Park Life - Blur

Note to self... don't cycle 40 miles, Park Run, do some heavy leg weights and then run a marathon. As it hurts like ****. That goes for Jenny too and the last few miles today were pretty painful to say the least.

The thing that made the pain easier to bear was running through the amazing Osmaston Park... which is simply stunning. I really want to do a 'Grand Design' on the Mill House in the centre of the park. That would be one love nest I can tell you.

We hope you'll agree when you take on ULTRArace Peaks...

I am having a day off tomorrow, I think...

Life in the Fast Lane - The Eagles

OMG what is happening to me... I did ANOTHER Park Run today at the aptly named Conkers down in darkest Leicestershire. And just as I thought the first mile just about killed me once again as unlike the flat and friendly Cardiff course, this one is trail and a tad hilly to say the least.

There weren't a huge number of people there but a creditable third in my age category made all the hard work seem worthwhile, especially as I have had a couple of 'tear ups' already this week and 23:27 was my best today...

Long and the short of it is that I am about as fit now as I was last October when I managed to clock in some good times for my marathons and ultras so there's hope yet eh? Tomorrow's marathon out of the ULTRArace Peaks course will get my mileage to somewhere useful for the week and get me in the right place for a 45+ miler in Jersey next weekend...

An extended weights session on the old arms means that Jenny might be carrying the maps tomorrow...

Funky Gibbon - The Goodies

Am I the only one who can remember The Goodies and their Trandem (not Tandem as it had three seats!)... Who'd of thought some 38 years later that I'd be out on one today with Jenny and daughter Pearl (6).

To be honest it's a Tandem with a 'Tag Along' but it got rave reviews from other cyclists and also got us 38 miles...

Turbo Pearl, as she is now known, when pedalling and not singing, talking, eating, drinking etc. made a huge difference to the speed. Talk about full of beans at the end!

I am currently soaking my numb bits but really enjoyed a great day out on our UR Peaks course.

Take my advice if you are looking for a change from the gym perhaps and get out on a Trandem.

It's Goodie, Goodie Yum Yum...


ULTRArace.co.uk - The Home of ULTRArunning.

Location:Breaston

Easy - The Commodores

And yes today was an E A S Y day of not running or exercising the Coleman Body into the ground and an opportunity of giving myself some well earned recovery before a good few miles of running over the weekend. Rest is a vital part of my new regime... proper Rest, that is.

Funnily enough, I can feel the benefit of the recent burst of training and my legs have a lot more bounce in them than they have for probably the last 12 months.

Next weekend's Dovedale Dipper might well see where the training has got me to so far and I am really now focussing my attention on my old favourite... The Robin Hood Marathon.

Bring it on...

Hungry like the Wolf - Duran Duran

Makes you peckish all this running... a good plus ten miles today followed by a weights session at the gym to give myself a real kick along with my training. I did get the salt munchies and my three year abstinence from crisps nearly melted tonight but luckily for me, Jenny has polished off the family bag of Doritos that have been in the cupboard since last Christmas...

So my record is still intact... them Salt and Vinegar Crisps are harder to give up than B&H and Stella put together IMO...

Anyway, back to the plot, and the dreaded power hour on the treadmill went very well all considered and judging by the pool of sweat, I must have put some effort into the steady recovery run.

Tomorrow, I will be out on the hills with Jenny, let's hope the Doritos will slow her down eh?

Beat the Clock - Sparks

Well I beat the 60 minutes barrier on that 7+ miler tonight (58:30) and was close to my 5km best along the way. I must say that it really broke me going up the sharp hill into the top of Sandiacre but it did make me realise my current potential.

Fast and Far = Good Autumn running times... well that's the theory anyway.

What I kept in mind was trying to extend my toes in the push off part of my running gait. That toe lift has been missing from my stride for as long as I can remember. It feels a bit odd at first but it really speeds one up. Well it did for me tonight, I believe.

Maybe I will think about my stride length next eh?

Hard Times - Human League

I started my daily running schedule today in a vain attempt to recreate the heady days of 1997 when I would bash out a couple of fast one hour runs a day to get my fitness levels at their all time best. 14 years on, it's not such an easy feat, I can tell you, and what I was looking for was a one hour course of testing hills and long drags that I can use as a speedy hour time trial. I got just that!

Today's PB of 1:01:13 over a 7.21 mile course means that a sub 60 mins is quite achievable. I will be looking forward to beating that one of these days...

Tomorrow, I will be back out on the same course - more then.