Training Log Archive: Leon

12 very hungover men set off down the main road out of central Oxford to the ring road, just over 3 miles. Quite a memorable warm up. Quite an impressive effort to get going, but not as impressive as...

Oxford parkrun, 5th, 17:03.
Well I was never going to win with McMullan and Greenleaf in attendance, and I seriously considered jogging round, but my legs felt quite good, compared to my upper body, dead from the waist up, you might say.
Settled into 7th behind Richard Phillips, Hugh Torry, Jonathan Henderson and some young kid, decent runners all. Managed to cling on throughout, desptie every increasing dehydration and general pain, and took the young kid and Henderson around the end of the lap, caught up to Torry on the second lap but he got a gap up the hill which I couldn't quite close again.
Quite a performance by all concerned, first 7 places for the Stag Do. Happy to be within 30 seconds of Greenleaf and this was probably a good as performance as I've had in a parkrun for about 6 weeks.
The Stag finally rolled in outside 20 mins, claiming he couldn't see through his Morph suit.

Stagger back into Oxford via M&S for some hydration. Torry and Greenleaf thought they were still in a race.

Round the Knavesmire
Stepped it up to 6:30s once I hit the racecourse, which didn't hurt as much as I thought it would.
300 miles for August - job done.

Through Bootham Hospital, cycle path past chocolate factory and back down the Foss. First and last mile horrible, middle OK which means I managed to get through it.

Burley Ben Rhydding via farms, up to Cow and Calf, back across golf course, Burley woodhead and dalesway.
Never felt too tired but didn't push, a bit low on energy understandably.
Dealt with climb pretty well.
Nice clear cool evening but was pretty dark by the end, autumn is approaching.
51 miles in 3 days, anyone who manages a three figure week is either unemployed or a lunatic. I don't often give myself a pat on the back but once I've done tomorrow's run, a liquid pat on the back will be well earned.

I am not happy if you hover over my name it says I'm 30!

I am not 30 for a good 4 months thank you Attackpoint! I don't need reminding...

A new loop through Heworth.
Thought this would be a plod after yesterday but it wasn't too bad, was able to keep moving forward at a steady pace

Recce of LCW Leg 4 first half with Matt. Ran out to start from Horsforth station via shortest route, ie. ring road, so not v.pleasant.
Nice enough run, not very fast but I didn't want it to be, it didn't need to be either. Had heavy bag on too. Struggled on any hill as it was. This looks a tougher leg than the only one I've done (3), not that I'm running Sunday.

C • Leg 4 1

Out to Rawcliffe Meadows on river and back on A road.
Again felt pretty relaxed and moving well around 7's once got going.

York to Selby down the Old ECML
Needed to put a long run in to get closer to my goal of 300miles in 30 days by Friday due to lower milage either side of 10k.
So this route was ideal and hadn't done it yet from York.
Eased into it, and as always pace naturally lowered itself, so by halfway, my thoughts turned to doing 15 in an average of under 7 min miles, this required the remaining 7 miles to be <6:40 which was a big ask really but I found myself doing it, and by 12 feeling quite tried. But dug in and got it done, pretty knackered by end. How did I run a marathon at 6:10's???
Pleased with the effort though.
Route gets pretty horrible once it joins the A19 so maybe restrict to out and back on old railway in future, and enjoy the scale model of the Solar System, a great idea, and a real eye opener when I ran obliviously past Mercury Venus and Earth in the first 500m and then ran nearly 2 miles between Saturn and Uranus!!

Out and back along the Foss. Felt pretty good for day after a race, pace picked up, helped that it was warm.

Warm up/warm down. Got stuck on wrong side of canal on warm down

Ellesmere 10k - 13th, 35:15
Quite a disappointment.
Thought I was easily in sub 34 shape, and if worst came to the worst, 34:30 ish. So to be outside 35 is a blow.
First mile, spot on, 5:19.
A large group of the runners from 3rd to 11th had formed about 50m up the road, through to mile 2 thought I'd missed the boat there but the gap grew and it's probably a good thing I didn't get on board or things would have got very messy.
For a 'flat' course, the first 5k was gradual climbing, nothing of note but at race pace it did wear me down, and by the 4k marker things were hurting. Decided to work hard to 5k which was the top, 17:22. Not a disaster I thought, can get some of the time back now the rest of the course is flat & downhill.
One guy coming back to me, so focused on him.
But it never really happened in the second half, all that appears to have happened is that it got harder and harder and I slowed a bit.
Most of 2nd half was trail, round mere and along canal but well packed stuff. Can't complain at effort, really gave it everything.
With 2k to go, I was caught from behind, dug in some more and managed to stay with him up to 9k, a couple guys ahead now as the group exploded ahead, but the little climb off the canal really felt like Everest. Pushed onto the finish field but once I saw the finish clock said 35xx then I had enough really.
Not going to let this get me down, plenty of mitigating factors, a humid day, I have been putting plenty of training in, and haven't run 10k for a while. Race wise I went off at the right pace, so just need to keep it together. On the other hand, rather daunting to think I have, and am looking to, run 2 minutes quicker. Doesn't look like anyone had a flyer really.