Saturday 26 September. Must do better

This has not been a good week for my training, although in hindsight it might prove to be just what the doctor ordered.

I was going to put in another 10,000' + week and just keep it going. However, with two team races for the club this week, i decided to have a 'step-back' whereby i do about half the training and use the rest that provides as a pick-me-up for racing well.

Well that just didn't work. I did a multi-terrain race on Tuesday whilst still tired from the triathlon (took more out of me than I realised), did a day out on the fells with 5500' of climbing on Weds and rested until a cross country (XC) race on Saturday. I thought the rest and reduced training load would help me for the XC. How wrong i was. I was awful, in fact I would say that it is probably on a par with my first ever Welsh Castles run in being my worst ever race.

I should take heart from the fact that I bounced back from that race to do the BGR shortly afterwards, but really, I feel terrible today. My right quad tightened up a bit during the race and I did back off a little, but the brutal truth is that I was tired, slow and lacking strength. Surely the training thus far has not been a waste of time?

Thankfully, there are no more races for me until well into November (Bangor XC). No multi-terrains, no triathlon, just 5 or 6 clear weeks to train without hindrance.

Now is the time to step things up. I need the confidence that comes with being able to run fast, and I need to get strong for all that climbing. So after some a massage and a visit to the osteopath for an MOT, I'll be training harder, eating better and building upon this base I've established.

In short, it's time for some speedwork AND some long days.

This coming week I'm going to do the BGR in 2 days. I can take it easy and enjoy it, but I think that's what I need. WHen I did that leading up to my summer round, I got noticably stronger. It's quite an exciting thought. I'll include some night running I think too. WHere is that headtorch??

I'm also going to so a longish (@10 miles) roadrun each week too, just to keep the speed. I think that'll help. I'm also going to return to circuit training, I need some strength..

I say it's been a bad week, but actually, how can it have ben a bad week when it included a cracking day out in the western reaches of Snowdonia?




Scenes from the Nantlle Ridge

Summary:

Mon - rest
Tues 4.5M multiterrain race - ran ok, bit tired, 30:00 exactly
Weds - Beddgelert - PBR leg over Moel Hebog and Nanttle ridge and back to car - 14M, 5500'
Thurs and Fri - Rest, for XC (!)
Sat - 6M Colwyn Bay XC, crappest run ever

Summary - probably 6000' climbing, lowest total since restarting my training so I could run well at XC, and for what!?!?