18 October 2010
I was home today, because I was writing exams in the afternoon. The morning was a perfect summers morning. It was super hot and no wind. I decided to head into the valley for an easy 10k run. The heat pushed my HR up higher than I wanted so the pace was very slowly.
Movescount 2010.10.18
19 October 2010
Today was suppose to be a big hill session and the last of my hill sessions before Three peaks. My legs was tired, probably due to a hectic gym session the night before. Rather annoyed with myself it was not as good a quality session as I would have wanted. Did 15 repeats like I was suppose to, but not doing the distance or time on them.
Movescount 2010.10.19
20 October 2010
Went out for an easy run through the valley again. On the return leg a flattish section I experienced pain and discomfort in my left knee. NOT GOOD! It went away quickly, but it happened a few times in the next 100 meters. After that I had a pain free run back home. I had some pain in my knee during the weekends long run, but was only for a short period and after some heavy sessions earlier this week without pain I didn't think much of it.
Movescount 2010.10.20
21 October 2010
Took the day of to give my knee some rest. It feels fine, but does twitch some times while walking downhill.
23 October 2010
Went out for a 20k run with the group in the forest. Was an easy effort. Knee felt good except for a handful of times during some early descents, but this improved as I warmed up.
Movescount 2010.10.23
24 October 2010
Had a pain free 40 minute pace run on the road. Mental note: "More flat roads until full recovery."
Movescount 2010.10.24
This was a frustrating week for me. Just finishing peak week the last thing I expected was picking up an injury. I'm trying to keep a positive mind about it and doing everything in my power to heal as quickly as possible. Ice, rest, massages, physio and Ice Man (perde salf). In the past I've experienced various injuries before important races and miraculously healed for each of them, except those injurious was usually self induced by doing stupid things while NOT running. But this time it's different!
I've got confidence in my bodies ability to heal quickly and therefore I WILL be ready when toeing the line for Three Peaks next weekend.
26 October 2010
19 October 2010
Weekly Summary 11-17 Oct
11 October 2010
Monday morning and that means only one thing! Yes, the slog back to work starts all over again, but it also means going easy on my favorite hilly route! 11k's, last kilometer barefoot.
Movescount 2010.10.11
13 October 2010
Did 21km in 1:40 on the road. This was a rather tough route. Lots of hills. In total I did 8 uphills and 8 downhills with very little flats in between. If I did more than 4k's on the flat I would be surprised. This was excellent training for the Three Peaks which is up, down, up, down, up, down pass out!
Movescount 2010.10.13
14 October 2010
During the night the flood gates in the sky really opened up! When I started my run at 6am the streets were flooded. Soon after it started small marble size hail started to hammer me. Luckily I had my peak cap on, but damn that hail still hurts your head. Soon after the streets and lawns were covered in white ice! Surprisingly I wasn't the only runner out on the road. The run itself was a 45min tempo sessions reaching it's peak for 10 minutes before starting to slow down again. Was a tough run after last night and could feel my legs were tired.
Movescount 2010.10.14
16 October 2010
We headed out again to Groendal for a 35k run. This time exploring the dam side. A couple of K's dirt road let us onto sublime single track. The single track followed the ridge line going over numerous hills before dropping us down into the ravine feeding the dam. Thanks to the great rains earlier the week we could fill our bottles in the river and cool of a bit. Heading back we had to conquer an ascent that makes the steps on Platteklip Gorge look like steps in the retirement home. Great training for the up and coming Three Peaks challenge. If only the ascent was longer. Finish the last 8k's strong running at race pace.
Movescount 2010.10.16
17 October 2010
I headed out for another 21k run following the same hilly route as Wednesday. This time it was mid day and the sun blazing with tired legs. Surprisingly my legs reacted well and felt fresh after the second hill. The sun also did not push my HR as expected and I finished a little sooner than Wednesday. All in all a good effort, I'm very pleased.
Movescount.2010.10.17
Monday morning and that means only one thing! Yes, the slog back to work starts all over again, but it also means going easy on my favorite hilly route! 11k's, last kilometer barefoot.
Movescount 2010.10.11
13 October 2010
Did 21km in 1:40 on the road. This was a rather tough route. Lots of hills. In total I did 8 uphills and 8 downhills with very little flats in between. If I did more than 4k's on the flat I would be surprised. This was excellent training for the Three Peaks which is up, down, up, down, up, down pass out!
Movescount 2010.10.13
14 October 2010
During the night the flood gates in the sky really opened up! When I started my run at 6am the streets were flooded. Soon after it started small marble size hail started to hammer me. Luckily I had my peak cap on, but damn that hail still hurts your head. Soon after the streets and lawns were covered in white ice! Surprisingly I wasn't the only runner out on the road. The run itself was a 45min tempo sessions reaching it's peak for 10 minutes before starting to slow down again. Was a tough run after last night and could feel my legs were tired.
Movescount 2010.10.14
16 October 2010
We headed out again to Groendal for a 35k run. This time exploring the dam side. A couple of K's dirt road let us onto sublime single track. The single track followed the ridge line going over numerous hills before dropping us down into the ravine feeding the dam. Thanks to the great rains earlier the week we could fill our bottles in the river and cool of a bit. Heading back we had to conquer an ascent that makes the steps on Platteklip Gorge look like steps in the retirement home. Great training for the up and coming Three Peaks challenge. If only the ascent was longer. Finish the last 8k's strong running at race pace.
Movescount 2010.10.16
17 October 2010
I headed out for another 21k run following the same hilly route as Wednesday. This time it was mid day and the sun blazing with tired legs. Surprisingly my legs reacted well and felt fresh after the second hill. The sun also did not push my HR as expected and I finished a little sooner than Wednesday. All in all a good effort, I'm very pleased.
Movescount.2010.10.17
13 October 2010
Some Random Gear Comments
Two weeks ago I had some serious issues with my gear on a run of 45km. Not awesome. I was rather disgusted about this after spending quite a lot of money. But, being an engineer and having "The Nack", I sorted out most of my problems last week. But let's start at the beginning.
I bought the Salomon XT Wings 5 backpack some time ago. Main reason was to make use of bottles. In the longer races it's quicker to refill bottles than a bladder. This pack comes with space for a 2lt bladder and 2x600ml bottles. And of course the Salomon custom system where you can hook up a variety of flasks, bottles and pouches.
This pack is great as it sits tightly against your back and the position of the water bottles keeps the weight over your hips. It gives it a snug feel and barely notice your running with it.
After a couple of weeks running with it I decided to get the Custom Bottle Holder and Custom Flask Holder. I filled the flask with Hammer Perpeteum made into a paste. With the bottle on one shoulder strap and the flask on the other I was off for my 45k run. This was when I experienced my first problem. The bottle has a strap on a vertical slider that connects over your chest to the bottle on the other shoulder strap and pulls the two together. That is if you have two bottles. So my bottle was just flopping around and bruising my chest. This was not gonna be fun for 45km. Later when I started drinking my Hammer it was a real "sukkel" to get the paste out. The hole on top was so small that the paste didn't want to flow freely. Usually I use the Hammer Flask and is able to get a good mouthful with every squeeze. Now it took me 3 times longer to get less.
The solution? For the bottle you can remove the one part of the strap and slide it onto the opposite shoulder's vertical slider. Now you can pull the bottle tight over your chest and no more flopping around.
I tested this out last weekend and works like a dream. I'm still in a pickle about the small hole for the flask. Any ideas?
O yes, my second Nalgene hydration bladder also started to leak. I'm not impressed. It's probably time to spend the money on a proper Camelbak bladder.
This pack is great as it sits tightly against your back and the position of the water bottles keeps the weight over your hips. It gives it a snug feel and barely notice your running with it.
After a couple of weeks running with it I decided to get the Custom Bottle Holder and Custom Flask Holder. I filled the flask with Hammer Perpeteum made into a paste. With the bottle on one shoulder strap and the flask on the other I was off for my 45k run. This was when I experienced my first problem. The bottle has a strap on a vertical slider that connects over your chest to the bottle on the other shoulder strap and pulls the two together. That is if you have two bottles. So my bottle was just flopping around and bruising my chest. This was not gonna be fun for 45km. Later when I started drinking my Hammer it was a real "sukkel" to get the paste out. The hole on top was so small that the paste didn't want to flow freely. Usually I use the Hammer Flask and is able to get a good mouthful with every squeeze. Now it took me 3 times longer to get less.
The solution? For the bottle you can remove the one part of the strap and slide it onto the opposite shoulder's vertical slider. Now you can pull the bottle tight over your chest and no more flopping around.
 |
| Remove strap and slide onto shoulder strap |
 |
| It's a squeeze to get nutrition out of the flask |
11 October 2010
Weekly Summary 4-10 Oct
4 October 2010
Easy run to start the week over my super hilly course. 11km.
Movescount 2010.10.04
5 October 2010
Got out of bed eager to tackle the hills with my new found running form and breathing rhythm. I did 12 hill repeats, 10 and 11 was stair repeats. My interval times were much more consistent and I felt really good doing it.
Movescount 2010.10.05
6 October 2010
They say you must be careful what you wish for. I have learned this once again the hard way. Last week I complained about not reaching maximal effort and at this week's TT I've met my match. I tried to chase down the front guys while unknowingly they chased down PB's! The result for me was a minute slower than my PB and lots of pain. My average HR was the same as my max HR when I've set up the PB. OUCH!
Movescount 2010.10.06
8 October 2010
This was suppose to be an easy flat run. I ran past the pine forest in George and decided to do 2k's bare footing in the forest. WHAT A PLEASURE! It was still early morning and the air was crisp, perfect way to start the day. After bare footing it was back on with the shoes to head home. It felt like I was running on two bowls of custard strapped to my feet. My feet was not happy, they really enjoyed the barren forest trails.
Movescount 2010.10.08
9 October 2010
Did 27k's. Started up on the hill in the forest for a short loop before heading down the green belt. First time we've ran this route. It's beautiful, but some parts are a bit filthy. The greenbelt runs right pass my house so I ended up at my doorstep. Great run.
Movescount 2010.10.09
Easy run to start the week over my super hilly course. 11km.
Movescount 2010.10.04
5 October 2010
Got out of bed eager to tackle the hills with my new found running form and breathing rhythm. I did 12 hill repeats, 10 and 11 was stair repeats. My interval times were much more consistent and I felt really good doing it.
Movescount 2010.10.05
6 October 2010
Movescount 2010.10.06
8 October 2010
This was suppose to be an easy flat run. I ran past the pine forest in George and decided to do 2k's bare footing in the forest. WHAT A PLEASURE! It was still early morning and the air was crisp, perfect way to start the day. After bare footing it was back on with the shoes to head home. It felt like I was running on two bowls of custard strapped to my feet. My feet was not happy, they really enjoyed the barren forest trails.
Movescount 2010.10.08
9 October 2010
Did 27k's. Started up on the hill in the forest for a short loop before heading down the green belt. First time we've ran this route. It's beautiful, but some parts are a bit filthy. The greenbelt runs right pass my house so I ended up at my doorstep. Great run.
Movescount 2010.10.09
05 October 2010
September Summary
September has come and gone. I had three consecutive race weekends coming 4th, 2nd and 1st (by estimating my time correct). Also a lot of resting. So was a month of two extremes. I really enjoyed the two contrasts. My total distance will be a bit more than 167km as I didn't log all my K's on Movescount this month. The illusive maximal effort is still alluding me! I know it's not important to do time in this area for long distances, but I still want to make it in there at least once. Any ideas?
04 October 2010
Weekly Summary 27Sep-3Oct
27 September 2010
First day of training again. Went for a 10km run over on a very hilly route. We've all read or heard about Born to Run and barefoot running. Anton Krupicka also does barefoot running at the end of a lot of his sessions. I have decided to try this out. Did the final 2 minutes of my run barefoot. I know it's not much, but start small! It was amazing. I felt so alive and in touch with my running. Definitely looking forward to my next barefoot session.
Movescount 2010.09.27
28 September 2010
Did 11 hill repeats. Ended of with 3 stair repeats. Was a tough session and felt very wobbly at the end.
Movescount 2010.09.28
29 September 2010
Got up at 6:00 and the sun was shining bright! I just love the summer. Went for an easy 7.5km run and going barefoot the last 1km. I'm really starting to look forward to these barefoot sessions and can't wait until I can do some descent distances barefoot. Got a lot of strange looks from people on their way to work, I carry my shoes in my hands while bare footing. They probably think I'm craze.
Movescount 2010.09.29
30 September 2010
Chris and I went out early for the Thursday valley run. We headed down the valley and found a new short, technical and steep incline. We raced to the top and while catching our breathes on the bench decided to run to the next hill in the valley, run to the top and tempo it back to meet the rest of the group as they started. It was a frantic 20 minutes, but well worth it. Nothing like an unexpected challenge. I'm happy to report that my legs are also feeling good. Ended up to be a 10.7k run with loads of steep hills.
Movescount 2010.09.30
2 October 2010
Personally this run was a huge mental effort. I've got some mixed feelings about it, but a lot of positive things that came out of it. It was a 45km run on rather boring undulating forestry roads. It used some rather strong mind power to power up the 3-4km hills without walking even on the return leg when I was starting to feel nauseous and had to control myself to not vomit. At the end I learned how to run hills efficiently with correct breathing rhythm and body form. Something I have struggled with the last couple of months. So it was a positive experience, although I had to learn the lessons the hard way.
Movescount 2010.10.02
3 October 2010
Was suppose to go for a 20k run. It would have been interesting to see how I far after yesterdays run. My legs did feel good so I think it would have been good. But instead I took the day of to get engaged to my lovely girlfriend/now fiance Lida Brand. Love you lots girl!
Sorry, no Movescount for this one...
First day of training again. Went for a 10km run over on a very hilly route. We've all read or heard about Born to Run and barefoot running. Anton Krupicka also does barefoot running at the end of a lot of his sessions. I have decided to try this out. Did the final 2 minutes of my run barefoot. I know it's not much, but start small! It was amazing. I felt so alive and in touch with my running. Definitely looking forward to my next barefoot session.
Movescount 2010.09.27
28 September 2010
Did 11 hill repeats. Ended of with 3 stair repeats. Was a tough session and felt very wobbly at the end.
Movescount 2010.09.28
29 September 2010
Got up at 6:00 and the sun was shining bright! I just love the summer. Went for an easy 7.5km run and going barefoot the last 1km. I'm really starting to look forward to these barefoot sessions and can't wait until I can do some descent distances barefoot. Got a lot of strange looks from people on their way to work, I carry my shoes in my hands while bare footing. They probably think I'm craze.
Movescount 2010.09.29
30 September 2010
Chris and I went out early for the Thursday valley run. We headed down the valley and found a new short, technical and steep incline. We raced to the top and while catching our breathes on the bench decided to run to the next hill in the valley, run to the top and tempo it back to meet the rest of the group as they started. It was a frantic 20 minutes, but well worth it. Nothing like an unexpected challenge. I'm happy to report that my legs are also feeling good. Ended up to be a 10.7k run with loads of steep hills.
Movescount 2010.09.30
2 October 2010
Personally this run was a huge mental effort. I've got some mixed feelings about it, but a lot of positive things that came out of it. It was a 45km run on rather boring undulating forestry roads. It used some rather strong mind power to power up the 3-4km hills without walking even on the return leg when I was starting to feel nauseous and had to control myself to not vomit. At the end I learned how to run hills efficiently with correct breathing rhythm and body form. Something I have struggled with the last couple of months. So it was a positive experience, although I had to learn the lessons the hard way.
Movescount 2010.10.02
3 October 2010
Was suppose to go for a 20k run. It would have been interesting to see how I far after yesterdays run. My legs did feel good so I think it would have been good. But instead I took the day of to get engaged to my lovely girlfriend/now fiance Lida Brand. Love you lots girl!
Sorry, no Movescount for this one...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)