Moraghan Training - Stevie G

Johnas wrote (see)

 

SG - 1.18. Not a half marathon prediction but how long i managed to listen to that 'music' video

Is that minutes or seconds?

it's the most nutty clip I've seen for a long time. Big laughs guaranteed for those who can last the full 5!

Hi All,

Checking back in after a some days away in France with work. Marseille had some snow and ice but brilliant blue skys and sea. Cue a bike/run session in the gym (a large bedroom with a recumbant bike and a dreadmill).

Bike session was crap but the 3km run afterwards was worthwhile. Have just sat on the turbo for an hour, and will run easy tomorrow lunch outside (XC).

Running is not taking a back seat this quarter, but the focus is on the bike. I'm hoping to still hang on to a tempo, a track session, then ramp the Sunday run to 1.5 - 2 easy hrs.

Dachs - 20 x 400 @ 3K pace? Are you for real!?  That's 8K at 3K pace? Or have I got confused somewhere?

I did 14 x 0.25 tonight with 1:25 recovery (we were doing relays). The route is a hilly little 400M loop of a housing crescent. My reps were 82 to 85, at the end I dropped an 88 and 89 in as I was struggling. Average pace was around 5:35min/mile. 2 sessions this week! Woo!

Can't feel my face now. Or my lungs. Or my legs. Reast day please!

RE the pace discussion, I'm like Deano in that if I train @10k pace it will be faster than my PB pace. The same goes for every pace session, bar 1500 pace. Knife edge stuff. But then I see the sense of training at current ability and using 3-5K stuff as the 'faster than' element. So horses for courses, I'm a victim of my own bloody ambition sometimes

Yes, the type of day job can really make a dent in your running form. Walking about all day, sitting down all day. There has to be an optimum activity level in there somewhere.

Videos.

A favourite of mine right now is one called: HD People Are Awesome / Amazing Humans 1080P.

Makes running look rather tame.

There's pros and cons of office jobs tho... but personally it works well for me.

Office...

• pros  eat when you want, fresh for doubles
• cons  sitting in one position for hours has effect on muscles/tightness, fixed hours, have to be strong to fight the "no lunch hour" culture, and make sure you take the break that's your right

Stevie, as always your session looks tidy enough.Just sounds like you smashed yourself though!

looking at the heavy snow fall outside my window, i'm thinking 2 things

convenient today is a rest day!

And good job I wasn't planning on that XC on sunday as that surely won't be on now!

Stevie G . wrote (see)

And good job I wasn't planning on that XC on sunday as that surely won't be on now!

Surely it's prime XC conditions? This isn't a knitting club!

IronCat5 in the Hat wrote (see)

Stevie G . wrote (see)

And good job I wasn't planning on that XC on sunday as that surely won't be on now!

Surely it's prime XC conditions? This isn't a knitting club!

Since my mother is from Yorkshire and my dad was from London it affects my choices when it comes to XC races, when it snows.

Up north they'd be 'on'

Down south they'd be 'off'

As I technically qualify as a 'midlander' I guess I'd be undecided.

what is it with these southern xc SG, you run the majority of them without spikes, some on tarmac and dont go out if the weather is slightly inclement.  you sure these are XC?   Ironcat is right, the conditions are perfect for great XC.  

Im with SG regards office jobs, pros and cons. 

good session SS and Mattl, particular considering the conditions.

Looks like helby is getting a decent level of snow this weekend and the website is going to make a call if the HM goes ahead.

Dean, I have access to two XC leagues, Chiltern League and the Thames Valley XC league. There's also all sorts of other XC races around.

All races bar the TVXC league are pure spikes courses, all off road.

Not sure why the TVXC is so MT orientated but I find racing in studs limiting so I tend not to do them.

Dean, it's less a south north divide, and more a type of league divide like Ric says.

From what I can establish, the saturday leagues are generally the highest standard, but the courses allow more speed and consistent flow, being generally grassy laps of parks.

Our sunday leagues are more of a challenge to hit a consistent pace, as they can almost resemble obstacle courses. Branches, trees/roots, bogs, water jumps etc, on top of the obligatory mud.

You can race our series in spikes, people certainly do, but on some courses, you risk smashing your knees to bits as they have sections of rock hard trail!

As for Sunday being cancelled, in fairness only about 2 races have been cancelled in the last few years, and that's been when really heavy snow has fallen, and the roads have been trecherous.

Anyone who thinks that scenario is in anyway "perfect xc" fare, has more bravado then sense!

Ric i think i would do the same...my comments were made totaly tongue in cheek, in the north staffs league we have one MT course and i didnt like it either.  not sure why as i would have thought i would prefer the harder ground as its closer to road racing. 

SG x post - sure, if you cant get to the event then fine it should be cancelled, but XC racing is about the differing conditions underfoot that you face and overcoming them.  This thread is full of bravado when it comes to training in the snow just thought the same would apply to xc races. 

SS - like I say, I couldn't be entirely sure what pace that is, 3K was just a guess at how long I could stretch that pace out for a full race.  I just ran them as quick as I felt I could manage consistently.

Re the XC, it's a strange one.  I remember running loads of XC races as a kid round the West Country, all of which I ran in spikes.  Occassionally a bit of tarmac would creep in, but I just ran on my heels like a pillock.  But compared to many (not all) of them, I would still class the XC I ran last weekend as quite tough, despite a long section of hard surface which prevented spike-wearing.  Maybe it's just that my memory of the toughness of those courses from my childhood has faded due to the passage of time (apart from one particularly hideous one at Weymouth).

Dean, i remember doing races in the 06-08 period that were pretty darn dangerous. Frozen hard trail and icy stretches! I don't mind as cold as it gets, even in a vest, but once the footing is risky it's a different ball game.

Dachs, Tadley is a demanding course. I always forget that. Even the first half that I had written off as "the calm before the storm", is quite awkward with so many branches, brambles, tree roots, and if you're over about 5ft 8 calls for a lot of ducking!

I remember in my first year of XC racing, 06, literally begging for the finish to come...but I guess that's being so much less fit.

Most of the XC races I've known to be cancelled have been due to problems getting there or with parking due to weather rather than the state of the course.

A nice 7.5M XC run in this morning. Only negatives were very tired legs and one bit where I was just thinking "it's nice to have dry feet for once" then immediately plunged through asheet of snow covered ice into a bog half way up my calves!! Lots of good stares from people on the train as I sat there in my shorts!

Considering popping to Trespass to pick up some snow goggles for the run home though, as the wind blown snow didn't half hurt my eyes

Ordered some bargain basement Oroc 3340s last night, with metal dobbs to grip on ice - no doubt they'll arrive just after the snow and ice has gone

Bus -  you like your shoes! It wont be long soon before you are fully loaded (with backups) for every surface or weather out there.  I applaud your dedication. 

The Imelda Marcos of the fell running community.