AlexLee.eu

A personal blog by Alex Lee

Browsing Posts published in May, 2010

  • I just became the mayor of The Kings Corner on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/aPluPI #
  • Weekend was disapointing, one good dive and then blighted by boat trouble and bad weather :( still nice to get away with everyone! :) #
  • Home sweet home after a nice weekend away. #

Weekly report beginning 24 May –

Monday 24 May
Rest day

Tuesday 25 May
12PM – 3.31m – Recovery run – 30:00 – 9:04 – hr 148 (69% WHR)

This was my first run after the race on Sunday wasn’t feeling 100% and needed to rest this week so thought I would go out for a little one just to see how the legs coped. Was a nice run and felt ok but I was glad to have only done a little one as I think any longer and I might have started to suffer.

Wednesday 26 May
Rest day

Thursday 27 May
5PM – 9.52m – Recovery Run – 1:30:00 – 9:27 – hr 150 (70% WHR)

Didn’t get chance to run at lunch time so went for one as soon as I got home, knowing I wouldn’t get to run over the weekend and hadn’t done much so far decided to go out for a little longer but still keep it at a recovery run, was a really nice run out in lovely weather down by the river as usual had a little breeze blowing but I didn’t mind this at all.

Friday 28 May
Rest day

Driving to the Farne Islands for a diving weekend!

Saturday 29 May
Rest day

Diving in the Farne Islands.

Sunday 30 May
Rest day

Diving in the Farne Islands.

So weekly mileage = 12.83 -17.24 from last week but this week needed to be a rest week after increasing for the last three.

  • I see the sea, I see the sea, I see the sea and the sea sees me! #
  • Not so grim up north today :) #
  • Convoy A is off! Lovely morning. #
  • Packing furiously ready to head up to the Farne Islands for a nice weekend of diving :) #
  • Just posted a 9.52 mi run with @runkeeper. Check it out! http://rnkpr.com/a64un3 #RunKeeper #
  • Nothing like a good run to sort you out! #
  • Grrrrrr @work! #
  • On a training course for problem solving and critical thinking need coffee! #

Sunday 23 May
9AM – 6.21m – Race – 53:34 – 8:38 – hr 170 (85% WHR)

Well like everywhere else in the country it was hot, I did hope that with a 930 start I’d finish before it got too hot but that wasn’t to be.

Got there 830 it was already 18* according to the car, to be told at 915 the start would be delayed by 15 mins because of parking and traffic problems. We were then told at half past this would be more like 10 and in the end it was about 950 we kicked off.

Set off and after half a mile hit the first hill accompanied by some sheep who obviously disturbed by a flock of runners on their land were trying to beat a retreat to safer grounds. Unfortunately this involved crossing the path of the runners, a shriek up ahead indicating some had already tried and the next bunch were eyeing me up. But we managed to avoid too much confrontation a runner next to me made me giggle with his comment “You don’t expect that do you” having that ringing in my head in a Welsh accent tickled me for quite some time after.

Good news was this was pretty much the first and last hill, bad news is we didn’t stop climbing until we’d reached the half way point.

First drinks station was a shambles, only two maybe three people on it desperately trying to fill McDonalds cups and queues forming as I got there so decided to press on.

My left calf was tight and painful but bearable and my right leg had a shin splint which never actually made it out but niggled threateningly.

After a gruelling two and half miles we finally reached the top having climbed 273m our only respite being that a lot of it had been under the cover of trees.

Unfortunately I had pretty much knackered my leg and myself so on the downhill I had to ease off to try and recover a little for the all important sprint finish.

The downhill was pretty uneventful the only annoying this was at time it seemed more like a cross country or fell run and some of the steep bends on slippery surfaces seemed almost dangerous.

Got to the last 400 yards picked up a bit, high fived a mate who’d come to watch to then see a mutual friend sprint past me and I tried but just didn’t have anything left, crossed the line in a disappointing 53:34 on my Garmin later to be confirmed as 53:38 officially.

When I got back in the car temperature had reached 30* popped to Chatsworth Farm shop and then to beer garden for my reward :)

Garmin details

Monday 17 May
Rest day

Tuesday 18 May
5PM – 6.3m – General – 1:00:00 – 9:31 – hr 156 (75% WHR)

Having had a couple of days off I was really up for a run and raring to go however it seemed like another case of mind over body and while I was up for it my body or more importantly my legs weren’t :( I had the worse shin splints I’d ever had although again after about 30 minutes they seemed to have disappeared but with a race coming up I need to ease up a little.

Wednesday 19 May
1PM – 5.97m – Recovery Run – 1:00:00 – 10:03 – hr 146 (68% WHR)

This was my first recovery run and I was expecting to be crawling along but to be honest I didn’t find it too bad, I kept wanting to push faster and my Garmin kept beeping furiously until I got the HR back down again but it was a good run oh and not a shin splint in sight

After my lunch time run I had a friendly football match that had been setup by work, a pitch takeover of Pride Park stadium where Derby County play. This could have been a mistake with a race coming up, firstly I have a new found respect to football players, they still don’t deserve the over inflated wages but having played for 20 mins I was pooped. The pitch suddenly seems a lot bigger once you get on it and although I would think I’m reasonably fit I found the sudden burst of energy to chase down players and stretch for the ball got tired quickly, by the end I bruised and gashed shins and a calf injury things didn’t look good oh and we lost 3-0 and I scored one of them

Thursday 20 May
2PM – 6.08m – Recovery Run – 1:00:00 – 9:52 – hr 147 (68% WHR)

Wasn’t sure if this was going to happen at all with my calf aching the night before it didn’t feel much better when I woke up but I took my kit to work anyway, ever the optimist but by lunch time it was feeling much better so I gingerly went out wanting to know what I could do and how bad Sunday may be. The result a nice run with a good feeling about legs and my upcoming race and the only bad thing the number of flies!!

Friday 21 May
12PM – 5.79 – Recovery Run – 1:00:00 – 10:22 – hr 149 (70% WHR)

Hot, hot, hot! Legs felt heavy and as if someone had drained energy out of them, it was also difficult to keep my heart rate down oh and small shin splint in my right leg too did I mention it was hot? Oh but less flies today will rest tomorrow and then do my best Sunday got a horrible feeling I may have overdone it with my training though, caught up with Stephen on the way in and going to take a different approach on Sunday and not race to a pace or set time target like I usually to but race to HR aiming for 85-90% I still want to get under 45 min but not as confident as I was earlier.

Saturday 22 May
Rest day

Sunday 23 May
9AM – 6.21m – Race! – 0:53:34 – 8:38 – hr 170 (85% WHR)

I won’t repeat what’s in the the event report other than to say apart from the weather I think the main reason for poor performance is over training I didn’t do myself any favours

So weekly mileage a shocking 30.07 +7.3 from last week which says it all, I was supposed to be easing up after increasing by about 5 miles for the last two weeks and although I did do mostly recovery runs instead of general it wasn’t enough.

I have already chastised myself but feel free, must rest more this week.

  • I just became the mayor of Rose & Crown on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/arRvjV #
  • 18*C when I started it is now 30*c crazy #
  • Race is delayed by 30 mins… Feel the burn! #
  • Don't forget your sun cream kids! :) #