Recovery and prep week

I've just not had time to blog on separate training sessions this week (funny how having a bank holiday means you try to fit 5 days work into 4 ...) so here they are in one go.

Tuesday
Route: recovery run round the Lakes Estate perimeter
Distance: 3.14 miles
Terrain: path
Ascent/descent: +61'/-44'
Splits: 8:00, 8:08, 8:08, 1.12

Wednesday
Route: easy run with Shenley Striders
Distance: 6.87 miles
Terrain: path and road
Ascent / descent: +120' / -93'
Splits: 9:52, 9:47, 9:43, 10:10, 10:11, 10:20, 8:42

Friday
Route: tempo run round Furzton Lake
Distance: 8.01 miles
Terrain: path
Ascent / descent: not much
Splits: 8:00 (warm up), 6:52, 6:56, 6:57, 6:50, 6:54, 6:49, 10:48 (cool down)

Not a lot to say this week really. The legs were definitely tired from the exertions of the Wuthering Hike and the 3.14 mile recovery run on Tuesday, although at a decent pace for a recovery, felt hugely longer than 3.14 miles. My legs were like big logs of wood. Wednesday was a deliberately easy run but longer and the legs felt fine. We had another wee medical flare up with my wife on Thursday but it was pretty minor. Enough for us to visit the Docs, get different medicine for her and for me to miss training but it was under control pretty quickly. I ran a tempo run on Friday instead (planned for Thurs) as prep for next weeks Exe to Axe race - I managed consistent sub 7 minute miles but my body complained a bit.

Took my resting HR one morning this week and it came out at 44, which is pretty good, slower than last year when it was around 49 or 50, indicating I've got fitter or my heart is slowly deciding to pack it in. I'll opt for the first, more optimistic interpretation. Ian's resting HR is 40, which is very good indeed (see recent WHW runner blog). I think Lance Armstrong got his down to 29 or so but he is (was) pretty exceptional.

What else have I been up to? I've put an entry in for the OMM A class with Marco - we'll hear in July whether our entry has been successful (http://www.theomm.com/). For those unfamiliar with mountain marathons the OMM is one of the best known events and is essentially 2 days of self sufficient, unsupported running and orienteering in a mountain location, carrying all gear, food, acquiring water en route and getting yourself out of trouble. Sleeping on bubble wrap to minimise weight, fording rivers up to your chest and forgetting to stash your gear in a waterproof bag, that sort of thing.

Should be great fun as the race is at the end of October (to provide a good chance of dodgy weather) and will be in 'northern england' - I reckon this will mean the western (unpopulated) side of the Lakes. If so there'll be lots of serious ascent, descent and rocky, mountainous terrain to navigate around in the cloud and rain no doubt. We've already discussed wind so are well on the way to becoming fart comfortable with one another, an essential state for sharing a mountain marathon race tent, which is pretty much a 1.5 person job. I did mention to him that dried food can make me windy. Not sure he took in the full implications. ;-)

Actually, I clearly do have a few things to say this week. I've also volunteered to support Jon Steele in his 1st August Bob Graham round attempt (http://www.bobgrahamround.co.uk/). Looks like I'll be supporting on stage 3 from Dunmail Rise to Wasdale - including the lovely surrounds of Langdale and England's highest mountain. Dave Waterman is also supporting so will be a good chance to share in a guiness or two post-BGR. I wonder whether he'll be wearing anything orange ... ?