Another lunch time dash. Today I intended to go just that little bit further and just that little bit faster.
I let my mind wonder while I am running, it roams all over the place covering subjects like my workload, the playstation, the pain of blisters, and contemplating whatever might be on my iPod at the time. Whenever I get particularly involved in a chain of thought I tend to slow down. So today I tried to think about running faster, and whenever I realised that I had slackened my pace I would push a bit harder.
Net result, exactly 5 miles in 41 minutes and 19 seconds.
Going back to that calculator thing, at that pace I would be now doing the half marathon in 1 hour and 54 minutes.
Okay, so that is only a couple of minutes faster but it proves that if I don’t daydream while I’m running and just remember to run fast, I can improve my speed and time.
Anyway, while we are here, have the predicted times based on today’s effort.
1500m 6:58
the mile 7:30
3000m(3k) 14:31
3200m(about 2 miles) 15:33
5000m(5k) 24:57
8000m(8k) 41:04
5 miles 41:19
10,000m(10k) 52:01
ten miles 1:26:09
a half marathon 1:54:41
a marathon 3:59:07
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Just got back from a lunchtime run which I had to get in as I have plans for dinner tonight but still wanted to get some kind of exercise in today. I usually spend my lunch breaks reading a book but the run to the town centre and back was much more satisfying.
I did another 4.2 miles. It seems I am destined to run 4.2 miles. I didn’t pick a particular route, I just set off from work and ran and roughly aimed my circular route back to base at about the 15-20 minute mark, and 4.2 miles is the outcome.
The distance was achieved in 34.52. and then while trying to find out if that pace is any good I found this neat calculator on Runners world which tells you what sort of time you would manage different distances.
Here’s what I got.
1500m - 7:04
the mile - 7:37
3000m(3k) - 14:44
3200m(about 2 miles) - 15:47
5000m(5k) - 25:20
8000m(8k) - 41:41
5 miles - 41:57
10,000m(10k) - 52:49
ten miles - 1:27:27
a half marathon - 1:56:26
a marathon - 4:02:45
1:56:26 half marathon… Not very impressed with that actually. Although it is below my 2 hours and 6 minutes from the last time I did a half, this time predictor can’t be taking into account increasing exhaustion. I would say that at this pace I am slower than I was all the way back in March.
Must work on upping my speed… Come to think of it I need to up the distances I am running too.
There is this app on the iPhone called Runtracker. I am all enthused about it at the moment. It uses the GPS feature to track the route, distance, speed, elevation, time, etc, that you travel for various sports and hobbies. So last night I decided to take it out and give it a test.
I took the bike out, tuned into the satellites (iPhone said it had poor signal) and set off for a blast around the B roads.
When I returned I and checked the Runtracker, had covered a hundred and fifty odd miles with an average speed of about a hundred and thirty miles an hour… I don’t quite know what Runtracker is trying to pull here, but I’m pretty certain I didn’t hit 130mph at any point while out on my bike. I think it might have something to do with iPhone getting poor signal from the satellites. I think I will wait till I have better satellite connection before using it next time.
According to google maps I actually did 9.5 miles, and I would think that I took about 40 minutes.
I took the bike out, tuned into the satellites (iPhone said it had poor signal) and set off for a blast around the B roads.
When I returned I and checked the Runtracker, had covered a hundred and fifty odd miles with an average speed of about a hundred and thirty miles an hour… I don’t quite know what Runtracker is trying to pull here, but I’m pretty certain I didn’t hit 130mph at any point while out on my bike. I think it might have something to do with iPhone getting poor signal from the satellites. I think I will wait till I have better satellite connection before using it next time.
According to google maps I actually did 9.5 miles, and I would think that I took about 40 minutes.
Monday, 27 July 2009
I thought it was about time I got paddling again, what with this training supposed to be for a kayak race. I planned on a good solid 25 mile paddle to get all the muscles fired up and ready to go with kayak training in earnest. Nigel was not available so I drafted my dad to come along.
Unfortunately I have taken the racing kayak to pieces to get it into a state to be raced, so we took out our normal boats instead.
I have paddled this stretch of river a few times. The first time I did it in five and a half hours, I hadn’t even considered the DW at this point and used the trip as a nice jolly, sightseeing and a picnic on a deserted stretch of river bank. I have since paddled the trip with more gusto as a bit of training and achieved it in a personal best of four hours and forty minutes.
The speed at which you can paddle is largely dependant on three things; The motor, the length of the hull and the speed at which the water is flowing.
Now I am certainly fitter than I was last time I paddled this, though I don’t think muscle power is instantly converted into paddling speed. The river was flowing faster, maybe even as much as a mile an hour faster, but that won’t make much of a difference over such a short stretch.
I had my dad paddling with me though. His boat is a touch longer than mine so he was a little bit faster, he is also a bloody fit guy and was able to maintain a fast pace, every time I let my head drop a little bit, or I started to have a bit of a daydream he would carry on and the gap between us would widen. I would then have to motor hard to catch back up, and I was already motoring hard to keep up anyway.
We blitzed the 25 miles in 3 hours 33 minutes which was a good pace. And I was pleased with that. I ached a little bit from the hard pace and pulled out of a long run that was planned for the Sunday.
Some concerns I have at the moment. That was just 25 miles and I was aching and had collected a few blisters on my hands. I am able to put the time in to train, and certainly my CV work is well on course but I fear not enough time is being spent in the boat, and Nigel isn’t putting in enough time with general fitness training at all. Portages haven’t been practiced, kit hasn’t been purchased. There are just 8 months to go and I have a growing feeling that I’m not going to be ready and will miss out…
Unfortunately I have taken the racing kayak to pieces to get it into a state to be raced, so we took out our normal boats instead.
I have paddled this stretch of river a few times. The first time I did it in five and a half hours, I hadn’t even considered the DW at this point and used the trip as a nice jolly, sightseeing and a picnic on a deserted stretch of river bank. I have since paddled the trip with more gusto as a bit of training and achieved it in a personal best of four hours and forty minutes.
The speed at which you can paddle is largely dependant on three things; The motor, the length of the hull and the speed at which the water is flowing.
Now I am certainly fitter than I was last time I paddled this, though I don’t think muscle power is instantly converted into paddling speed. The river was flowing faster, maybe even as much as a mile an hour faster, but that won’t make much of a difference over such a short stretch.
I had my dad paddling with me though. His boat is a touch longer than mine so he was a little bit faster, he is also a bloody fit guy and was able to maintain a fast pace, every time I let my head drop a little bit, or I started to have a bit of a daydream he would carry on and the gap between us would widen. I would then have to motor hard to catch back up, and I was already motoring hard to keep up anyway.
We blitzed the 25 miles in 3 hours 33 minutes which was a good pace. And I was pleased with that. I ached a little bit from the hard pace and pulled out of a long run that was planned for the Sunday.
Some concerns I have at the moment. That was just 25 miles and I was aching and had collected a few blisters on my hands. I am able to put the time in to train, and certainly my CV work is well on course but I fear not enough time is being spent in the boat, and Nigel isn’t putting in enough time with general fitness training at all. Portages haven’t been practiced, kit hasn’t been purchased. There are just 8 months to go and I have a growing feeling that I’m not going to be ready and will miss out…
Monday, 20 July 2009
I think it’s fair to say that this Saturday training with my dad was the hardest I have done to date. Bearing in mind that I had run up the Wrekin on Thursday night I wasn’t exactly over the moon when I was told that we would be doing more hill work.
There is a flight of steps in the town park which are about 150 metres long. The steps themselves are spaced a little over a metre apart and each rise is a half buried railway sleeper. From the top of the steps there is a nice bow shaped, gentle slope down which takes you back to the bottom of the steps.
After half a mile run in we got to the steps. We then upped the speed and powered up the steps. They are spaced just close enough to be able to take each step in a bound but to be able to do so, you need to keep the momentum up so for the entire flight of steps I was at a near sprint.
I took the heart rate monitor this weekend and long before I hit half way up it started to urgently beep that my heart was about to explode (It still thinks that I am 70 years old so whenever my heart rate hits 170bpm or higher it panics) getting to the top on the first run my heart rate hit 220bpm.
We had a nice slow jog back down to the bottom, only for me to be told that we were going to do this five more times.
Second run up was hard, heart rate nearly as high legs starting to hurt.
Third run was a crippler, chest felt restricted, breathing was hard. Heart rate monitor was taken off to take the load of my chest. Legs agony. Jog down reduced to walking pace.
Fourth run I was hurting. I could no longer bound up the stairs one at a time and had to reduce my stride length.
Fifth run. Legs burning, chest hurting, short stride length needed a few minutes at the top to recover. The shin splint pain cam back and was forced to hobble for a bit.
Sixth was where I broke myself. I was reminded of the mile long portage in the DW race and I was spurred on for one last push. Full sprint, massive stride length, screaming agony. I got to the top absolutely fucked. It felt as though someone had replaced my lungs for molten lava, but that was nothing compared to the pain in my lower legs. The half mile run out was a horrible half jog half hobble.
I then rested for the rest of the weekend and my shins still hurt today, I might take the bike out for some cardio tonight but I’m going to not run for a couple of days.
There is a flight of steps in the town park which are about 150 metres long. The steps themselves are spaced a little over a metre apart and each rise is a half buried railway sleeper. From the top of the steps there is a nice bow shaped, gentle slope down which takes you back to the bottom of the steps.
After half a mile run in we got to the steps. We then upped the speed and powered up the steps. They are spaced just close enough to be able to take each step in a bound but to be able to do so, you need to keep the momentum up so for the entire flight of steps I was at a near sprint.
I took the heart rate monitor this weekend and long before I hit half way up it started to urgently beep that my heart was about to explode (It still thinks that I am 70 years old so whenever my heart rate hits 170bpm or higher it panics) getting to the top on the first run my heart rate hit 220bpm.
We had a nice slow jog back down to the bottom, only for me to be told that we were going to do this five more times.
Second run up was hard, heart rate nearly as high legs starting to hurt.
Third run was a crippler, chest felt restricted, breathing was hard. Heart rate monitor was taken off to take the load of my chest. Legs agony. Jog down reduced to walking pace.
Fourth run I was hurting. I could no longer bound up the stairs one at a time and had to reduce my stride length.
Fifth run. Legs burning, chest hurting, short stride length needed a few minutes at the top to recover. The shin splint pain cam back and was forced to hobble for a bit.
Sixth was where I broke myself. I was reminded of the mile long portage in the DW race and I was spurred on for one last push. Full sprint, massive stride length, screaming agony. I got to the top absolutely fucked. It felt as though someone had replaced my lungs for molten lava, but that was nothing compared to the pain in my lower legs. The half mile run out was a horrible half jog half hobble.
I then rested for the rest of the weekend and my shins still hurt today, I might take the bike out for some cardio tonight but I’m going to not run for a couple of days.
Friday, 17 July 2009
Yesterday I declared I wanted to beat my pb time of 0.35.50 from the gate at the bottom of the Wrekin, to the trig point at the top, and back again. The distance of the route is 2.7 miles climbing 1,335ft. I had actually set my sights on a sub thirty minute time.
The weather was pretty grotty, rain and close cloud, but it served to keep me cool so was probably a blessing in disguise. I set off, and remembered the first time I had run this there was the wall that we hit at two minutes of jogging, I was starting to tire at two minutes again but there was no wall this time.
At about 7 minutes I was past halfway house and although I was breathing hard, my CV was strong. My lover calves were suffering though and I was forced run at a slower pace all the way to the top. It took me 19 minutes to get to the trig point.
I had a quick 30 second breather and then set off as fast as possible to the bottom. Running uphill I was slowed by muscle fatigue, but for whatever reason all aches disappeared and I was able to run at full pelt, I had to put the brakes on a bit though otherwise I would have fallen.
Rounding the corner below halfway house (which according to google maps is 0.4 miles to the gate) I looked at my watch and saw that I was at 29 minutes. I threw all fears of a turned ankle to the wind, and sprinted.
Final time, 30m 55s. A new pb for running the Wrekin but even so, I was a bit disappointed. 290 days worth of training to shave off just 5 minutes from my time.
Getting to the bottom my calves were done, the back of them hurt as though they had been smacked a few times with a cricket bat. I blame the three days of running without rest as the reason for the total leg exhaustion. I also developed a bit of a hacking cough and am even now coughing up sticky spit. I slept like a rock last night and loads of muscles ache today, the run up the hill has all of my core muscles and my shoulders aching as well as the legs.
The weather was pretty grotty, rain and close cloud, but it served to keep me cool so was probably a blessing in disguise. I set off, and remembered the first time I had run this there was the wall that we hit at two minutes of jogging, I was starting to tire at two minutes again but there was no wall this time.
At about 7 minutes I was past halfway house and although I was breathing hard, my CV was strong. My lover calves were suffering though and I was forced run at a slower pace all the way to the top. It took me 19 minutes to get to the trig point.
I had a quick 30 second breather and then set off as fast as possible to the bottom. Running uphill I was slowed by muscle fatigue, but for whatever reason all aches disappeared and I was able to run at full pelt, I had to put the brakes on a bit though otherwise I would have fallen.
Rounding the corner below halfway house (which according to google maps is 0.4 miles to the gate) I looked at my watch and saw that I was at 29 minutes. I threw all fears of a turned ankle to the wind, and sprinted.
Final time, 30m 55s. A new pb for running the Wrekin but even so, I was a bit disappointed. 290 days worth of training to shave off just 5 minutes from my time.
Getting to the bottom my calves were done, the back of them hurt as though they had been smacked a few times with a cricket bat. I blame the three days of running without rest as the reason for the total leg exhaustion. I also developed a bit of a hacking cough and am even now coughing up sticky spit. I slept like a rock last night and loads of muscles ache today, the run up the hill has all of my core muscles and my shoulders aching as well as the legs.
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Tuesday night went for a casual jog with the wife around the 4.2 mile route. It took a little over an hour as we walked and ran at various stages. It also started to rain at the end which was not so pleasant.
Wednesday night I did the same route, this time by myself. 4.2 miles in 38 minutes averaging 6.6 mph. happy with that sort of speed. That’s about the two hour mark for the half marathon.
Tonight (weather permitting) I am planning on running up and down the Wrekin in a revisit of my first training effort 290 days ago. (I can’t actually believe I have been going at this for 290 days). My first attempted dash up and back down the Wrekin with Nigel was achieved in 43 minutes and 20 seconds and the amount of pain involved made me realise at the time how unfit I was. I have since managed a personal best for the Wrekin run of 35 minutes 50 seconds and I intend to smash that tonight.
I have nine weeks before I have the Great North Run and I would like to get a couple of full 13 mile distances under my belt before then. I am planning on getting dropped off at a location 13 miles away from home and then running back back. Llanymynech is favourite at the moment being 13.7 miles away. Might go this weekend, other commitments pending.
Wednesday night I did the same route, this time by myself. 4.2 miles in 38 minutes averaging 6.6 mph. happy with that sort of speed. That’s about the two hour mark for the half marathon.
Tonight (weather permitting) I am planning on running up and down the Wrekin in a revisit of my first training effort 290 days ago. (I can’t actually believe I have been going at this for 290 days). My first attempted dash up and back down the Wrekin with Nigel was achieved in 43 minutes and 20 seconds and the amount of pain involved made me realise at the time how unfit I was. I have since managed a personal best for the Wrekin run of 35 minutes 50 seconds and I intend to smash that tonight.
I have nine weeks before I have the Great North Run and I would like to get a couple of full 13 mile distances under my belt before then. I am planning on getting dropped off at a location 13 miles away from home and then running back back. Llanymynech is favourite at the moment being 13.7 miles away. Might go this weekend, other commitments pending.
Monday, 13 July 2009
I went for Saturday training with my dad again and this weekends training word is Fartlek. It’s a training method devised for the Swedish cross country team in the 1930’s. It means speed play, and is a variation on interval training. Basically you go for a run, then at some point you increase the speed to elevate the cardio to bursting point and then slow it down to a normal run to recover. It was quite good fun, hard work but enjoyable. We ran for 28 minutes around a route that was in the region of 3 miles.
I hadn’t planned to do anything on Sunday, but after spending the afternoon at a barbeque with fantastic weather I decided to take the bike out for a ride. I didn’t really plan to do anything to exotic, just a nice 10ish mile route that I have taken a few times. I am already getting faster as my muscles get used to cycling, I can sustain a higher gear for longer and spend more time in top gear on straight roads.
Monday morning before work I chucked in a quick half an hour run. I was pressed for time as I didn’t decide to go running until I only had half an hour left before I had to get ready for work, so I chose a short route of 3.7 miles. I had half a mind thinking about Saturdays training with my dad and tried to push myself with this fartlek method. I would pick a couple of lamp posts and run flat out between them, and then run at normal pace to recover.
I don’t know if it was this fartlek running or the fact that I was running to a deadline, but I clocked in a healthy average speed of 6.9mph.
I hadn’t planned to do anything on Sunday, but after spending the afternoon at a barbeque with fantastic weather I decided to take the bike out for a ride. I didn’t really plan to do anything to exotic, just a nice 10ish mile route that I have taken a few times. I am already getting faster as my muscles get used to cycling, I can sustain a higher gear for longer and spend more time in top gear on straight roads.
Monday morning before work I chucked in a quick half an hour run. I was pressed for time as I didn’t decide to go running until I only had half an hour left before I had to get ready for work, so I chose a short route of 3.7 miles. I had half a mind thinking about Saturdays training with my dad and tried to push myself with this fartlek method. I would pick a couple of lamp posts and run flat out between them, and then run at normal pace to recover.
I don’t know if it was this fartlek running or the fact that I was running to a deadline, but I clocked in a healthy average speed of 6.9mph.
Friday, 10 July 2009
Recovered the bike from Nigel’s as planned, last night after work.
The mission was a simple re-run of the Sunday plan, Nigel and I head to the Wrekin and then split up and head to our respective homes from there.
It was quite tough, the wind was in our faces for the duration and I was also carrying additional weight in the form of a rucksack with my work stuff in. I did make it up that steep hill that had both of us walking last time. Nigel got further up but he still couldn’t quite get there.
Nigel on his lumbering mountain bike had the pace slowed down (not counting having to stop for a phone call he got from work) and by the time we made it to the Wrekin the average speed was 9mph. Once we split up and I was able to get my head down and just pounded out the speed.
I don’t actually know exactly how long it took me to get home. It was an hour and forty something minutes. I do know that the distance is 22miles going that route, and because I was very conscious of getting my average up I noted that the average speed was 12mph overall.
The mission was a simple re-run of the Sunday plan, Nigel and I head to the Wrekin and then split up and head to our respective homes from there.
It was quite tough, the wind was in our faces for the duration and I was also carrying additional weight in the form of a rucksack with my work stuff in. I did make it up that steep hill that had both of us walking last time. Nigel got further up but he still couldn’t quite get there.
Nigel on his lumbering mountain bike had the pace slowed down (not counting having to stop for a phone call he got from work) and by the time we made it to the Wrekin the average speed was 9mph. Once we split up and I was able to get my head down and just pounded out the speed.
I don’t actually know exactly how long it took me to get home. It was an hour and forty something minutes. I do know that the distance is 22miles going that route, and because I was very conscious of getting my average up I noted that the average speed was 12mph overall.
Monday, 6 July 2009
The weekend has left me pretty bushed.
Saturday it was early morning interval training with my dad. My dad is of the old school of training regimes. Whereas I like to try and find the latest scientifically proven techniques to get fitter, my dad quotes Roger Bannister’s training routine from the 1950’s. Basically it involves pain. We had a quick jog of about half a mile to the athletics track as a warm up, then ran 400m circuits in 90 seconds or less (which I think is about 9 – 10mph) which is pretty fast, not a sprint but close on. After a 400m circuit we had a couple minutes break, before doing it again. Sounds easy? I thought so.
400m is a horrible distance. Anaerobic respiration seems to kick in at about 200/300 metres so the final straight has everything hurting. Two minutes is enough to allow the breath and heart rate recover but the muscles don’t get back to 100%, so then the next circuit around is just that little bit harder, the thigh ache just increases each time round. It also doesn’t help that my dad seems to run faster than me, (and I also think we were racing each other a bit) so I was always pushing myself faster than I would have been comfortable with.
The plan was to do the same as Banister did when he was training to break the 4 minute mile (though he was doing his circuits in sub 60 seconds not 90s) which was ten circuits of the 400m track with a 2 minute break each lap. We managed four before we could take no more. I am going to do this again next weekend though (with five circuits in mind), it is something different to my usual training and everyone says that variety is the route to improvement.
Sunday I was going to go for a cycle but I had tickets to Silverstone so I cancelled. But then by the time I got back from the race track there was still plenty of light left in the day so I did take the bike out after all. I cycled to Nigel’s which is 21 miles away and it took me a couple of minutes over an hour and a half to get there which was a reasonable pace.
For old times sake I suggested we head to the Wrekin and then I had the intention of heading off home from there as it was a few miles in the right direction for me. (In the end, the day was running out and I feared some rain clouds that were forming so I got a lift back home leaving my bike at Nigel’s, with the intention of collecting it after work at some point this week).
There are some pretty cruel hills between Nigel’s house and the Wrekin. Slight gradients up for miles on end. I found it hard but glanced over my shoulder to see that Nigel was falling away. I hate having to re-start cycling uphill so I just carried onward to the top where I could stop, by the time Nigel caught up he was exhausted and the Wrekin was still miles away.
Heading up into a little village the road got so steep that we both had to dismount. Nigel was first to fail, but I didn’t make it much further before I could go no more. The thing was, in our youth we used to both be able to make it up to the top. Nigel blamed his advanced years, I blame lack of exercise. Getting to the top we were rewarded with some pretty exciting downhill sections though and this is why I love the Wrekin. Twisting technical tarmac roads all of which we sped at 30+ mph, exhilarating stuff.
The ride back to Nigel’s house was hard work, especially for Nigel. He had to stop a few times, and was complaining of pains down his legs that sound exactly like the Shin Splints I suffered with a while ago while running, he also complained about his thigh muscles hurting.
When I chose my bike I wanted it to be able to cover distances and maintain a high speed. These are things that Nigel’s bike isn’t designed to do. He has a mountain bike with high rolling resistance and little aerodynamic efficiency. Towards the end of the ride I did an experiment with both of us coasting downhill at the same speed, when I released my brakes I accelerated away while Nigel either was slowing down or at least not getting any faster.
To the Wrekin and back was 13 miles and I think it was a bit of a surprise to Nigel for how tough it was. It was always going to be harder for Nige on the mountain bike though. He did kindly drop me back off home and I have to admit that I was thankful for the save of the ride because my legs were tired too.
I also have a new injury. I’m going to sound like some kind of hypochondriac, checking online for any ache and pain and then coming back with some fancy name for my new injury but I don’t think I am one, I just sound like it.
This week it is ulnar neuritis at the wrist, or handlebar palsy. It is pain in my little finger and my ring finger. I was surprised to find that this injury is quite common. I thought I had knocked my hand or something and was going to find hundreds of different references when I did internet research on it. Instead I found quite a specific reference to pain caused by holding the outside of the drop handlebars of a bike (which is my favorite riding position). The fix seems pretty simple. Adjust my seating position, hold the bars differently, strengthen core muscles.
Saturday it was early morning interval training with my dad. My dad is of the old school of training regimes. Whereas I like to try and find the latest scientifically proven techniques to get fitter, my dad quotes Roger Bannister’s training routine from the 1950’s. Basically it involves pain. We had a quick jog of about half a mile to the athletics track as a warm up, then ran 400m circuits in 90 seconds or less (which I think is about 9 – 10mph) which is pretty fast, not a sprint but close on. After a 400m circuit we had a couple minutes break, before doing it again. Sounds easy? I thought so.
400m is a horrible distance. Anaerobic respiration seems to kick in at about 200/300 metres so the final straight has everything hurting. Two minutes is enough to allow the breath and heart rate recover but the muscles don’t get back to 100%, so then the next circuit around is just that little bit harder, the thigh ache just increases each time round. It also doesn’t help that my dad seems to run faster than me, (and I also think we were racing each other a bit) so I was always pushing myself faster than I would have been comfortable with.
The plan was to do the same as Banister did when he was training to break the 4 minute mile (though he was doing his circuits in sub 60 seconds not 90s) which was ten circuits of the 400m track with a 2 minute break each lap. We managed four before we could take no more. I am going to do this again next weekend though (with five circuits in mind), it is something different to my usual training and everyone says that variety is the route to improvement.
Sunday I was going to go for a cycle but I had tickets to Silverstone so I cancelled. But then by the time I got back from the race track there was still plenty of light left in the day so I did take the bike out after all. I cycled to Nigel’s which is 21 miles away and it took me a couple of minutes over an hour and a half to get there which was a reasonable pace.
For old times sake I suggested we head to the Wrekin and then I had the intention of heading off home from there as it was a few miles in the right direction for me. (In the end, the day was running out and I feared some rain clouds that were forming so I got a lift back home leaving my bike at Nigel’s, with the intention of collecting it after work at some point this week).
There are some pretty cruel hills between Nigel’s house and the Wrekin. Slight gradients up for miles on end. I found it hard but glanced over my shoulder to see that Nigel was falling away. I hate having to re-start cycling uphill so I just carried onward to the top where I could stop, by the time Nigel caught up he was exhausted and the Wrekin was still miles away.
Heading up into a little village the road got so steep that we both had to dismount. Nigel was first to fail, but I didn’t make it much further before I could go no more. The thing was, in our youth we used to both be able to make it up to the top. Nigel blamed his advanced years, I blame lack of exercise. Getting to the top we were rewarded with some pretty exciting downhill sections though and this is why I love the Wrekin. Twisting technical tarmac roads all of which we sped at 30+ mph, exhilarating stuff.
The ride back to Nigel’s house was hard work, especially for Nigel. He had to stop a few times, and was complaining of pains down his legs that sound exactly like the Shin Splints I suffered with a while ago while running, he also complained about his thigh muscles hurting.
When I chose my bike I wanted it to be able to cover distances and maintain a high speed. These are things that Nigel’s bike isn’t designed to do. He has a mountain bike with high rolling resistance and little aerodynamic efficiency. Towards the end of the ride I did an experiment with both of us coasting downhill at the same speed, when I released my brakes I accelerated away while Nigel either was slowing down or at least not getting any faster.
To the Wrekin and back was 13 miles and I think it was a bit of a surprise to Nigel for how tough it was. It was always going to be harder for Nige on the mountain bike though. He did kindly drop me back off home and I have to admit that I was thankful for the save of the ride because my legs were tired too.
I also have a new injury. I’m going to sound like some kind of hypochondriac, checking online for any ache and pain and then coming back with some fancy name for my new injury but I don’t think I am one, I just sound like it.
This week it is ulnar neuritis at the wrist, or handlebar palsy. It is pain in my little finger and my ring finger. I was surprised to find that this injury is quite common. I thought I had knocked my hand or something and was going to find hundreds of different references when I did internet research on it. Instead I found quite a specific reference to pain caused by holding the outside of the drop handlebars of a bike (which is my favorite riding position). The fix seems pretty simple. Adjust my seating position, hold the bars differently, strengthen core muscles.
Friday, 3 July 2009
Took the bike out for a spin last night. Nothing spectacular, just a jolly around the streets to enjoy the warm weather. I didn’t record the times, speeds and things. I did about 10 miles in about 45 minutes and it was just a pleasant ride.
This Saturday I am going to take my dad up on the offer for some running training. He is able to put in faster runs than me and has also joined a running club so hopefully some knowledge will rub off on me.
And then Sunday I am meeting up with Nigel to do some cycling (Ideal training for a kayak race!) which should be fun.
This Saturday I am going to take my dad up on the offer for some running training. He is able to put in faster runs than me and has also joined a running club so hopefully some knowledge will rub off on me.
And then Sunday I am meeting up with Nigel to do some cycling (Ideal training for a kayak race!) which should be fun.
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