Not doing much at all at the moment.
The last three swims I've done have caused ear problems. Still deaf in one ear at the moment.
The last proper bike ride was back in June, I think, and I ended up with a knackered achilles. Think it was the shoe being too tight.
So not really biked, or run since. It's gradually getting better.
Made some attempts to get in the gym for rowing and weights and cross training. But mainly been gaining weight.
So, what better than to have a go at a little fell race. This is organised by the Woodentops - where the Brownlee's cut their teeth. They organise a series of fell runs on the moor above Haworth over the Winter. The brownlees still turn up (usually the new year's eve one). So this was organised to end up in the pub to watch the tri. With lots of Brownlee mementoes raffled off.
I've always been too broken to do them. But, this one was only short (2.7km). And I thought should take about 12 mins. All on soft ground etc, so shouldn't be too bad. And as I was on holiday...
Walked round the course the day before (well, most of it - went a bit wrong in places), then ran round most of it to warm up. Nice when it is that short. Course was really a cross country - mainly on trails/footpaths with only a few bits of a more interesting nature. Never seen so many inov-8s. Most common shoe there.
Anyway, the positives, I think outweighed the negatives.
Negatives:
Hit a new race weight maximum - never even done a race at this weight before. Oh well.
There is only one strategy for an XC/Fell race: start at the front of the pack, then sprint as fast as you can before the track narrows. Only the first half a dozen will be able to run the course. As soon as you get to the first bottle neck, people arrive quicker than you can get through, the result is that you are reduced to walking pace... over a short course, the pack never really thins out - just bunches together at each narrow section.
I completely messed the start up. Was on the wrong side (so had a longer line, up hill to the turn on the opposite site).
I was confused by all the kids. Great to see them, but I wasn't sure if I was in the right race - there was a separate under 10s race - and these looked tiny to me.
The field got moved around a bit to be behind the start line, and I lost position in this.
I didn't have it in my to shove anyone lighter than me out of the way (women and children). Which is an essential tactic - it get's pretty physical with lots of elbow action. I think a few people were wearing XC spikes, as I saw one young lad with characteristic bleeding shins from where he had been clobbered. So, I by the time I got to the first bottleneck, I was well down in the field, and from then on it was pretty much a procession, until the last 400m when things began to spread out a bit more. Didn't really feel that I had warmed up and into my running until after the first 2K
My other bit of strategy was to get an HR max - short race, up hill, should be easy?
My poor start made that out of the question - HR was really low all the way round (a better guide than pace, when looking at different terrains).
I did a park run in April: Spent 28% of the time at Threshold or higher (although I probably ought to knock my HRMax down a bit). This fell race, I only managed 2%. So, essentially, it was a tempo run. So, a bit annoyed about that. Ended up averaged 5:08/km and finishing around the same time as people who do a 25 min 5k/53 min 10k.
Oh well. You also feel pretty fat lined up with these fell runner types.
Positives:
I was a nice day out, a reminder of the basics, and the low pace meant that I didn't get injured. And I don't have DOMS, which is a first
Legs feel a bit tender - knees, ankles. Calf is fine etc. Benefits of a tempo run on soft ground. Should do it some more.