And I Would Run One Hundred Miles

[Sweder]

Rounded off a week of challenging hill sessions with another belter this morning. Thanks to someone on here dragging me out for 'a' beer to celebrate his birthday I was feeling slightly fuzzy. I'd planned a relatively straightforward ten miler, Ditchling Beacon and back. By the time I'd crawled out of bed, pfaffed about for a time feeding dogs, cats, taking tea up to the Mrs, the cool morning rain had made way for blazing sunshine. I reset my targets, aiming for a Blackcap round trip, incorporating a first - for me - ascent of Sweder's hill. 

   

Like their master, the hounds are not fans of the heat. We three laboured, breathing hard. At the top of Sweder's hill I turned left, taking the bridleway alongside the old race track and behind the stables. The trail narrowed, nettles and brambles closing in on my bare legs until the trail was swallowed up and I was wading through a sea of violent foliage. I cut my losses, banking right through a thornbush and across the race track, back to the familiar flint track, which offered leafy respite from the sun. The morning rain had organised the dust, laying a soft, even spread over the ground, a delight to run on. All too soon we broke cover into the sheep fields. The temperature rose with every step, coaxing last night's beer from every pore. At least I had the ability to sweat; all Ripley and Murphy could do to cool down was pant faster and use pleading eye signals to beg me to head home. They got their own back by drinking greedily from several sheep troughs on the route as I looked on, wishing I'd brought some water.

I banked 9.8 kilometres. In the last mile or so my legs screamed, the accumulated rigours of over 1000 metres of climb over three tough outings in six days taking its toll. I stopped three times (happily never on a climb). Once to say hello to fellow Moyleman planner Brian and his mate Fi as they returned from a reccie of the Lewes Downland Ten route. Again at the Blackcap trig point, to let the dogs catch their breath and to stretch my steadily coiling legs. The last as I entered Landport Bottom. A group of elder folk adorned in floppy hats and rather a lot of biege, out for a morning stroll, approached. I held the gate open as they shuffled past, sweat running freely off my nose to splash onto my sodden chest. I smiled. The last man, pushing eighty, leaned carefully on his gnarled walking stick and smiled back.
'You look absolutely knackered, son'

A week of lighter running beckons, a few short, sharp sprints before a long, slow run at the weekend. I'd like to get back to ParkRun, too. It'll be good to meet up with some of the Brighton crew, and to measure my fitness with a couple of flat-ish 5Ks.

On, on.

[Charliecat5]

A week of lighter running beckons, a few short, sharp sprints before a long, slow run at the weekend. 

Slow?

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

Heat?

[Sweder]

A much flatter, still warm pre-breakfast set of 4 x 30 second and 1 x 45 second sprints laced with hill-climb recoveries. I can feel some base fitness coming back, which is very encouraging. I measure this on the hill recoveries. If, as I slog back up the Moyleman start, I'm thinking about just about anything that pops into my head, I'm on track. If, as has happened in recent times, I'm only thinking 'oh God, I'm going to die, why don't we just go home' I'm not quite there yet.

I've snapped the pace/ elevation chart from Runkeeper. The stop at 4.9 was at Willow's Jacuzzi, to allow the lurchers a drink and to greet our old friend the Big Chocolate Lab. His owner struggles to control him, so when he danced with joy at seeing Rip & Murph (who he first met when they were a few months old), he wound his extendable lead around me like a manic, slobbering Maypole dancer. Sadly Willow has succumbed to the ravages of time. She is restricted to slow walks or pottering out and about with the family, her gallant running days behind her stubby, propeller-wagging tail.

5.9 feel-good kilometres banked.

   

[marathondan]

This all sounds like excellent grist to the mill. A reminder to us fallow fellows that hard work is the key to fitness. But it's an interesting session: you sprint down the hill and then jog back up? I would do it the other way round. Is this actual descent training you're doing?

[Sweder]

But it's an interesting session: you sprint down the hill and then jog back up? I would do it the other way round. Is this actual descent training you're doing?

I've done it both ways, as it were. For me to get up to sub 4-min/ km pace for any length of time I need steep downhill* and a tail-wind. I love running as fast as I can, that feeling of being almost out of control. I'm going for a 'fun' week after last week's mountainous hill sessions. And boy, is this fun! 
And the knee, the knee is ... pretty quiet. I'm in a good place for the first time in a while.

It's a great fat-burner, too, of which more later. My Guru is mailing her latest book as we speak ...

*cliff-face

[Sweder]

A repeat of Tuesday's session, with wary legs (there's no fooling them these days) and slightly congested airways. I pushed a little harder on the hill climb recoveries, shaving a few seconds of the circuit and opening up another vault or two in the O2 Processors. A satisfactory session, again with a stop at 4.8 k to allow the dogs to grab a quick drink. The rest was welcome for me, too, but, happily, not necessary.

Planning a ParkRun on Saturday and something vertical* with CharlieCat on Sunday morning.

   

*clearly better than something horizontal *shudder*

Stat attack:
Today I completed 6 hours 23 minutes running for the month of July - my Two Oceans finishing time from 2007!
100 Mile Challenge Update:
July - 66.5 kms/ 41.56 miles at an average of 1.8 miles per day

[marathondan]

July - 66.5 kms/ 41.56 miles at an average of 1.8 miles per day

These are the numbers that speak to me.

You are back in the groove!

[Sweder]

July - 66.5 kms/ 41.56 miles at an average of 1.8 miles per day

These are the numbers that speak to me.

You are back in the groove!  

Yes, feeling like a runner again, although I've a long way to go to catch that darned cat.

The TOM stat was interesting: 56 kms (in one hit) versus 66.5 kms in segments. A 10 kilometre gain within the run-time. No surprise there, I suppose, as a lot of the recent stuff has been 'relatively' quick. If anything the comparison makes the TOM effort look quite good, especially as the second half of that outing was through purgatory

[glaconman]

Good going Sweder. It's good to see you 'back-on the bunch' as cyclists say.
I think short, fast stuff is useful for developing capacity (the fat pipe). But because you had a big hole blown in your fitness don't lose sight of the main aim which should probably be base-miles at the moment.
You're your own man clearly celebrating a return to the hills. But it's always a long-term project.
Allez-allez!

[Sweder]

A thoroughly decent weekend of running. Saturday saw a return to ParkRun, albeit in the slightly tardy time of 26-odd minutes. I was happy to be back and plodding round as CharlieCat made his debut. Circa 400 runners on a three-loop circuit is not exactly fun, but we endured. The coffee and cake afterwards, shared in the company of Simon Ho, Stevio, Ladyrunner and a few Moyleman vets, was a highlight.

Today we got down and dirty with some proper hill running. 13 plus miles in filthy weather, spiteful rain swept into our pinched faces with violent disregard. My phone spluttered and drowned in my shorts pocket, so much so that I only managed one shot, that of the approach to the first proper hill, taken from the Martyrs Monument at the top of the high street. At the end of the street I joined up with CharlieCat and OATR for the charge up  Chapel Hill. This was effectively the Moyleman finish in reverse. Up to the top of the Cliffe, over the ridge and into the lush valley leading away to Mount Caeburn and Glynde village beyond. My legs held up but my lungs struggled to process enough O2 to feed the furnace. Duncan pulled out a healthy lead as he bounded up the trail. At the top Rob thanked us for our company and set sail for home, leaving we two to look south towards the looming wave of Firle Beacon.

   

That climb was a monster, straight up into the teeth of the storm. The hillside rose above us like a scene from Inception, stretching our necks as we peered up at the cloud-lined summit. Once again I was left behind, all run-shuffle and ragged breath. At the top we turned west, thumping across the slippery spine of the Beacon towards the Ouse Valley, the broad shoulder of Kingston Ridge beyond. Dark skies bubbled and broiled as the slope grew steeper, dropping away beneath our feet like a grassy waterfall until we were hammering down Itford Hill towards Southease at breakneck speed. The Cat took off, arms outstretched in an expression of pure joy. I grinned. We didn't care a jot that we were soaked through to the skin. This is the running life; strong legs, wide grins, bounding down the hillside, shoulder to shoulder, heading home.

The run into Lewes along the river, anticlimactic after the gleeful plummet, proved tough. Rapidly tiring legs did not understand why this was taking so long. As if in protest they started to foam. Yes, I said 'foam'. Apparently, I learned later, this occurs when one is saturated and residual washing powder, lying deep within the fabric, is flushed out. We exchanged glances and pressed on. I downed a couple of Jelly Babies, shaking off a few twinges. Duncan seemed happy enough to stay at my pace and we ran it in along the west bank and into the town.

   

20+ kilometres banked with over 400 metres of climb in foul conditions. My favourite run of the year so far, by a country mile. 

[marathondan]

We keep posting "great news, he's back!" But he keeps on getting even back-er. How much back can you be?

[Sweder]

Forgot to update the 100 mile challenge data
July = 27 days at 57.31 miles, or 2.122 miles per day.
June was 33.06 miles in 30 days.

Current challenge total: 90.37 miles in 57 days
Average of 1.5854 miles per day

[marathondan]

From this week's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue:

"foaming" : dodgy Chinese pottery

[Charliecat5]

We keep posting "great news, he's back!" But he keeps on getting even back-er. How much back can you be?

He's back.

[Sweder]

Free Running, a.k.a. Not Knowing Where The Hell You're Going

Nipped out for a restorative morning plod, mostly to run Sunday's rust (and residual froth) out of my still-in-shock joints. I didn't have a route in mind, simply the notion that I needed to push warm blood through tired muscle to aid repairs. I ended up at the Moyleman start. Hill reps were not on the menu so I took off into the woods, much to the delight of the Velociraptors. Following the trails I knew not where I burst through some dense foliage to be confronted by the Great Wall Of Chalk. I'd found the Chalk Pits, where CharlieCat and I had hurtled off BlackCap and The Style Incident occurred. Only, there was no obvious trail up, so I must have taken a wrong turn. I found a half-trail and took it, clambering up through low-lying thornbushes and fighting off thick-limbed brambles. I cursed Boff Whaley and his Free Runing mantra; this bloody hurt.

   

Eventually we emerged 'triumphant' atop the escarpment. The views were stunning. We dove into more familiar woodland, eventually doubling back through Landport Bottom, now occupied by sheep, and home. 5.5k and more climb than I bargained for. I need a flatter 'go-to' recovery route for these outings. 
Speedwork Thursday, ParkRun Saturday, something long and hilly Sunday.
On, on. 

[Bierzo Baggie]

Glad that you are enjoying your running again Sweder! Loved the photos of Lulworth Cove .....did you run up Golden Cap?

[Sweder]

I have to admire the ironic timing of BB's post. Today saw 'one of those' - un ugly flounder with few redeeming features, save for the views. Rolled out of bed at 6am feeling at least 400 kilos heavy with tiny teabags for lungs. I didn't want to go, I didn't want to be out there and I spent the entire 45 minutes wanting it to stop. Nuff said.

   

100 Mile Challenge update:
July: 103.4 kms in 29 days
64.6 miles, average 2.228 miles per day
A tantalising total of 97.66 miles in 59 days at an average of 1.655 miles per day
Looks like I'll bag the ton at ParkRun on Saturday, 1st August

This week's stats: 31.8 kilometres with 667 metres of elevation
With 12 outings July has been my busiest month in twelve by some margin.

[Sweder]

As hoped the 100 MC was wrapped up at ParkRun on Saturday. Runkeeper tells me that was my fastest Time over 5K, but rather like the Premier League-centric statisticians screaming hysterically from my radio during the much-hyped Charity Shield yesterday, RK ignores anything before a certain time. Truth is, 25.08 is close-on three minutes off my best for the distance. There is a lot of work to be done.

It's been fun, but as I always knew this was a motivational tool to keep me in the game.
Job done, it's time to return you to your usual program.