Keith Hughes is onto something. I had thought as far as the short time scale effects of listening to thrash metal and punk on hill running performance. If we extend this principle and put together the right compilation I reckon he's right - we could all beat Jez Bragg's WHWR record time. Sub 14 hours could even be on with the right mix and sequence of tracks. And we have 6 months or so to perfect them. Great!
So far we have the list as being composed of ...
Slayer
Minor Threat
Celtic Frost (hmm, didn't they have rather permed hair Keith?)
Voidvoid (these guys were just a bit odd - can we delete them?)
Acca-dacca (AC/DC)
The Datsuns
Deftones (suggested by Mister Mason)
No-one has mentioned the brummie grindcore kings yet, so I'll have to ... bring on Napalm Death yeehaaah!
Then we mustn't forget the industrial wonders of Ministry with their track Stigmata
Right Jez, the musically and physically challenged, are throwing down the gauntlet!!!!! er ahem ;-)
Sunday, 7 December 2008
Friday, 5 December 2008
More music to motivate (and some rather groovy dancing)
In response to Keith's comment I've been thinking long and hard about whether to post some more 80s old school thrash ala Celtic Frost (ha - had forgotten about them) or possibly Nuclear Assault. Instead, check out the groovy dancing to Minor Threat, a top 1980s straight edge punk band from the States (I was for about 2 years around the age of 20 a straight edger and rather too serious - but the music is great for running up hills to)...
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Muuuusic to motivate
Normally I am a bit of an au-natural kind of chap when it comes to running, at least in audio entertainment terms. I have a tiny wee iPOD shuffle but don't really like it when trotting along, I'd much rather just be with my thoughts and the sounds of nature around me. However, upon occasion I do run with it and find this song makes me run like a maniac, regardless of incline or terrain.
It has the same effect on my wife and she has never liked thrash metal even slightly. As an experiment, download it onto your iPOD then try running up a very big muddy hill. Please come back with feedback on how it affected your performance.
In case you are wondering the song is Raining Blood by Slayer, one of the bands I used to love when I was hairy teenager (actually I still like the odd listen to them when the mood takes me - you never really seem to grow completely out of teenage tastes I have noticed).
It has the same effect on my wife and she has never liked thrash metal even slightly. As an experiment, download it onto your iPOD then try running up a very big muddy hill. Please come back with feedback on how it affected your performance.
In case you are wondering the song is Raining Blood by Slayer, one of the bands I used to love when I was hairy teenager (actually I still like the odd listen to them when the mood takes me - you never really seem to grow completely out of teenage tastes I have noticed).
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
The road to recovery
On Sunday, and again last night I ran for 15 .... wait for it ... wait for it ... minutes! Yeehah, what a feat of ultra style endurance.
My ankle is much better as a consquence of time and my physio friction rubbing it with great gusto. To ensure I don't exacerbate it he has advised me to get back into running by running for 15 minutes a couple of times, then to up to 20, then 25 etc until I reach 40 then he reckons I'll be fine. All very frustrating but the light is at the end of the injury tunnel.
In the meantime here's a photo of Eilidh and I out for a walk up to Scale Force in Buttermere, the day after the OMM. It was absolutely gorgeous!
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Admonished
Still off running (boo) so not much to report really. I am using an exercise bike and rowing machine, and doing some weights at my University gym instead. The exercise bike is essentially a proper road bike with correct positioning so I get a good work out on it - quad burn after a minute or two to be honest!
My right ankle is much better though and I am hoping, subject to what my physio says this Thursday, to be able to do a couple of short 3 mile runs this weekend to get back into shape.
He admonished me though when I saw him for the first time last week, about 2.5 weeks post-injury. My ankle was still looking fattish but the bruising had mostly disappeared. I told him what had happened and what the hospital doc's advice was (don't run for 4 weeks) and I could see the steam coming out of his ears. 'b****y doctors and their injury recovery advice' you could see him thinking. I then told him when the injury had happened and he gave me a bit of stern ticking off.
He reckons there would have been about 4-5 days acute that he'd not want to touch the torn ligament, but straight after that he advised treatment is essential to ensure the swelling goes down and doesn't become a more permanent fat ankle, and to ensure smooth, flexible healing of the ligament. He then spent 20 minutes friction massaging my swollen ankle, right at the sorest point. AAAAAAGGGGHHHH is all I can say without descending into the kind of language that would get my blog deleted. I shan't be leaving injuries that long in the future. :-)
My right ankle is much better though and I am hoping, subject to what my physio says this Thursday, to be able to do a couple of short 3 mile runs this weekend to get back into shape.
He admonished me though when I saw him for the first time last week, about 2.5 weeks post-injury. My ankle was still looking fattish but the bruising had mostly disappeared. I told him what had happened and what the hospital doc's advice was (don't run for 4 weeks) and I could see the steam coming out of his ears. 'b****y doctors and their injury recovery advice' you could see him thinking. I then told him when the injury had happened and he gave me a bit of stern ticking off.
He reckons there would have been about 4-5 days acute that he'd not want to touch the torn ligament, but straight after that he advised treatment is essential to ensure the swelling goes down and doesn't become a more permanent fat ankle, and to ensure smooth, flexible healing of the ligament. He then spent 20 minutes friction massaging my swollen ankle, right at the sorest point. AAAAAAGGGGHHHH is all I can say without descending into the kind of language that would get my blog deleted. I shan't be leaving injuries that long in the future. :-)
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Projectile vomiting
Ah yes, we had our first ever experience of baby projectile vomiting last night at 12:30am. Little Eilidh was 1 year old yesterday and developed a very bad wheeze and cold to mark the occasion. We took her to the 24 hour clinic and got some ventolin to ease it but she didn't sleep well. Up every 5 minutes from 11:20pm till around midnight then again at 12:30am when she projectile vomited bits of vegetable and milk all over my wife. Huge lumps of veg too - she's clearly not got the chewing lark down pat yet.
Anyhoo, she seemed better this morning so we gave her a bottle only for this to come up 30 minutes later at 7:15am. Both occasions reminded me of the Monty Python Meaning of Life restaurant scene about 'wafer thin mints', so here you are, to give some idea of what we've just been through. ;-)
Anyhoo, she seemed better this morning so we gave her a bottle only for this to come up 30 minutes later at 7:15am. Both occasions reminded me of the Monty Python Meaning of Life restaurant scene about 'wafer thin mints', so here you are, to give some idea of what we've just been through. ;-)
Monday, 17 November 2008
Final ranking in the Vasque Ultra Champs 2008
The final rankings are in for the Vasque ultra champs 2008 and the race calendar for 2009 has also been released.
Ranking here - http://www.runfurther.com/media/results2/Overall_Results_12_races_2008b.pdf
2009 calendar here
I managed to come 15th out of 210 competitors with 3133 series points so very pleased indeed. I'll aim for the top 10 next year, but the competition is pretty stiff. The winner was Mark Hartell with 3873 points and the only (?) ther WHWR Family who completed the series was Richie C, with a fantastic 3333 series points. I'm only 200 points behind there Ritchie - watch out for er perhaps 2015 ;-)
The Highland Fling is part of the series for next year so I reckon my 4 races (1 short, 1 medium, 1 long and 1 additional from any category) will be Wuthering Hike (short), Marlborough Downs Challenge (medium), High Peak 40 (medium) and Highland Fling (long). I can't wait!
I decided finally to support the home side, England, when I went along for some corporate hospitality at Twickenham on Saturday just past. How wrong was I in deciding to do so on the basis that it would give a great opportunity to wind my aussie wife up when they won. As you may know, they lost in a show of rather unadventurous rugby. Boo. I now face a solid ribbing for supporting England and the losing side. Boo!
Ranking here - http://www.runfurther.com/media/results2/Overall_Results_12_races_2008b.pdf
2009 calendar here
I managed to come 15th out of 210 competitors with 3133 series points so very pleased indeed. I'll aim for the top 10 next year, but the competition is pretty stiff. The winner was Mark Hartell with 3873 points and the only (?) ther WHWR Family who completed the series was Richie C, with a fantastic 3333 series points. I'm only 200 points behind there Ritchie - watch out for er perhaps 2015 ;-)
The Highland Fling is part of the series for next year so I reckon my 4 races (1 short, 1 medium, 1 long and 1 additional from any category) will be Wuthering Hike (short), Marlborough Downs Challenge (medium), High Peak 40 (medium) and Highland Fling (long). I can't wait!
I decided finally to support the home side, England, when I went along for some corporate hospitality at Twickenham on Saturday just past. How wrong was I in deciding to do so on the basis that it would give a great opportunity to wind my aussie wife up when they won. As you may know, they lost in a show of rather unadventurous rugby. Boo. I now face a solid ribbing for supporting England and the losing side. Boo!
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