Wednesday Wander

I had a busy day yesterday with massage appointments to see, visiting family (my nan had a fall and was in hospital over the weekend) and then Herod Farm fell race last night. Fitting in my Wednesday Wander was going to be tricky, so I used the walk to my marshaling post on the fell race to take some time out and observe some #lovelylittlethings

There's some photos of the fell race on the Running Delights facebook page.

I got a sticker!

That may not mean a lot to some. But to those in the know, they will be smiling with me because what it means is that I have passed the assessment for the Walking Group Leaders Award. I'm therefore qualified to lead people out in the hills. First step is joining MTE which I've just done, insurance will get sorted this week, then I'd best get my thinking cap on and work out what I'm actually going to do with it!!

Just a quick update on my 2013 Aspirations given I've just completed #7:

#1   Run 10km in under 50 minutes: Achieved at Salford 10k race
#2   Run Glossop to Hope in under 3hrs 45mins: plan to do this late summer
#3   Run Herod Farm fell race quicker than last year's race. Achieved
#4   10 chin ups: ongoing
#5   Box jump onto big box: ongoing
#6   Complete my Walking Group Leaders Award training: Achieved
#7  Successfully achieve my Walking Group Leaders Award: Achieved
#8  Handstand press-up: ongoing

So, a long run, 10 chin ups, jump onto the big box and do a handstand press up all still to be worked on. All except the first is reliant on me putting in some hard work in my strength and conditioning sessions. 

Herod Farm Fell Race 2013

Wednesday evening found me helping out on the registration desk for the Glossopdale Harriers club race, Herod Farm. The wind was ever present, insistently threatening to blow forms and bank notes away (I think the gazebo did lose out to the wind later on). We held on to the papers tightly and with 93 runners registered, at the start line we (yes, I ran as well as helped out) were given the race organisers speech....and we're off...

I'd kind-of-reluctantly run this race last year for the first time. Having a couple of steep climbs in it makes it something of a challenge, and for me something to dread. Not only do I not ascend very quickly, but my downhill technique could be improved. So using last year's time as a benchmark I'd added this race to my list of aspirations for this year - I wanted to improve, even if by a few seconds. I wanted to show that all the hours of training, all the hill reps, all the turbo sessions, had all been for something. And this was the race to test myself. At only 5km it might seem like a nice short race to start the midweek races off. But then there's the 335m of ascent. That's going to hurt.

From the start: I'm No.3. Winning lady is Zoe, No.2.

Back to the race...I've been doing some of my hill reps on the first ascent so know the track well. I know where the steeper bits are, the bits where I might potentially recover a little, push a little. All the training definitely helped. I paced the first part of the first climb much better. I didn't have to walk until the farm. Great. Going well. So what if lots of people passed me. I'm out, racing and only have another 4.25km to go.

Onto the grass I'm walking...but not stopping as I did last year. The terrain levels out towards the top then the wind kicked into my lungs like daggers. I can't recover my breath across the top and am still panting like a steam train as I round the top-most marshall and head down the first descent. There's no Glossopdalers or runners I know around me. I'm running my own race, against the clock. Stealing a glance at the time I'm more or less the same as last year as I reach the bottom of the first descent. I feel stronger, if only that wind would bugger off and let my breathing calm down a bit (is that possible in a race anyway?!).

The second climb...before the really steep bit.

Across the fields, I'm so focused on foot placement on the narrow track I nearly embed myself into a thorny bush. A lucky dodge to the left and I avoid it...onwards and towards the nursing home. A sense of dread enters knowing the steepness of the second climb. I walk a bit, run a bit, keep up with a couple of runners close by. Looking up the hill I see the horses are behaving, neatly tucking themselves in to the side of the field, and beyond a string of runners stretched out, marking the route I'm about to take.

Up up up. Up up up. Up up up. Up up up. Don't stop. Up up up. Still with the chap in a blue top. Up up up. Breathe. Up up up. Where's that gate. 1...2...3..4..5......  .......98...99...100.... Up up up. This pattern continues. I reach the gate and haven't stopped. Good. Up up up. Don't stop. The blue top guy is still there. Good. Keep going. Up up up. Steeper now. Keep counting. Up up up. Up up up. Up up up. Up up up. Up up up. Up up up. Up up up. It's levelling out....oh my word I have to run now. And the wind hits me again. Breathing struggling.

Now I know it's all down hill. I open up and stretch my legs as much as I dare. My in-built fear of falling is still a stronger pull than that to let go. But I feel strong. There's someone behind me and I'm determined to reach the stile first. I get there....and beat him to the second. I made up ground on the chap in front and have to shout "I'm right behind you mate" as it looked like he was about to stall at the stile. I would have piled into him had he not moved, the momentum wasn't being totally controlled.

In to the heather I pick out the line on the right to avoid some of the ruts. Onto the tarmac. I open up, but the chap behind me goes off faster....then slows by the farm and I catch him, overtake, but he retakes me as he turns on the gas again. Tim and someone else are encouraging me on in the final 100m....and there's the finishing funnel. Great....now I can stop. And breathe.

I had glanced at my watch just after reaching the tarmac and saw the time was quicker than last year. I stopped my watch at the end and it was around a minute less. Brilliant. I've done it!!  That's goal #3 for the year ticked off. Looking at the stats at home I can see I made up most of the minute in the final descent. So it's my ascending I need to get quicker at!! Or maybe running on calm, wind-less days would help.

The full results can be found on the Glossopdale Harriers website. My time this year is 39:17 (last year it was  40:12). And here's a video from just after the start...I feature in the group that passes after 1 minute...I'm in the middle of that group with a blue buff on my head.

Thanks to Ian, Tom, Gordon for the video and photos.

2013 Aspirations - Update

My goals for this year were defined. I'm coming up to three months into the year and thought it timely to have a check on where I've got to so far.

#1   Run 10km in under 50 minutes
On the club handicap 10km route I've run 57:50. There's 135m ascent, which includes a long uphill drag for about 2.5km so I'm told by club runners who do flat 10km races that you can take a couple of minutes off that. Well, we'll see tomorrow what my flat 10km time is....it's time for the Salford 10km race in the morning.

#2   Run Glossop to Hope in under 3hrs 45mins - see my Home from Home blog for my 2012 run.
I've not done a lot of longer runs so far this year. I'll be looking to run this route about the same time of year (June, maybe later) so will build up to longer distances.

#3   Run Herod Farm fell race quicker than last year's race. I'd be happy with under 40mins.
Not long until this year's race on 17 April. To be honest, with all the snow and ice we've had my off-road running has taken a back seat. The focus has been on hill reps and building speed. How that translates when it comes to race day will have to wait. Best get my fell shoes out soon though, this race has a couple of lung busting hills.

#4   10 chin ups - this was on last years list, and I did reach 7 at one point...must try harder this year.
I'm back up to my high point of last year. Yesterday was a good day in the gym. Not only did I get a pb on bench pressing (6x40kg on my 5th set), I did 7 chin ups. Even better, that was also my 5th set, so I'd already done 4x4. I reckon I've a couple more in my if I go for it fresh. Soon. I sense this one will come soon!

#5   Box jump onto big box (will measure it next time I'm at the gym - its 31 inches high)
Box jumps are off the training programme this month and I've got hurdles instead. I was about 5 inches off target so it seems feasible.

#6   Complete my Walking Group Leaders Award training
Done. I did the training last month - the blog report is here.


#7  Successfully achieve my Walking Group Leaders Award (won't know if this is possible in 2013 until the training has been completed)

#8  Handstand press-up
I continue to build my confidence with handstands and at the end of each gym session I do some handstand holds. Even after a heavy training session yesterday which had tired my shoulders I managed a 30sec, 20sec, 20sec hold set. Other strength work is building up shoulder strength. My particularly least favourite is the push press with a 20kg bar.

warming up for push press

Intervals

Today's training was 5x 5minute hill cruise intervals. I did 4x 5mins last week and had no idea how I could have done a 5th. But with my pocket nestling 5 little pebbles I set off to do my best.

counting stones - one placed at the top of each rep - didn't trust myself to remember the count after the third rep

There's approximately 65m of ascent in each rep, and the aim is to keep my heart rate in zone 3 (154-167bpm) and climb into zone 4 (168-173bpm). Now for me, 170+bpm is just about tolerable, borderline anaerobic and therefore difficult to sustain for very long. I know that intervals/hill reps build up your tolerance to higher intensity work but apart from that the science behind it alludes me. One more thing on my reading list to research.

There's two things that I find difficult with these hill reps.

Firstly and most obviously it's the fact that I need to run for 5 minutes uphill. Finding the right gear (pace) that I can sustain, whilst pushing myself to be in the right heart rate zones has taken a little while to figure out, but I think I've got this one sussed. The more running I do the better I am at gauging my pace and how long that is sustainable.  It also helps to repeat the reps on different occasions on the same route/hill. On this route there's one short section that levels out a little bit, offering a brief period to slightly recover.

The second difficulty, which might not seem so bad, is that the recovery, downhill, section also needs to last 5 minutes. So I find myself shuffling down slowly thinking I'm taking a long time only to find that I've got nearly a minute to spare. This week I took a mental note of where on the uphill section I had reached at each minute. Using this knowledge I was better able to pace myself and use the full 5 minutes to recover on the downhill lap.

Brilliant blue skies offering some comfort as I trained

Here's my thoughts which were spinning round my head as I did the run today...

Steady run over to start of hill reps = keep my heart rate low, conserve energy. what a glorious day, sunny, ok so it's chilly....ignore that bit, my lungs can behave today. I choose to ignore the fact that cold air burns my lungs and leaves me gasping for breathe at the slightest of inclines. today, lungs will be ignored.
lap 1 = let's see what's in the tank today, turn at the top, that wasn't so bad. hang on. 4 more to do.
lap 2 = wow this is tough, this one and 3 more...
lap 3 = when I get to the top I'm over half way*
lap 4 = only.....one.....more.....to.....go.....after.....this....one.....
lap 5 = THIS IS THE LAST ONE, YEY. JUST GET TO THE TOP THEN IT'S ALL OVER. GET TO THE TOP THEN IT'S ALL OVER. GET TO THE TOP THEN IT'S ALL OVER.
Steady run home = might need a snooze later. oh, I can't run up this steady incline, my legs are a bit tired.

*half way on any run of any duration/distance/intensity is a good point for me. I know if I've got that far I have belief that I can repeat it all over again. it helped more so with today's run as halfway included 3 of the uphill reps, so effort-wise it was actually over halfway.

For any stat geeks out there he's my garmin track: Moderate Hill Cruise Intervals (5x5mins)

Snowdrops - a sign of spring

Looking ahead. Next week I'm doing the same thing all over again. Just 6 reps to do then. Joy. I just keep reminding myself that if it were easy then everyone would do it, and everyone would be super-fit.

Pushing

I'm on a drive to attain one of my 2013 aspirations, #3 in fact. That is, to run the Herod Farm Fell Race quicker than last year, and hopefully not feel quite so trashed as I summit the second climb and then have to push to coax my legs down the final descent. The push for the next couple of months is to do three strength and conditioning sessions, and three runs per week. Here's what I've done this week:

Sunday - 50 minute tempo run (10-30-10), 7.82 km on the Longdendale Trail - it was raining and bitterly cold

Monday - strength and conditioning session 1 - see here for what I'm doing in the training sessions

Tuesday - rest, it snowed. I'd planned to do my second tempo run but driving to the trail wasn't a safe option. ok so I wimped out. but I did do some bodyweight core training for 45 minutes

Wednesday - strength and conditioning session 2 and tempo run (10-30-10), 8.03km this time doing laps on the track from Old Glossop towards Mossy Lea farm

Thursday - rest, although I did go for an easy walk for an hour

Friday - strength and conditioning session 3 (at home, interesting use of the weights we have) and my LSD (long steady distance) run - 90 minutes and 13.25km


So, mission accomplished for this week. Here's a (poor quality) photo taken on my phone during today's run:

This is looking from Cemetery Road towards Whiteley Nab - the hill that will be conquered (twice) during the Herod Farm fell race, scheduled for the evening of 17 April. If you're interested to see how I got on last year have a read of the blog I wrote. The sky in that final photograph sort of shows how horrible the weather was, I'm hoping for better conditions this year.

Herod Farm Fell Race

Well that was exciting for my lungs and legs!! Oh, and a tad damp and muddy underfoot. But then it was a fell race and just about what I'd expected it to be like. This was technically my first fell race since moving to Glossop a year ago. I've done four orienteering fell races since the end of December (Peak O Trial, Kinder Trial, and two Dark & White Mini Mountain Marathons in Macclesfield and the Hope Valley), but I've not done an out and out fell race. I've stood at the start and finish lines of many races, cheering on Tim and other Glossopdale Harriers, so I knew exactly what to expect - all except how my legs and lungs would cope.

I've rather enjoyed the orienteering side of those races. While you are technically competing against other people you can't judge how well you're doing until the final results are in. It's just you, one foot in front of the other, and the clock.

As the day of this local midweek race drew closer I found myself getting nervous. I'm not really sure why, I've run lots, and I've run with other people - just never in a straight up fell race. Perhaps it was because of the elevation profile of this one that got my heart racing?

 

Perhaps it was because quite a few folk from our own running club choose not to run this race. I kept hearing comments about how tough this race was and things like 'oooh, that one's a killer, I'm not doing it'. I'll let them off for not running - as this is a Glossopdale Harriers organised race many of our own we're out braving the wind and rain on marshaling and organising duties. Thanks to everyone for their encouragement and if you had put on your running shoes then I would have certainly been a few places lower down the results!!

So, the race - advertised on the FRA as 4.8km race with 335m ascent it's basically an uphill, across a bit, downhill, across a bit, then up up and steeper up, then the final descent. Lining up in the start huddle I was next to fellow club runner Becky - we've been out on club runs together and I know she's about my pace, if not a bit faster. My aim therefore was to stick to her heals as long as possible. She did know my intentions of course!!

Before I knew it we were off and plodding up the lane. The fast guys had gone before the first corner, not to be seen again by me until after the finish line. It wasn't long, and still on the tarmac section, before I was having to tell my inner voice that was calling for me to walk to quieten down (though not so politely). As runners came past me it amazed that anyone can run so fast uphill. Yet they do, and clearly I need more practice.

I don't recall which marshals were at the various junctions, but each one got a thank you. Having friendly faces dotted around the hillside was a real bonus. I was really impressed by how well the route was flagged as well - it was good to keep looking forward seeing the next flag and just aiming for it. At the top of the first climb I forced myself to start running again and switch my legs into downhill mode. There was a clear distinction in how my muscles felt between the ups and downs, and the transition felt quite brutal, almost not enough time to compute what was happening. Me and Becky had had fellow Glossopdale runner Lindsay also keeping us company on the first ascent, but somewhere in my daze of climbing the first hill I never saw her again!

I'm not the best at descending. The phrase quoted by many fell runners "brain off, brakes off" is firmly implanted in my head, it's just a difficult one to actually put into practice (for me). Somewhere along the way I've developed an irrational fear of falling - not the best thing for a fell runner eh! So, my descending skills are tentative at the best. I'm still with Becky on the muddy path through the heather, pushing myself to just get on with it. Having a runner so close behind me was also motivation to just keep going...

Running on the mud trampled path through the heather on the first descent. Photo thanks to ShaunP.

As we hit the grass Becky started to open a slight gap, and the stiles at the bottom of the hill give me time to catch up a little.

Bottom of the first descent. Photo thanks to IanO.

We're not that far from each other as we run along soggy fields to the bottom of climb number two. We're also in touch with another Glossopdale runner, and while he's much faster descending than me I'm able to stay with him on the slippy steep climb back up to the Nab. I even manage to dig deep and pull away from him slightly towards the top - with lots of encouragement from him that I should not let Becky get away. The thing was, I just knew if I pushed to stay with her I wouldn't get to the top!! Finally the top does come into view, and some lovely words of encouragement from Beryl and Carl.

Top of the second ascent...and yes, the sky really did look that horrible and yes, it was raining!! Photo thanks to ShaunP

Now came the final transition from the lung busting ascent which required hands on the deck in places, back to running on grass and descent. It was certainly a mind game as the ground levelled out. Legs wanting to stop, brain saying...you've a lead on Neil, can you keep it? Within not many seconds he's charging past me. I'm annoyed I can't just let go and fly down the hillside like other runners. I vow to get out there and practice more!


I'm still close to Neil as we pass over a couple of walls but on the final heather section before hitting tarmac he just edges away. Fear of twisting an ankle overtakes the brakes off approach once more. The final marshal  cheers me on and then its just me and tarmac. I hear footsteps behind; a quick glance and there's about 10m separation to the next runner behind. I'm now really determined he is not going to catch me as I push on down the lane. Which, I might add, seemed to go on for ages. It is about 500m to the end once you get on the tarmac, and while I knew this, I hadn't really appreciated how long that would feel.

My legs keep moving and moving, you could even say I was sprinting. I wanted to look back but had Tim's words running through my head....'you don't look back, just keep going'. Finally the finish line comes into view and before I know it Neil and Becky are there congratulating me. Thanks for pushing me to run harder guys, appreciate the help. The guy that was behind me runs in 17 seconds later - well done mate, but you weren't having my place.

It's over. My first fell race. Jogging back to the registration tent confirms that my legs are quite tired. I slow to a walk and after a chat with a few other runners, and changing into dry clothes it's time for the prize giving. Well done to the Pennine ladies on the team prize. Shame it wasn't Glossopdale - we must do better next year. Does that mean I'll be running it again? Probably. I have a time to beat now, and the 40 minute barrier to break. I'd set off thinking it would be good to come in under 50 minutes, so being just over 40 was brilliant. A massive thanks to Tim for all his encouragement. He had a brilliant race too, beating his time from last year - read all about his race on his blog, testedtodestruction.

Full results are now up on the Glossopdale Harriers website. My final thanks go to Joe Barber Plumbers Merchants for their generous sponsoring of this race.

And my final comment is to all you out there who would like to have a go at fell running and possibly racing - just give it a go, in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson "Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."