January 2009

[Sweder]

It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new year . . .

. . . and I'm feelin' good

[SIZE="1"]with apologies to Nina Simone[/SIZE]

So good in fact that despite a solid effort at drinking the Cotswolds dry last night I was keen to join the locals for a New Years Day leg-loosener. 4.8 miles through leafy country lanes, the occasional disturbed pheasant for company and a decent mile and a half hill to keep us honest. Yesterdays' frosty coat had vanished in the night, replaced by dull overcast skies and a chill wind. Nice to be back in the 'plus' temperatures though.

The knees have held up reasonably well considering back-to-back road runs. They, like me, will be pleased to be back in the muddy hills tomorrow.

It's a good start to a new running year.

[SIZE="1"][COLOR="DimGray"]Mapped the Highworth run this evening and noted another feature on Sporttracks.
By selecting 'elevation/ distance' in the summary option you can highlight a section of the elevation map and this shows up on your main overview in red. Sample below with corresponding elevation/ distance summary.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Antonio247]

Congratulations, S. I´m glad your knees seem to be better.


All the best for this new year.

[Sweder]

Back to mud, back to reality. A sweaty hillside lope, the first home run of the year and my third outing in as many days. The knee's holding up, though a right thigh strain - picked up tear-arsing around a go-kart circuit in an alltogether too-small vehicle - whined pitifully throughout.

I'm marshaling at tomorrow's Parkrun so the pins'll get the rest they crave. Then its off for a Snake with the JSJ crew on Sunday.

5 miles, 43:58 mins.
Just for fun I've posted elevations and corresponding map in smaller scale to see how thay come out. I'll stop this soon. Promise.

[Avenging Hillman]

It's a good start to a new running year.

It certainly is!
Had the first Run of the Year, the 'Hangover 5', on New Year's Day.

I'm generally all bah-humbug when it comes to New Year, but it was just fab to get out in the cold morning air and start 2009 in such a way.

I (now) think it beats necking 5 pints of bitter, barfing in the loo , and staggering out to a chorus of Auld Lang Syne!!
Never liked that song anyway........

[Sweder]

I love this cold, cold weather. Fields of frost stretched out across the Sussex hillside as I splashed water on my craggy, sleep-deprived face in the pre-dawn hour. Toast and coffee followed, then the ritual donning of protective garb; leggings, long-sleeved vest, short-sleeved vest, Garmin, gloves, headband and shoes. I’d started the truck a half-hour before departure, thermometer hovering at minus five, letting the heater melt the ice-glaze from the windscreen. The interior was like an oven as I clambered in, setting off for the marina warm as toast, wondering if I was in fact stark staring mad to leave my soft, super-heated bed when there was no discernable reason to do so.

The Jog Shop group had swelled in numbers. Last week’s eight hardy souls were joined by a myriad of newbies and long-absent old faces. Gillybean, MSilv, Me Ladyrunner Julie, Hootsboy, Le Soft, Suzie, Clare . . . good to see them all back, new-years resolutions polished to perfection, taught, pale faces less assured as they shivered, chattering nervously, waiting for the off. Lycra Tony on foot, Sam mounted, thirty or so well met and finally off across the cliff-tops, heading east into a gentle yet bone-chilling breeze. In an effort to get warm we managed to lop a minute and a half off our warm-up three miles, this in spite of Sams’ barked orders to take it easy from the start. Stevio started shooting snaps as we chugged into the rest point. I stretched gently, easing warm blood into my frozen joints, checking for murmurs of discontent.

At the reckoning we split into four main groups. Stevio, Chris, Richard (a sub-three marathoner who I’d not met before but who looks to be a paragon of natural fitness) and Simon would take on a swift Snake. Ladyrunner, Hootsboy, Ade and I would follow at a more leisurely pace, Gillybean and MSilv announced a Famous Residences and the rest would complete the last eight mile Wire session of this campaign. The four quicks duly shot up the climb out of Saltdean and on up the Tye (fig 1), gaining several hundred metres on my group in no time. I felt relieved that I wasn’t going with them. Lovely though last weeks’ PB was I’d had to fight like buggery to keep up and always felt I was holding the others back. Now, running easily at just below six minute kilometre pace, I felt comfortable, chatting easily with my companions as we took on a north wind that was a frosty shadow of last Sunday’s brutal blast.

At the top of the Tye another runner appeared, coming off the climb out of Telscombe village. I didn’t know him. He looked young and fit, immediately taking up the pace alongside Ladyrunner. I turned to Ade, muttering something about the fickle nature of women.
‘Some young bloke turns up, fancy new jacket, nice shoes, and she’s off. Pah!’
I paused at the ridge, snapping a couple of pictures on my woefully inadequate phonecam. They do little justice to the fabulous Narnia-scape of the downland stretching away towards Ringmer and Lewes but I’ll publish them here none-the-less. When I caught up with the others the new guy was still chirruping away about metabolic rates and calorific intake and how if he didn’t ingest at least 6,000 calories every day he was in severe danger of disappearing up his own bottom. I dropped back, unable/ unwilling to listen. My run-side chat tends to focus on movies and other banal stuff designed to take one’s mind off the run. Hootsboy obliged with a pocket appraisal of Australia, the Jackman/ Kidman epic recently released to mixed reviews. Hootsy enjoyed it, claiming to have learned a lot about the history of the former colony, though how authentic the piece is remains to be seen. Braveheart and others confirm that Hollywood has previous when it comes to historical fact.

Approaching the farmers’ plummet (fig 2) I offered council to the new chap about the treacherous descent.
‘Oh, running down hill’s no problem’ he grinned. ‘You just lean into it.’
I followed him carefully, intent on being right there when he started 'leaning into' the rutted frozen hundred-metre drop, ready to scoop up his bloodied, bone-snapped remains at the bottom. Once we’d started to shift along the frosted mudslide he dropped back leaving me to lead, arms waggling madly as I tip-toed at break-neck speed down the murderous slope.
‘I see what you mean’ came his now somewhat distant, rather more hesitant voice. As my life flashed before my wide, watering eyes I could hear that the smirk had gone.

I regained control, slowing up the sling-shot climb, thankful for this natural brake. After a brief respite and a farewell to Hootsboy – his post-Hastings knee-area niggle persuaded him to head back along the tarmac road into Rottingdean - we set off for Old Snakey (fig 3). Once again the serpent had on her gentle winter cloak, offering little challenge on the ground. The foothills still sapped at the legs and I had to work harder than was comfortable to keep up a steady pace. Onto the main body for some reason I’ve yet to determine I dropped a cog and roared past Ade, Ladyrunner and the new chap, thundering off around the left-hand bend at full bore. Why do we do these things? Perhaps my bullshit detector had overloaded, tripping some self-preserving mechanism that launched me into flight mode. Who knows? All I can say is I didn’t let up, knocking along at 5:30 minute kilometres for the next mile and a half. At the final bend I saw Stevio, Simon and Chris jogging back towards me. Steve reached for his camera so I got my head down and hammered up the last straight, dipping to 4:40 klicks right up to the summit gate, hoping he'd managed to miss my sweat-soaked, bug-eyed face with his lense.

After a brief lean on the gate and a good deal of oxygen-sucking I realised I actually felt pretty great. No doubt the easy early pace had built up some credit, though I felt sure I’d burned most of that up in the last two miles. The jog home was taken at a far more leisurely (but pleasingly even) pace, leaving me to chat easily with Ade and Ladyrunner as we chugged down through East Brighton Park.

Incredibly our time was a single, solitary second outside last week. I found this hard to credit, having fought to keep up last Sunday whereas this week everything had felt much easier. There can be no denying, my fitness is returning and I’m starting to run out of excuses for not going for a good time in Almeria. There; that should put the kibosh on that.

[SIZE="1"]A few charts and maps. First up the figs (1-3) referred to in the report, the sections referred to shown in red with corresponding elevation charts.
1: Saltdean to the top of Telscombe Tye
2: Farmer's PLummet
3. The Snake[/SIZE]

[ladyrunner]

Ash

Well done mate on your brill run today.

You no longer have any excuses for a slow time at Almeria. The way you blasted up the Old Snakey today and left me in you trail has got me thinking about whether I will be able to keep up with you for the Half Marathon.

It will be interesting to see if you can set a pb around Hove Park next Saturday - I think it's possible. At this rate you will also be beating Simon on age grading (but that's not hard)!!

Jules

[Simon Ho]

It will be interesting to see if you can set a pb around Hove Park next Saturday - I think it's possible. At this rate you will also be beating Simon on age grading (but that's not hard)!!

Jules

Most of you beat me each week on the age grade, except Jason!

I prefer to look at absolute times!

[Sweder]

A couple of snaps from the run.


The group at saltdean (3 miles in). Sam in the cycle helmet, Lycra Tony in the red jacket. Right of Sam Ladyrunner, Hootsie and Stevio in the white top.


View north from the top of Telscombe Tye (5 miles in)

Below: pace/ distance charts from last Sunday and today.
I'm no expert but the most obvious thing to notice is the steady start and overall flatter pace of today's run (right hand graphic). It certainly felt more balanced; last week I worked hard in the wrong areas even though I did hit a quicker pace in some areas. The total difference between the two run times was 1 second over 19+ kilometres Last week I felt shattered; today I cruised home over the last few kilometres. I didn't use gels on either run, though I did chomp a couple of wine gums today.

[SIZE="1"]Left - last week; Right - today[/SIZE]

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Great run Sweder - you're clearly well set for Almeria: a PB chance perhaps?

[ladyrunner]

Most of you beat me each week on the age grade, except Jason!

I prefer to look at absolute times!

You would Simon as you are still young (compared to us lot) and therefore have the ability to run faster. That's why the Age Grading system came about - so that us oldie's can compete with the youngers.

[Sweder]

Great run Sweder - you're clearly well set for Almeria: a PB chance perhaps?

For the course perhaps. I'll have to go back and see what that is :o
My unofficial PB was set in Brighton 2007 (pre-TOM) - at 1:39 and change. Absolutely no chance of getting anywhere near that I'm afraid.

[Sweder]

Photos from the Snake courtesy of Stevio.

Our modest paced group leaving the foothills onto the Snake proper.
Chappers in the lead followed by Julie and Ade with Sweder lurking at the back, ready to pounce.



Here's yours truly. I see now why the elderly couple walking their dogs fled into hillside screaming 'Sasquach!' Always liked that hat . . .



Then there's the following group, looking for all the world like they're out for, er, a Sunday stroll. Far too comfy at that stage.

[Bierzo Baggie]

You weren't in Shropshire on New Year's Day by any chance.?. I'm sure I saw a few blokes who looked like you.

All the best for 2009 and long may this running and writing showcase continue...

A question for you. How do you mark your routes with those little arrows? I've got as far as taking an image from Google Earth and then I mark my route on it on Paint, but what's the proper way?

[Nick]

Nice photos, they really capture how flippin cold it is out there. You are looking quite svelt!

Another Q. How do you attach a photo? Have tried and failed.

[Sweder]

Jeez, I'm the last Luddite y'all should be askin' . . .

OK: The mapping thing is all done by the excellent Sportstracks. Google 'sportstracks' and you'll hit it - it's a free download that works with all manner of garmin (and possibly other) GPS data. Cautioon - it only seems to work with Windows Vista (at least for me). The GPS maps my run and the software downloads the corresponding map or satelite image. The two are automatically super-imposed and voila! a map of my last run.

Pictures: the only way to insert an image into an article is to link to a previously published image using the pictures url (to be be found by right-clicking an image online, selecting 'properties' and there's the url or address of that image). You can then shose to insert an image into your text using the image button above the message box - it's the yellow box with a mountain in it. You paste the url of the image into the dialogue box - remember to include 'http://' once only. If the image is removed from the original site then your link will fail and a little box with a red x will appear in your post instead (which is why some of the images are missing from older posts). My images were originally uploaded by Steve onto Facebook which is why I was able to link back to them. If you're working with unpublished images you have to attach them using the 'manage attachments' feature (below the message box when you post a reply).

Bet you're glad you asked . . .

[Sweder]

So, if you wake up one morning and it's a particularly beautiful day, you'll know we made it.
[SIZE="1"]Capa, Sunshine[/SIZE]

Brass monkey stuff out there this morning, a pre-dawn departure in sub-zero temperatures. The frozen darkness had me pondering the wisdom of Monday lunchtimes’ impetuous New Years convict cut – oh well, no use crying over split follicles. Yesterday’s snow lay welded to the hillside, a crunchy white carpet on which to plod. Sensing a change in the light a mile or so in I looked back to the east. A grapefruit-pink blush warmed the horizon, a handful of fluff-ball clouds lit up in perfect pink-orange neon above the Lewes cliffs. Oh, for a camera! I plodded westward on tired pins, residual lactic acid sloshing lazily around indolent hamstrings and lethargic quads.

This was always going to be a recovery run of sorts. The infirm footing ensured caution, every tread laid carefully, dulled reflexes on high alert for the first signs of groin-tearing slippage. As I struggled on up Black Cap Tom Petty appeared in my earphones, cranking out American Girl. This gave me the kick up the arse I needed to make the summit, glance at my Garmin in mock horror and set off directly for home sans breather. By now the Earth had rolled sunward enough for the orange orb to clear the cliffs. Sunlight raced up the slopes to meet my thundering feet, casting tiny shadows on the snow-packed ground in a scene reminiscent of the final act of Sunshine, Danny Boyles’ excellent solar re-boot flick, my hometown standing in nobly for the Sydney Opera House. It was as if the ground were waking up, springing to life before me. I felt privileged to be there, alone save for my trusty hounds, feasting greedily on natures’ finest hour.


[SIZE="1"]Let the clip load then watch the last few frames, unless you want to watch the last 2 minutes of the movie[/SIZE]

Home in a leisurely forty-seven minutes, steam rising from my sweaty back. Another five miles chalked off and a good deal of weekend rust expelled. Less Is More kicks in this week, preservative behaviour taking over from fitness recovery to help rest my battered knees and add zest to my Sunday outings. A little knee pain today but nothing more than usual.

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

A little knee pain today but nothing more than usual.

Alarm bells are ringing Sweder. Take it easy mate.

[ladyrunner]

Very wise words spoken there by MLCM. Now that you are back running so well we don't want you injured again Sweds.

I was thinking of your magnificent blast up the Old Snakey as I was following Stevio up the hills reps tonight.

Jules

[Sweder]

Alarm bells are ringing Sweder. Take it easy mate.

Hence the re-introduction of Less Is More [SIZE="1"]TM[/SIZE] old friend
No sense in grinding the gristle into space-dust before I've had chance to burn up the dreaded Ramblas. To be honest the knee-whine is constant but consistant - if it gets worse I'll simply start my taper early. Can't say these iron-hard conditions are helping much though . . .

[Sweder]

More glorious early morning sunshine. The light was already on full-beam by the time I dragged a weary set of bones out of a seductively warm bed. I confess to feeling less than enthused as I pulled on a variety of gadgets and garments. Any doubts that I should be out there were soon dispelled by the most glorious January scenes.

The landscape lay draped in a veil of mist, peaks and ridges detailed in dazzling, sun-lit clarity above the fog. I rattled along at a modest pace, the dogs forraging along withered hedgerows, apparently miffed at having missed rabbits' breakfast-time, having to make do with the occasional lunge at the odd pre-occupied magpie or a lone, tardy rook.

Up in the hills Monday's snow lay, powder-fine, crunching under my heavy tread. At the turn I stood to marvel at a fabulous scene. Below and to my left the Ouze valley slumbered under a thick, still blanket. Ahead layers of horizon stretched away, each tranche less detailed that it's near-neighbour. Up close the sheep field, green grass flecked with white frost and lingering snow, the only window in colour; next the tree-line, thousands of tiny bare branches in dark, sharp relief against mist-blurred hills; then a layer of cloud, grey and thick, like loitering gunsmoke. Beyond the distant peaks rose out of the mist, giant sharks' fins cutting up out of the foam, ridges sharp against the risen sun.

Musically the day started on such a high it was hard to see how it might improve. Led Zep's 'cover'* of Howling Wolfs' How Many More Times set us on our way. The Yardbirds' classic (and garage-band staple) Train Kept A-Rollin' perked me up but it didn't quite soar aloft with rocks' definitive dirigible. As I loped steadily back down the slopes, dogs trotting in orderly fashion beside me, Bad Company nipped in with Runnin' With The Pack. The song has a fine orchestral ending with a hint of Kashmir in the same sense that a Cadbury's Fruit & Nut bar has a hint of nuts about it. Once again I felt blessed to be out there, soaking up a magical scene. For all the grey and dismal days, full of mud and rain and filthy skies, just one morning like this is enough to keep me coming back time and again.

[SIZE="1"]*Wolf's piece was entitled How Many More Years. The song was taken by Jimmy Page (and Robert Plant, though Plant wasn't credited at this point due to a contractual wibble) as a blue print for the last track on the bands' first album, Led Zeppelin. It's a bit cheeky to call it a cover - the 8-minute Zep version bares little resemblance to the 1951 original - but if Jimmy Page acknowledges it's influence then so should I.[/SIZE]