After yesterday’s 5 miles, I started to panic about the upcoming “Slaughterford 9” and set off for some hill repeats this morning.
3 runs up a short but steep hill. I’m delighted if I can manage the first 2 of the repeats without walking, usually I can manage just the first one. Today I had to walk on all 3. The second repeat was marginally faster than the first because I had to overtake a dog walker. (It’s an unspoken runner’s rule – you *have* to overtake walkers, with or without dogs, when going up a hill).
Thought process on the hills went like this:-
Hill 1 “I’m a bit cold, wish I’d worn my gloves”
Hill 2 “Warming up nicely – probably didn’t need my long tights on”
Hill 3 “Wish I’d just worn vest and shorts!”
Finally, finally, some real exercise that involves putting on lycra and going outside. Sadly, still no running, but today’s adventure was cycling. Even more exciting, cycling wearing cleats. Anyone who’s followed my cycling exploits will know I usually manage to fall off my bike at least once on any ride. Often whilst stationary, always embarrassing. After several months of using the toe clips that came with my bike, Mr B&T bought me some real cycling shoes and cleats.* This was a trip destined to end in disaster. All the gear, very little idea
As an incentive we decided to cycle to one of our favourite cafés, Merkins Farm near Bradford on Avon. After a quick lesson in how to clip in and out, we set off. It was cold, and after twenty minutes my hands and feet were numb. My son (who was also in his new shoes and cleats for the first time) was setting a stirling pace as he had the scent of his favourite veggie burger in his nostrils.
After a cold hour we were there. The blessed relief to walk inside where it was warm from the wood burning stove was indescribable, but the pain from blood returning to my numb finger tips could only be described in naughty four letter words (so I’ll let you use your imagination).
Well worth the cold ride! The cycle back home was much warmer (probably because we all had lovely warm full stomachs). When I uploaded my ride onto Strava I was delighted to see I’d won two QOMs (Queen Of the Mountains). When I looked a little closer, they are actually “2015 QOM”s, so I suspect I won’t hold onto these for very long! I am also delighted to report I didn’t fall off once and I managed to clip in and out with no problems. This was probably aided by the ever lovely Mr B&T shouting “UNCLIP” as we approached every junction.** My son did fall off once, as he got his unclipped foot stuck between the kerb and his bike, but he landed on a soft muddy verge so he didn’t hurt himself.
19.6 miles cycled. Double points because it was so cold. Excellent veggie burger eaten. Janathon Day 4 done.
Day Two of Janathon. Still no running, but at now I’m home again so it was time for another new activity.
Stairs. New staircase
Stairs are a real novelty in this house. We are in the midst of a loft conversion, so for the first time ever our bungalow has stairs. So, as a first ever exercise I ran up and down the stairs 10 times. It was surprising hard work. When we moved in 11 years ago a friend warned us we’d end up with “bungalow legs” and sadly I think he was right.
No review of 2014 from me – I think I’m just glad to have got that particular December over and done with.
So a new year, a new month, it can only mean one thing – JANATHON is back again! The month long annual festival of exercising and blogging every day is once again upon us. For more details have a look (and get signed up quickly) here.
For something completely different, my exercise today was 40 minutes of ice skating. Amazingly I didn’t fall over once, not even when my young nephew fell whilst holding my hand, right in front of me.
Me on the ice, with Christmassy gloves
It felt likea good start to the month -roll on the rest of it!
I’ve had a very strange December. All the usual pre-Christmas stresses were compounded by a loss of any Internet at home. No online shopping, no running my online business, no blogging. Time pressures have also meant very little running.
All of these frustrations have paled into insignificance with today’s news. Today we had to say goodbye to our beautiful old cat, Holly. She was 17 years old, we’d had her since she was a little kitten, she was often grumpy, she’d been ill for quite some time, but we all loved her dearly. She was the ‘black’ part of ‘Black and Tabby’, she was a unique feisty cat and she will be very sorely missed.
Find yourself a lovely big clump of heavenly catnip and sleep well, little one.
I did think with a name like the Pudding Run this race promised to be great. The fact that it sold out in a week back at the end of September was another good sign. I actually was given a place by a lovely man who was injured and I was able to transfer the place to myself just a few days before (how come bigger races can’t do this?!) I was even offered a lift by a friend, Julia, which was a good omen and great company.
As soon as we got to race HQ it was obvious why this race is so popular. It raises funds for the local primary school, so it has a lovely atmosphere, and the youngest baggage reclaim team I’ve ever seen. The runners were a mixture of super keen club runners, ordinary runners like myself, and runners who’d made the effort and were wearing Christmas jumpers and hats. The course was as flat as advertised which was great for PB chasing but one open section suffered from strong head winds over the flat fields. I always find laps of a race hard, so unsurprisingly I came to the end of the first 5K lap thinking
“I’ll just stop now. I don’t need to do another lap.”
“But you won’t get your pudding!”
“I don’t even like Christmas pudding!!”
Fortunately by the time I’d finished this internal monologue I’d passed the finish line and was on my second lap. It was hard, I didn’t beat my PB, I was overtaken on the final straight by a lady in an amazing Christmas Tree hat, but it was a great race. There was even a choice of puddings, so Grinches like me could have syrup sponge or chocolate pudding instead. It was great, and I will be signing up next September. With Julia and her pudding, at her first ever race My pudding of choice. Yum
Normally I would say hilly and muddy beats just about any other run hands down (unless you’re after a PB of course). So a showdown between a hilly and muddy 10K race vs. flat and fast 10k race would normally be easy to call. Add in the fact that you get a medal at the hilly and muddy race, but not at the other, and you’d assume I didn’t even have to spend a second agonizing over a decision. Simple pimple.
Hang on though, put those trail trainers down – the flat and fast race isn’t an ordinary race. It’s the 10K “Pudding Race”. It sold out in a week back at the start of October, and you might not get a medal at the end but you do get a Christmas Pudding. Ah – that muddied the waters for you, didn’t it?
Mmmmm pudding!
To cut a long story short, I put my trail trainers back in the muddy bag they live in, and took my road runners out this morning for some ‘bursts’ to try and get my legs used to running fast without getting distracted and slowing down. Apart from the large tractors on little lanes which meant I had to leap into the hedge, they went well.
After last Sunday’s 10K, (a muddy, hilly off road race with some organisational hiccups) I ran another 10K race this Sunday. This one was flat, fast and organised like a clock winding event in a Swiss cuckcoo clock factory. Last week was the Bath Skyline 10K, this week was the Chilly 10K at Castle Combe race circuit, organised by DB Max.
Last week I was excited and nervous at the start, just running to finish with no thoughts of what time to expect. This week I was quite anxious at the start, because I was putting pressure on myself to aim for sub-54 minutes. My PB from last year was 54:02.
Castle Combe Race Circuit is an exposed location, just outside the beautiful Cotswold village of Castle Combe. The circuit isn’t quite as picturesque as the village. It’s also very open and seems to always have a head wind – the only question is from which direction will it be? As a motor racing circuit it’s great if you have an interest in motor sport (there’s a pit lane, chicanes, banks of tyres in case of crashes etc) but this also means it has great facilities – lots of parking, toilets, and the ‘Tavern’ for a greasy spoon fry-up afterwards. The organisation was immaculate, speedy number and chip pick-up followed by a warm area to wait in.
I always find laps in a race hard to cope with mentally, and this race was three and a bit laps of the circuit. This meant on the first lap passing the 2K marker then a few metres later the 5K marker, and then in a few more breaths the 8K. I found it soul destroying on the first lap, was on the verge of giving up on the second lap, but was still hanging on by my fingernails on the third and final lap.
I didn’t quite bag myself a new PB, and missed out on my sub 54 minute target by 12 seconds. However despite the finish line video showing me crossing the line and looking with disgust at my Garmin as I see my time, I was pleased with my race. I haven’t been doing any speed work lately (concentrating on hills and mud instead), so to come so close to my target time is great. Oh and I got another amazing medal (always a bonus!) Mmm. Bling
So two very different races. Very different surroundings, terrain and organisation, however I was very happy to have run both of them. Roll on the Bath Skyline number 2 in a few weeks, and the next Chilly 10K in a few months!
