Training Log Archive: WillRigg

Run with Paddy, in coach mode.

SLR

Back home in Bardsea riding solo. Hounds session on home turf around Urswick Tarn, let's go.

2 x 1600 (3:16 min/k) , 2 x 800 (3:13 min/k) , 2 x 600 (3:01 min/k), 2 x 300 (2:55 min/k). Windy out but shifting along reasonably well, 800's were in a fat headwind so finding it hard to pick it up a bit. But the rest of the reps were all good stuff. Not killing myself but putting in a good effort.

Think I blew my load a bit too soon with the AP banter posts... looking for a long sustainable effort from now on with injections of shit chat here and there.

Waving goodbye to Edi for a few weeks. Lunchtime run through Hermy and up Bford taking in the views and also taking stock of the last three months. Bumped into Frederasaurus Rex on the Meadows (pretending to educate himself with a podcast) who enticed me in for an extra lap. Salubrious, philosophical and demeaning chat all in one go, wonderful.

Nice one with Freddie Mercury, both feeling absolutely spangleberried after a big sesh the night before.

Hounds Session

10 x 4min [1min float]

Big sesh today, legs nicely rested as well so was really enjoying pushing on.

Nice catch up with Neil. Whole flat out as well, got terrorised by a cat which nearly gave me a cardiac arrest.

Taking it chill this weekend #selfcare. Nice run up the crags with a podcast, bumped into Laura, Helen and another one ofthe EUOCers.

Carnethy Wintervals

3 min medium, 2 x(3 x 90, 3 x 30), 3 mins

First hills in a long, long time! Legs still feeling a lil bit weary from the weekend but wanted to give it a good go and see how long I lasted.

Started out conservatively and then realised my conservative was in fact max effort, blowing out your arse sort of effort, fantastic! Anyway dug in like the little terrier I am and fought it all the way #FIGHTIT.

Finn Lydon provided some Martin Luther King kind motivational sort of speech pre each rep doing bits for the mojo. Fancied my chance on the 30s and showed the hill boys I'm a force to be reckoned with once by Kenyan calves turn into Masson munchers. Last rep knew the pop was coming on, went out with it, blew up immediatley #yolo and probs spent the next 2 mins 50 in another level of pain, don't feel like I've pushed that hard in a long while so all good to get past the red line and train the noggin to suffer. Legs clearly not adapted to hills but give it a few weeks in the Lakes. Good group, Carnethy is gonna be the Barcelona of Hill Running next year, who the fuck are Keswick.

Pre PwC virtual work party (it was tragic). Discussing future goals with Ewan.

Hound Intervals

2 x 8min, 2 x 4min. Reduced session as legs feeling shagaluffed. Today was a day to listen to my body. Tooked in behind Max who was running nice and strong and then both pushed it a little on the last four to get some feel-good vibes only. Big respect to Ewan dishing out a dirty 30k round session.

Ez mileage with Timbo, Callum and Alistair. Nice evening and good chat, disclosing a fantastic story with Timothy.

Sunday Sabbath with my fellow evangelical males.

5K Track TT

The big day had finally arrived. 3 months ago I wrote on the door of my Cupboard next to my mirror "Sub 16 minute 5K". I stared at this goal everyday igniting fire in my belly to pursue my dreams of acceptance in the running community, with aim of becoming known as a marginally above-average runner.

This goal was about proving no human is limited and showing the world that everyone has the capacity and potential for greatness, and it is more in reach than they think. The only ingredients required, a can-do attitude, a religious wolf pack of lads, and mindset that sees setbacks as opportunities and when the chips are down, you can throw a smile and power on through whatever life throws at you.

With an easy incognito shakeout of 15 glorious minutes in the morning, I knew the legs were coiled, springed and ready to go.

Saughton the home to weedheads hotboxing and blowing up the track was the prime auditorium to stage such a massive global sporting event. The weather was far from perfect but then again a little bit of rain never stopped no party. I took to the line composed and ready, knowing my fellow comrades were equally prepared. The crowd went quiet and BANG! the gun went. It's easy to go with your emotions in the first few laps of a track race (I know from my huge experience of two track races) but I took it conservatively off the start, keeping my head firmly screwed on, letting all the big nobs lead off the front.

I patiently waited for all the banter start gimps to settle into a steady rythm before moving around them - one, two, then three peeps on lap 3, keeping hot on Telfs heels (my arch-nemesis on hounds Tuesday night intervals). A man who has shown great promise in his Tik Tok career delivering 20-second viral videos enriched with substance, dance and culture. However, when it came to delivering the sub 16 I knew that man would be more wobbly than Ewan McMillan's knees when he makes a for-loop on Python.

JT did a stellar job of pacing for us beta B-race males and I couldn't be more grateful to the man. With demons sitting on my shoulders whispering in my ear to drop out, I shunned them to the side and said to myself NO the only voice l listen to in my head is my positive one! LET'S GO! I knew it was crunch time pushing on through the 3k mark counting down those laps one by one. Telfs could not handle the pressure of the big day and soon retreated back to building his 1M large fan base. From here it was grind time.

Big Andrew Johnson, the nicest man on the planet came past me at about 1k to go, grunting louder than Sasha Chepelin does when he takes a high definition photo of hairline fracture on a 10MW turbine in the deep south of Oxford.

As we got closer to the outcome of three months of sweat, blood and tears I knew I had to release the biggest kick of my life and close faster than a snow leopard does in the pursuit of a Nepalese Hare. Three laps left, two laps left, one lap left. JT screaming if you want that sub 16 you've got to go now!!! and did I go? Of course I bloody did, the screams of the crowds were deathening, my heart was pumping, my legs were screaming but I knew nothing was going to stop me from reaching my goal. Past AJ, 200 to go, absolute agony, 100 to go, a pain like nothing ever experienced before, keep pushing. keep pushing.

Across the line. Look at the watch. 15:54. I'd done it. We'd done it. What a journey. I lay there, collapsed on the floor in pure elation. Then is nothing more rewarding than saying you are going to do something hard and doing it. Taking action each day in pursuit of growth.

Sub 16 achieved. I can finally rest in peace and die a happy man. Or can I? Is this the start of something great? Watch this space.

C • 3 3

Taper time baby.

Crunchy run experiencing maximum serenity on the top of Blackford Hill with Tim 'Salomon are against my ethics' Morgan, Daniel 'para' Stansfield, Callum 'I can't feel my legs' White and Ewan 'i'll make an AI sex doll that will go out with me' McMillan. Plesant run all around. Hip flexor still feeling on the verge on popping more than Ali Masson pops when he tries to keep up with me on the 5min/k easy run (that's a big pop), peace out guys see you tomorrow.

Been reading through some logs on the old AP. They are all BORING. More BORING than Gary Cole. Thinking I should make a return to liven up this desperately miserable place. Olé, Bella Bellissimo. Let's get through this last lockdown TOGETHER.

C • Did nobody tell you 5