Some days are better than others

Today has been a tired day, I have them sometimes. 

I went for a swim after lunch and concentrated on the points Dewi picked up. I did some 50 meters sessions, I actually managed some at under 30 seconds so I am very pleased with that.

My ankle has been sore today so for running club I supported it with a folded down compression sock. This did a great job but I was tired and found it tough falling to the back of the group. All good training though, I need to be able to still opperate when tired fo the 55, cos I reckon I'm gonna be pretty tired.

Swim Clinic

A few weeks ago, just before Christmas I attended a swim clinic with Dewi Winkle. The results of which was that I needed to work on twisting my hips and my catch and pull.

Well I have worked hard on both elements of my swim. 

At the swim clinic we do drills and are videoed.

I was really hoping that I had progressed. Occasionally it feels like it's working.

One of the drills we did was sink down. I can't. Billy and I laughed, I've been trying this for years.

So I took a deep breath and proceeded to let it out, I sank a couple of inches before bobbing back up gasping for air. Time and again I tried to no avail. I'm scared of drowning all the time but weirdly buoyant.

At the feedback session I was impressed by my catch and pull, my kick was good my head position was good. It's taken 5 years but I'm starting to look like a swimmer.

My progression point was push, I need to push at the end of the stroke, another swimmer had a great push so that is now my focus.

I am also determined to crack that sink down.

I used to just swim for distance, to know I could do it. But I have been working with Dewi a while and doing drills. It has paid off. My swim is stronger, more efficient and a bit quicker. Won't break any records but the progression is massive in my opinion.

Main focus of the first quarter of 2016

My sporting priority for the first 3 months of 2016 is the Hardmoor's 55. This is a trail race over the Cleveland Way running from Helmsley to Guisborough.

I ran the Hardmoor's Saltburn marathon 

Gosh that took a fair bit out of me. Yesterday I was fairly tired, I managed a short run on a tender ankle and headied to swimming pretty tired and with a sore ankle I thought it would be a disaster but even though my focus is on trail running I need to keep up cycling and swimming for my goals later in the year

I was so tired and swimming is late, 20:15. But anyway it went well, I even got a couple of lengths under 30 seconds. 

It was hard though but I am pleased with it, I concentrated on the push and could feel the effect. So tired, glad it's half term and the alarm is not on.

A god night's kip behind me I felt much better today and can start planning the weekend's running. North York Moors again, more HM 55 recces.

Hardmoors 55 Recce, Clay Bank to Guisborough.

This recce was arranged on Facebook, a group of 12 of us met at Guisborough, left some cars there and went to Clay Bank in the other cars. 

The weather was fine but windy, this made running on tired legs from yesterday's Rombald's Stride 22.3 mile race, pretty hard work. From Clay Bank it is an immediate climb onto the moor. It was clear from the start that we were a mixed ability group. After the flags we were onto a track. This track was hidden by snow last time I was up here.

It was much better today, very runnable. I think those puddles were where we were falling through the snow last time.

We reached Bloworth Crossing really quickly and had a respite from the wind as we turned left.

The views were stunning, it makes a run so much nicer when you have nice views.

My stupid ankle flipped before Bloworth this made the uneven rocky track uncomfortable to run on. 

We were soon on the Tarmac running to Kildale, it was so windy running down that it kept my speed more controlled than last time. We passed the village hall where we finished a fortnight ago and I was on new territory. We ran to a cafe. It was on a junction so I committed the turn to memory for 19 March. We stopped at the cafe for a regroup and loo stop. The cafe looked lovely, I felt a bit guilty using the loo without making a purchase

We ran down a bit further then up a Tarmac hill. At the top we turned left through a wood and came out at Captain Cooks Monument, we were now more than half way through our run. The wind increased, it was very powerful. We regrouped, before setting off to Roseberry Topping

I was now back on familiar ground. It was very busy with runners cyclists and walkers, not put off by the strong winds. We now gad occasional showers, but they didn't last, the wind was blowing them away.

I always find the ascents and descents around Roseberry Topping tough, and tired legs did not make them any easier. But I made it to the summit of Roseberry Topping. It was scary up there, the wind was so strong

The views were stunning though. I was very scared going down. I hunkered down when the wind was strong and descended between the gusts. Soon Zi was back on new territory again, heading for High Cliff Nab. This was a runnable section, the party had split into 3 sections by now. I kept the group ahead in sight and Tony and Luke were just behind.

There was soon some mud to deal with, but fortunately not much

We climbed up and I put my feet up for a regroup with Tony and Luke at the last point I had seen the middle group

We wound through the trees

And saw the other group on the top. We climbed up but they had gone, we couldn't see them, but we could see Guisborough 

We worked our way down on forest roads and tracks but soon we saw no Cleveland way signs, so we set off for a bit but were passing Guisborough by, so I got out my phone and used Google maps to get us back to the car park. Tony phoned Neil in the middle group so that the wouldn't be waiting around for us. Soon we arrived at the carpark and the front group were already there. They had done 22 miles we had done 19.8, so we got lost and found a short cut, a couple of minutes later the middle group arrived. All 12 of us back safe and sound.

Today was tough, running on tired legs with a sore ankle, but it was good training for the Hardmoors 55, because I will be doing that section after already running over 30 miles, and Zi will be chasing the dark. Roseberry and the woods were bad enough in daylight.

The end of my sixth Janathon

Last night was the annual awards dinner for the running club. In Harrogate. I had booked a room in the hotel, and after a much later than usual night for me, I woke later than usual, but still went for a run. I ran through Valley Gardens and the Pinewoods to Harlow Carr, then down Otley Road back into Harrogate. I spotted this and went for a closer look. 

It would make an awesome house, look at the views 

Shame it wasn't nicer weather.

I ran around the stray looking at interesting plaques

I then ran down Skipton Road to the Gas tanks and on to the Hydo I was just over 7 miles, I ran up Jennyfields, with a hope of looping round to PennyPot Lane and back to the hotel, but I misjudged how far it was and started to look for a route to cut back, as time was getting on and I had to check out by 11 am

It was a nice run, and nice to see parts of Harrogate that I had never been to

That's it for another year, the month has flown, probably because I have been so busy, with work training and the rest of my life. Training has been quite tough lately with the storms so I have spent more time than I would like on the turbo.

Here are my totals.

I have run everyday of the month, which has continued my Runstreak which is now up to 396 days of running at least a mile a day.

But I have also walked, swum and done Pilates as well as the running and cycling, the miles have really added up.

Getting my plod back

Two hour turbo :-( it's a bit windy so I decided to do 2 hours on TrainerRoad today, oh boy that was hard work. I didn't notice that it had defaulted to 200 watts until I had started so I reduced the turbo trainer resistance, that was a bit better. I tried to keep my Heartrate low and my cadence low, but by 90 minutes I was losing the will to live, so I mucked about with different gears and cadence to distract me from watching the clock tick down.

Afterwards I went for a run, I wanted to do 6 miles but didn't know how that would be as my running has been pretty rubbish this week. It was not great to start with but I got to 3 miles and like someone flicking a switch, I got my plod back. It was not quick, just over 10 min miling but it was just easy, I didn't have to think about it, it was lovely, I could have gone a lot further but I have a lot to do today so called it a day, still feeling good at 10 km.

That Friday feeling

 Overnight the wind built up so when I went for a Dogjog at quarter to six this morning it blew us down the lane. It was a little scary at times with creaking dangling trees eithe side of us. Oh boy! We turned to come back up the lane and the battle to get home began, Jed seemed less bothered but that's maybe because he is lower to the ground. It was a right fight at times struggling against a headwind. But we got home safe and sound.

I gathered my work stuff and set off for Ripon for a swim. The wind was buffeting my little car all the way to Ripon. 

The swim was ok, I was trying to concentrate on technique rather than pace. I checked my watch when I thought I had don 72 lengths (just over a mile) I'd only done 62, another ten and I could get out.

, eventually 1800 yards completed in 37:22

The rest of the day has been a rest day.

Fast start, slow finish

Kept awake by the blister (raw patch) on my big toe, throbbing. Hope it's not infected, I got up early and decided to do a turbo session. I just did a 30 minute recovery session,I say recovery but it was a low watt high cadence session, I felt better in myself for doing it though. 

Afterwards I ran a mile and a bit, it felt such hard work.

I've also walked the dog twice today.

I finished the day with Pilates, I wore my Heartrate monitor out of interest. My hr got as low as 48 and didn't go above 84. We used foam rollers today, there were some sore stretches and my balance was well and truly tested.

Can't believe I still have not recovered

Woke this morning before the alarm, bonus, and a sign that I'm recovering from my tough weekend. Just a dog walk this morning then work. So not too active. I got home and had tea and did some tidying before Bedale and Aiskew running club. I felt OK, the weather was a bit wild.

We set off steady but I immediately felt that I was struggling to keep up and was relieved when we regrouped in town. We set off again and it was a much longer effort, I was really fighting to keep up, It felt like I was running 8 minute miles but when I looked at my watch I was struggling to run at 9:30 min miles. I wasn't on my own though, there were two of us finding it tough and Dave stopped back with us. It was even harder when we were running into the wind, I could hardly get a breath.

But I still managed 10 km in just over 1 hour including regroups.

Still recovering

Saturday's 20 mile run was mainly race pace for me, then a rare night out and the bike ride in the wind Sunday is still having an impact on me. I struggled to get up this morning and struggled at running club tonight, yet missing my turbo yesterday is still playing on my mind. 

I think I need to try to alter my mindset. I know I am fit, but I worry that I will lose it so quickly, but as it is deep down I know that rest is best,