2nd Jan time, hope it keeps improving like this!

Running with David - mid week time trials

Took place on the 14th Jan - 2009

This is a monthly event that is run on the Elvaston by Pass near Rainsway Derby.

The format simple,

Run a mile straight, 10 mins later run 3 mile straight in your fastest times,

Ran mile in 6.33

Ran 3 mile in 24.57

Not bad at all.

LONGER LEG (3.1m/950') - Sunday, 18th Jan 2009

An early start and a beautiful blue sky emerged for this short but strenuous race.

This race is part of the Hayfield Champioship 2009 and covers 11 events.

My first venture into the Dark Peak races, and as i soon realised looking at the terrain, i wasin for a baptism of fire.

The entry was at a pub called the Lamb just out of Hayfield, you could eitehr park in a lay by 400 yrds up the road or in a Public Car park in Hayfiled 2 miles down the road.

Signing on was at a bench in the car park of the Lamb, and i could see i was in good company Lloyd Taggart, Simon Bailey and Jon Fawcett to name a few.

The start was a mile further down the road with just in from the main road and i stood there i realised that this was going to be a toughie,

Setting off ( the strated shouted GO!) it climbed up and up from the start and after what seemed like and age we reached a wall, which we had to get over, then on and on, looked at the garmin and it said .85 mile, and we had just reached the top of the first climb,

I had started of well holding my place in the mid field, as we took in a small ridge and then descended at a fair pace, not really a path but more like a sheep track. Difficult decent and then over two maybe three small streams and then a climb up and over to another ridge.

After anothe mile or so i notice the field in front of me climbing high to my right, as i reached the bottom i realised that this went on for a full mile, just constant climbing up and up, very steep and no path " the majority of the race was posted and flagged but no paths"

The final stages after reaching the top of the final climb consisted of heather, deep and rutted and two field descents on very slippy rock.

As i reached the final section i was exhausted and my foot fall was getting loose and lax, footing went coming through a gate and i slid for what seemed like ages, on my knees and chest, both knees were bruised and cut terribly, but i just got on and finished,

Finished 105th out of 108 entries in 47 mins 35 seconds - for 3.3 mile and 998 ft of climb.

I real introduction to fell racing in the dark peak.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Shinning Cliffs Fell Rece - 11th January

Good weather over the last few days and the end of the big freeze gave great conditions for the race.


2 laps in hills behind the Hurt Arms Ambergate


A great event with some good fell runners in attendance - Lloyd Taggart for one,


First lap from the start i think i pushed to hard, the hill work gave me too much confidence and i felt burnt out by the end of the first lap at approx 30.42 secs,


Put my head down and kept going, pushing hard up the main hill at the start of the lap,


Seemed to start to breath properly at half way through the lap, guy in front of me had a really bad fall, and stopped to see if he was ok. he was and then found it hard to get gowing again,


Finished with a time of 1hr 11.02 112 overall, not great but happy as i really enjoyed it ...even the fall on the second rocky descent,


Race covered 6.5 miles - 1700ft of ascent


What a great way to spend 1.5 hrs


5 mile Road time trial - 7th January

5 Mile Road time trial

Pushed hard on the way out and managed a good time at turn

20 min 45 seconds

Pushed even hard after the trun and focused on my shape and stride pattern, keeping it longer and more consistant.

Really happy with the in time of 19.45 seconds

8.39 pace

Chuffed

Hill Training - 3rd January

After giving it some great thought i have been running hill reps for my training.

Wanted to get some more hills into the training schedule,

1 Mile jog out
150 ft climb over 2 mins
Then jog down
Repeat 5 times

Then job back

Covered a total of 3.5 miles

600 ft of climbing

Good solid work out and need to do this twice a week.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Full Sun - 2nd January

This is a hard route - leaving Milford and heading for a ridge run, dropping back down into the Belper Valley before another up hill section.

This really is a tough route and when racing last year completed this is 1 hr 31 mins.

Set off feeling rather weak in the legs but soon found my pace, pushed hard up the hill until i reached the ridge. at this stage the last time i did this route i felt exhausted and really had to relax to stop from tying up.

As i reached the third part of the climb from arriving at the village and then up through the woods i felt really strong, i think those hill reps are helping as i usually stop half way up this section,

As i climbed to the farm i hit a running wall and fast walked which i great for technique training, saved some gas and then when i hit the top i started to lenghtne my stride and ran around the back of the woods and down to the main road.

Running down the main road and along teh river i found that i could keep around 8.45 - 9 min miles which after covering the terrain i thought was good, looking at the Garmin and realising i had just under 2 miles to go i new i could take a fair chunk of the old time,

Finished with a big push up the hill and stopped the Garmin on 1hr 23 mins ( cutting a huge chunk off 8 mins)

12 mile x Country - 31st December

This was the start of the new training program that i have been working on,

I intend to do a really hard x country run or the full sun route once per week.

With this i am going to do alot of hill reps and small fast runs.

This X Country was the first of these runs, and i pushed hard harder that i have done for a while,

Managed the 12 miles in 2hrs 11 mins

Good start to the new training

Furnace - Boxing day dash



Not to early for this one. 11am at a local pub that backs onto Darley Park.

A Christmas shaker really, just to keep the cobwebs away.

3 mile run/race around the park, tow small hills and the rest is part of teh Colin Potter route.

Claire and Lily came to support.




Managed to het round in 24 min 11 seconds - not bad considering i ate far too much yesterday!