Training Log Archive: Leon

Event: ESOC Edinburgh Weekend inc. Scottish Uni Champs
 

Falkirk parkrun (#55) - 3rd, 17.16

3 guys, sprinted, and I mean sprinted, off for the 1st 200m.
Didn't see the front two again.
After half a mile on the flattish park path I was 6th, but as we turned onto the wooded trail and started to climb I made my way through, and by the top was in third.
Could hear breathing behind me so no chance to rest, pushed on and opened a bit of a gap as we dropped steadily at first and then steeply back into park.
Luckily I knew a big hill was coming and didn't floor it along the bottom.
Approx 300m uphill and the roughest part of the race, thought I was going to get caught it felt so bad but in actual fact I probably pulled away.
Managed to kick on OK off the top and back onto the start section, knew I was on for a decent time and so hammered it home.
Won in 16.01 which is amazing.
Great course, scenic, testing and effectively one lap.

Left Slateford station for the start.
Passed water of Leith.
Reminicised about how it was here the seven hills was most wrong.
Then kept running and realised I'd missed my turn.
Looked at map, decided to carry on and loop round rather than turn round.
Ran down Water of Leith disused railway, which was nice.
Came to road and was even further away from where I needed to be
Ran through a tunnel.
Came to another road
Had to run a mile down this to get to the school.
Not a good sign, though a far more interesting route.

Edinburgh Oxgangs Urban - 2nd - 48:21

Great courses on a decent map.
Was quite cold at the start but managed to hold back a bit of pace for fear of blowing up.

Picked up map on wrong side which threw me a little, didn't have any expectation of a double sided map.
Error to 4, didn't spot the north side of the gatehousey building was uncrossable, maybe 15-20s
7-8 was a bit slow but mainly cos I was trying to figure out 8-9, took a gamble and went on the final joining road east rather than stick to the road as it curved round, this didn't seem to work.
Also didn't spot the path by the stream until physically saw it, as soon as I did I clocked that was the way to go

So 11-12 was my main mistake and you could say cost me the win, just wasn't in good enough contact with the map leaving 11, also appears my route choice to enter the rough open from the south wasn't as good as from the north, and finally once I entered the rough open area I was unsure of my bearings anyway. So slow and stuttery.
Didn't read control description to 15 so entered courtyard first.
Pleased with 18-19, made a quick decision and executed well, leaving the train of people I'd just caught behind.
22-23 was struggling to keep track of where I was to headed all the way round north once under the underpass, not sure this worked.
Final three controls were neck and neck with two others, which was good fun and like mentioned above, there was opportunity to run head to head on several legs which was nice.
Thought finish was mapped a bit strangely though, expected it to be taped as a dotted line, didn't see any though.

C • glad you enjoyed it! 2

First since July 28

Round Guiseley, ended up being tempo pace, 6:45/6:15/6:10/5:45/5:40 approx. Felt good until last half mile when seemed quite hard for the pace.

Didn't head out to 9, if I don't run before I get home and I'm running alone, getting out of the door is the hardest bloody part of the run.

Pretty grim run through the solid, constant drizzle
From Headingley station with Oz, down to Susan's for a lap of Beckett's, then me and Oz did a lap of Hyde Park and back for plenty of cake for Tom's bday. All very relaxed and nice, felt decent considering last night, but hardly pushing it. Was going to do Ebor event after work but couldn't turn down company and cake.

Track - 15x 70on/off

So, 3 more than last time then.
Unusually for me, I rather hit this too hard, too soon and was better early on, reaching the full 400 on the first six but slipping back to having to dig deep to make 390m from the 9th onwards, except the last where I made the full 400 in 69 and nearly threw up as a result.
After about 7 I thought I was going to struggle to make 12, then I had it in my head it was 16 reps so when I clocked it was 'only' 15, that helped.
Better than last time, then so good signs of progression.

***This was my 100th day straight of running, 985.5mi completed. Guess I could have easily reached 4 figures, but that wasn't really the point. This was something I needed to do, for myself and to haul myself out of the pit I was slipping into in July. Rest day Friday, first since then.***

2 before, then the 7, and one back to the station

Last 4mi under 6:20 and felt easy. Good. Will probably try and edge this on for Brass Monkey training.

Long Sunday run with Matt

A bit hungover and having a few easier days at the end of this 100 day block so just thought I'd do an hour.

But felt quite good so just kept running as it was a lovely day except for the wind.

Pretty much all off road, hence slow pace with stiles etc, up to Chevin and Danefield and over the Bramhope before back to Chevin and home thru Guiseley. Enjoyable, longest time wise I've ran for a while too.