Well done coming 4th Greg...

Did a run yesterday after a good few weeks off before the BB200 (as I didn't wanna risk injury). Dropped car off at Keltec in Leeds to have the new exhaust done and ran to the train station. 5.1 miles total of which I planned to do in 1 mile segments. After the first 0.7 miles I changed the goalposts to 0.5 mile segments and some fast walking in between.

Time taken: 57 minutes moving but alot more total I think. Was knackered for the evening but managed to grab the train in time to be home for Friday prayers Almost all tarmac and hopefully a marathon coming up sooner or later

Thanks Shaff, but 2nd was what I should have gotten.

Raced again today, mini mountain marathon, 24km with 700m vert in 3hrs across some terrible terrain in the Peak District. Good day out, but had a few "issues" including losing all my food bar a Cliff Bar within 30mins and not noticing it until 60mins in... suboptimal.

Either way, saw a load of stags out on parade duty with their herds. Ran some ace trails. Wibbled a bit when I ran out of gas. But got back with 32 seconds to spare before getting any time penalties. That'll do pig.

Well done Greg

I’m back on it. 7.5 miles of off road grimness today. 8:10 mile pace which is not too bad. Building back up to half marathon distance

GregMay wrote: ↑Sun Oct 24, 2021 7:11 pm Raced again today, mini mountain marathon,

Two races in one weekend is quite a schedule! As for Staurday's event

GregMay wrote: ↑Sat Oct 23, 2021 10:37 pm 4th overall, second V40...beaten by the person I gave a lift to :)

Surely the first rule of getting a lift to an event is not to beat the driver? I hope you made them walk home

All prep for next weekend and the OMM. 7hrs on Saturday, 6hrs on Sunday carrying everything and trying not to break my race partner :)

Catch up for the week...

Monday, ran a loop I'd done many times before but I'd seen someone I follow on Strava had run it over the weekend (on a freindly club run) so thought I'd set that time as my target for some motivation to push harder. I wanted to increase my training volume and rather than just keep adding to the distance I thought I'd up the pace. I knew I should be able to come in under the time but without some motivation I can tend to just ease off. I should also point out that if he wanted the time setter could go much faster than me, or longer as he does 100 mile races. Set off hard and kept my pulse at the top of the amber/into the red (150 to 165) and slightly over at times. Finished the loop under the target but realised as it was 12.2 miles I'd only need to add a touch on to get to a half. The last mile was the hardest, I think my legs stopped as I ran past the car. Made it back for a total of 13.25 miles 1550 feet and 1 hr 48 min 07 secs. Strava say this is a half-marathon PB of 1:47:53 so pleased with that. I've run the loop faster before (4 or 5 years back) but stopped at the 12.2 mile mark.

Wednesday, ran to work, took it easy as I thought I should recover from Mondays effort. 65 minutes for 7.4 miles which Strava says is the slowest for this route but the average is 62 minutes so not miles off. Kept the pulse below the amber. Ran home the long way for another half marathon on the way, but did include a stop at mum's but this is under a mile from the end and if anything getting going after 5 minutes stopped is worse than if I'd just kept going. 13.7 miles 1180 feet 2 hr 7 mins

Friday, ran to work, decided I should do a third half for the week. Set the alarm for slightly earlier and out the door before 06:30. Forecast was for rain and 40 mph winds but stayed dry all the way apart from about 1 minute of light rain. Seemed weird to be running to work on the same route I've been using for a year and half way there turn off and head away from the destination. The wind only picked up in the high ground (167m by the radio mast on Chillerton down but high for here ) so much better than the forecast. The overnight rain made some of it a touch wet underfoot but I keep a stock of old newspapers to put in my shoes when I get here. Felt good to do the longer run before work and it was also before breakfast. 13.9 miles 1530 feet 2 hrs 7 mins

I've got a busy weekend lined up by might try and sneak out for an easy few miles in Sunday to loosen the legs up.

Was resting for the OMM.... which is now off, so decided to go for a nice "wet" run today. Planning on another longer, wetter edition tomorrow with my MM partner.

12km in biblical, but warm, conditions. Shorts, LS top and a light waterproof and gloves. Ran easily until I had to run harder to keep warm due to the driving rain and wind. Was contemplating the sense in all this should I have to stop and decided that I'd not think about it too much. Frankly, I needed a run to clear my brain of those thoughts. Ran to the Pike while trying to stay on my feet. Smiled, dropped my hood, turned with the wind and ran fast down hill nearly all the way home.

Have had a s**t week with taper blues compounded with other life issues. Used this run to thing a lot about things. Was exceptionally worthwhile.

Home. Family lunch. Music. Marking Y9 tests. Coffee. Then swim and pizza with a 4 year old later. Perfect start to our wedding anniversary weekend that won't be spent in separate tents with our mountain marathon partners sharing bottles of Prosecco I now don't have to carry for 7 hrs on Saturday :)

I wonder how long you need to leave a bottle of prosecco before you can safely open it after taking it on a 7 hour run

I finished work early as my lift unexpectedly had to finish early as they are fitting a new floor at her work, but I'm guilt free as I have most of my best ideas for work whilst I'm running and I don't put that time on my timesheet.

Running (and riding) is how I reset and cope with daily stress and I it hasn't escaped me I'd be much worse off if I couldn't get out.

I did 9.2 miles tonight. Boy I am slow. I blame Sean and Greg for using up all the fastness

I’ve been working on sharing out the fast Dave. I’ve found that if I right shift the fast to beer ratio it appears to work

Fast:Beer currently at 1:2

I'm don't think I'm very fast. As for the beer ratio...

On a Thursday I do my mum's shopping and yesterday I also got a few bits myself. As I looked up the conveyor at my 2 cans of 0 % beer and reduced price protein milkshake and then further on to my mum's 3 bottles of red and 4 Guinness I did wonder what I was doing with my life. 30 years ago I went to the pub every night and now this but I told myself the sacrifice would be worth it in the morning. I should have left a post-it on my alarm as when it went off I'd forgotten my dedication and all I could think was why on earth was I getting up when the time started with a 5

Not the OMM run today. 2 hours on open moorland searching for knee deep rivers and mud. Came back with a massive smile (to a warm shower) a beer, then out for wedding anniversary dinner with wife and child.

Could be worse. Could be in a tent with my mate Alan shivering, drinking warm water and waiting for morning with no idea which of the other green tents in the field my wife and her partner were in :)

GregMay wrote: ↑Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:39 pm Not the OMM run today. 2 hours on open moorland searching for knee deep rivers and mud. Came back with a massive smile (to a warm shower) a beer, then out for wedding anniversary dinner with wife and child.

Could be worse. Could be in a tent with my mate Alan shivering, drinking warm water and waiting for morning with no idea which of the other green tents in the field my wife and her partner were in :)

That sound like a better option.
- Giving up swapping tents, partners gender and location all sound like a more promising wedding anniversary.
Unless your into long term discomfort in every available way.

Don't worry, after nearly 20 years of each others company (not all that married) we're quite happy to allow each other time in a wet tent with specific partners

Ran again today, once again perfect OMM conditions - rain, bog, tussocks. Only 12km (90 mins) but a good day out. Home to mark some assessments while wife takes daughter out for a play date at a friends house. Coffee, red pen, music, and contemplating starting cooking dinner. Good times.

Ace paired run commutes yesterday, felt great on both of them and ran well. Definitely over whatever lurgee I'd amassed over the start of the teaching year.

Today, a very trail focused run for me. Getting ready for a 70km trail ultra in December. So I suppose I need to do some longer easier running over my normal hilly running! Went out to run a local 12km loop steady. 1hr 10mins, 300m of vertical and I'm back home having run very steady, almost easy with an average HR of 141. A real surprise, it's a while since I've tried to run steady and on less technical trails. Bodes well if I can build on it over the next few weeks.

Aim is to amass the last few points i need to qualify for CCC next year.

GregMay wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 2:30 pm Aim is to amass the last few points i need to qualify for CCC next year.

Is that the UTMB CCC?

I've done the run commute both ways twice this week plus an after work run Monday and should get out again today yet. I'm averaging 50 miles a week now and hope to keep upping that.

Winter's definitely coming, heavy frost and frozen puddles in the mornings but the clocks changing does mean it's light when I leave home. Had to wear my gloves on Friday morning.

Thats the one. It's....lumpy

Another day, another fell run. 12.5km with a mate, talkative pace, 1hr 40, 650m of up. Beer and burger to finish. Good times. Blowy as heck, but made us slow down and catch up which was excellent for both of us.

Made it out first thing Sunday morning, warm and sunny so a pleasant time. Only a local hour and didn't think it was very hilly but Strava says 850 feet for the 7 miles fo maybe more up than I thought. Spotted this



Just across the road from my Mum's house but I don't think it's her work. As well as making up the distance for the week the run also now puts me only one (long) run away from the 1000 mile for the year target I set myself Got a lift to work so if the legs are willing I'll get that done on the way home.

It's been hard going getting back into a running regularly routine so I got my wife to drop me off a couple of miles out of town on the other side of the hill so I could run back. 6k in just under 40 minutes so need to get into a regular routine to build the speed and distance back up.

PaulB2 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 08, 2021 12:23 pm It's been hard going getting back into a running regularly routine

I'm lucky that I live about the ideal distance from where I work so I can commute by foot or bike. It's 30 mins riding or 60 mins running. Any further and it would be hard work on the days when I'm not motivated but it's far enough to be a workout - certainly when running, and apart from the first mile the run is all off the roads although some is surfaced.

Got a lift to work with Jane yesterday and then ran home. Checking my stats showed I was only 17.6 miles shy of my target for the year of 1000 miles. Got to this distance on Ventnor Down, stopped for a selfie in the dark then straight off the downs, forgetting that my route would now be shin deep mud Usually by the time I get to about 12 ish miles my legs are tiring but last night I was still going well at 17. The mud after the selfie took it's toll but up until about mile 19 I didn't feel too bad. I had a gel at mile 6 and a cliff bar from mile 10 to 14 and some energy chews after that so perhaps the extra fueling helped? I usually only have a cliff bar spread over the run.

Made it home just in time, dinner was nearly ready and a bath was run and waiting for me

21 miles 2870 feet 3 hrs 29 mins

sean_iow wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 11:17 am
forgetting that my route would now be shin deep mud

does that mean your trying to be a dipstick?

sean_iow wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 11:17 am 21 miles 2870 feet 3 hrs 29 mins

Well done.. I couldn't keep up 200 yd, not motivated...?

sean_iow wrote: ↑Tue Nov 09, 2021 11:17 am Made it home just in time, dinner was nearly ready and a bath was run and waiting for me

I normally get home to wife in Bath. cat eyeing up or begging for my cold tea, if it's not in the fridge... '... and don't disturb me I'm going to bed' message from the boss upstairs... :

Had to squeeze a run in to my lunch break so set off way too fast for my current level of fitness (5:20/km pace) so ended up walking for 90 seconds in the middle to combat a stitch but did 5k in under 29 minutes.

Both fortunately and unfortunately my post-covid commute is 20’ from the bedroom to the office. Fortunate in as far as I’ve got two hours a day back, unfortunate in that I now actually have less spare time.

When I worked from home last year I found I had both less time and less motivation to get out. It was so easy at the end of the day just not to bother.

If I run or ride to work I've got to get home anyway so might as well go the long way.

Got a 3rd run in this week albeit another short one squeezed into some spare time. 5.5k in 32 minutes. The rough plan is to build up the distance week by week and see how I go.