17th-23rd March Run notes

Tuesday

It's a frosty morning and I'm back in my winter gear after a weekend in shorts and T-shirt. I head onto the footpath to Sissons wood from Thorpe lane and the winter currants are flowering. The smell is intense in the cold air and I take a moment to enjoy it. It's a speedplay day and my focus is to keep my efforts consistent and not overdo it on the first rep. With all the best intentions the first rep is a bit too quick although I decide to do it on a tricky spot before getting to the main clearing. Once there I do the rest of my reps in a circuit which works well and the rest of the workout feels great. So great I decide to indulge and get some extra ascent into the run with a lap down under the railway tracks and back up onto the path.

Thursday

The sun is out, the sky is blue, it's the perfect morning to be outside. I head to Middleton Park for an easy run with as much ascent/descent as I fancy. I follow the pattern of getting to the Clearings and heading down and back the north side.

It's Barkley Marathons week and by now it's clear no one will finish all five laps, before I leave there's about 1 hour left for someone to finish a fun run. I contrast the beautiful weather this morning with the horrendous weather over in Tennessee, my run definitely seems funner. Nonetheless, there is something oddly intriguing about the contest that is the Barkley.

Friday

Whilst not intended as a nod to Barkley these long runs accumulating as much ascent and descent have a slightly mad edge. I didn't find any books during the two hours out in Sissons wood but the approach of just veering off trail to follow any track I can find that leads up a slope must look peculiar to the morning dog walkers. Odd as it might appear it's a lot of fun and I get to explore the entirety of the woods, the old golf course and meander down to Stank Barn Hall. I manage to get in 600m of ascent and my legs felt happy enough that I could have carried on. I'm just happy I've been able to find a way to get in more ascent given that Eryri 25K is over 1300m over the whole 25K course.

Sunday

A light drizzle is falling and the morning chill means I go back inside to put some sleeves on. Today is a pace ladder drill swapped from Friday due to weekend plans that never actually materialised. I've decided that Middleton Park will be alright for this workout but in the end it's probably not as flat as it could have been. I start out from the gate to the Rose garden but end up using a slope track down towards the Equestrian centre. I'm trying to keep the pace level between these ladders but have ended up doing them across a sloping track so it's harder to judge consistency when some reps are uphill and others breezing downhill. It's not a bad morning for it though and on my return loop I pass people doing repeats up steps and give them a cheer.