Stanage edge

I wanted a change for today's long run but nothing so new that I'd need to bother with map.  This led me to do a loop with Porter Clough, Stanage Edge and Burbage bridge before returning via Houndkirk Road.

It was a glorious summer morning, a real change from the last few months and very welcome. The 28km run was hard going. I determined to keep my heart rate below 140bpm and to take walking breaks every 5 minutes to so, certainly therefore walking any key descents. Of course, on Stanage care is needed between and over the stones to avoid falling. I did succeed to avoid falling and the heart rate was fairly well controlled.

I was quite surprised that the pace came in well below 7min/km as I was really just aiming for 'time on my legs'. In terms of niggles there were the usual suspects; calf cramp developing after 22km, an awareness of my left patellar tendon from 10km or so and an irritating feeling from the ligaments of my right ankle. The latter is quite sore now I'm home and other areas of my foot are developing stiffness. I wonder if there was some effect on my gait that has made things worse?

I am wondering if the slightly lower drop of the new RocLite295 (6mm) versus the RaceUltra 290 (8mm) and RocLite 315 (9mm) has had a tiring effect on my calves? The RocLites have been well worn so I'd have thought that they would have lost a few mm on the heel anyway.

Composite image compiled from Inov-8's website

I'd not intended to wear the new shoes in with a 28km run but somehow the opportunity for a shorter trip never presented itself!

Tough swim!

Today's swim session included some fin-based short sets in which I managed lengths in under 50 seconds without really trying. That shows why fins can be seen as a 'cheat'. However by providing drive I could focus on the front quadrant arms and even feel a little glide with the leading arm on a breath. Also the broad, floating fins lifted my legs and gave me a better feel for how my head should lie in the water.

After that I had to complete 3 sets of 400m. The splits on these were 12.3, 12.4 and 12.8 minutes; far more than the 10.4 minutes I achieved with Julian. I think I must have been really pushing it then! Anyway, even adding back in the 3 minutes of rest between these sets I managed an average of 3:22min/100m for over 1800m which is pretty good going as far as I'm concerned.

I did try to commit to the stroke and rhythm as much as I could and redoubled my efforts as I felt myself tire through a set. On the first set I did get delayed in the lane a little so feel I could have made 12minutes, but then again it wasn't a time trial!

...resting...

Today has become a 'rest day'. It had to happen as I found the run to circuits yesterday rather hard going and I was generally lacking in energy. I suspect that the cause is basically 2 long swims; Sunday and Tuesday, both longer than I've ever swum before. These followed on from a reasonably long run on Saturday so altogether I'm feeling the strain.

My morning heart rate has become elevated at a fairly consistent 47bpm which is a 15% increase. I've just measured by HRV and at a resting of 51bpm it was 40 which is rather low too. These parameters both support the idea that I'm tired!

It seems to be impossible to do 3x runs, 3x swim, 1x cross training and at least 1x rest day per week.

Night light

On my way home from work I went via Decathlon to get some new running socks. I've been very happy with theirs, so much so that I've started to wear through the toes and heels.

Whilst browsing (a very bad habit when shopping) I spotted the Clic light. The basic lamp was reduced to £6.99 and will attach to a rucsac strap. This seemed like an excellent addition to a head lamp to be a back-up or to give light from a different angle. It can also do white and red light so can be used as a back marker too.

Image from the store's website

The basic specification is quite good, 850Ah lithium battery and 3 white light levels. It's not clear if the LED is well regulated but the predicted burn times of 5 to 12 hours are respectable. 

It'll have to wait a few months for serious use as the nights are pleasantly short at present and I'm not usually out and about at 2am.

Paddling for Session 6-ish

Today I wanted to use the Cofield's new policy permitting fins, paddles and snorkels but as I only had the paddles in my bag I had to base my session around those. That fitted pretty well with the third session in my programme.

TYR paddles recommended by Julian Nagi

I'd struggled to use these effectively during my assessment session a few weeks ago but I think I was getting tired. Today they seemed far easier to use effectively and gave good feedback on the catch phase. I was surprised that I needed to go in the fast lane so as not to catch up with other swimmers but I think the 'mediums' were being slow today! It does make sense that I'd be faster with these on but it also makes sense that each length was more tiring. Indeed I couldn't do the programmed 100m sets and made do with 66m length pairs. The paddles clearly gave me feedback on clean entry and a well angled catch but I found the recovery rather awkward.

I suspect that I may have tired shoulders tomorrow...

Carl Wark

Considering that tomorrow is the Summer Solstice the weather this morning was exceptionally damp and misty. Indeed ascending to Carl Wark and then Higger Tor I was basically in mist.

Capping stones on the ramparts of Carl Wark

Without a compass bearing I descended from Higger Tor to the road but went a little westerly of my goal. Fortunately there is a path alongside the road so I could run to Burbage Bridge away from traffic.

The total run was just under 24km and done in under 3 hours. In view of my heart rate restriction on 'long runs' and the near-scramble up to the uppermost sections of Carl Wark and Higger Tor a reasonable percentage of the route was walked.

Overall my legs were OK, a bit of soreness in my left hip flexor as last week and a return of irritation from the right peroneus ligaments. The latter does seem to be associated with some local tenderness and not just referred pain from triggers in the muscle body.

Training aids for swimming

Over the last week I have exchanged a number of emails with senior staff at the Goodwin centre about the use of training aids in the pool. It seemed that I was pushing at an open door as they quite readily agreed that it would be reasonable to allow fins, paddles and snorkels in some lanes for some of the time.

I was told that new signage would appear once team briefings has taken place. Well, when I went for today's swim gold stars had been placed on the Medium and Fast lane boards stating that aids were allowed. Since I wasn't sure when this permission would occur I'd not taken anything along but now I can do next time. Perhaps the faster 2 lanes are not ideal for me as certainly initially I know I'll be slow with the hand paddles as they are quite distracting to use. Fins do speed me up however.

During the students' vacation period the pool isn't too busy so perhaps this will be a test period for the  pool and a time for me to get my act together in the effective use of the aids.