Bad two weeks, back on the horse

In some respects anyway! I did actually post here which is a positive, but as a negative, I didn't run.

First there was a bit of a sickness bug...

Then there was the snow...

Then there was the ice...

I have a full on list of excuses, none of them help really.

Monday saw me break the two week streak of relative inactivity with a quick run after work. Two weeks is a long time not to run it turns out. I was awful, had heartburn from about a mile in and am still confused about how I didn't end up blowing chunks into the side of the road.



Not exactly my finest moment.. But on I press, same as I always do, into last nights club session. Never easy these and I don't feel I was running well at all but I think it'll get me back onto some kind of track.

The session consisted of 16 x 45 second efforts with a 1 min between. After 8 we also had a 1/2 mile lap... rest.

I felt slower than I should be and I kind of tired during the session, but it got done and there are only benefits to that. Been really enjoying running with Aberdare this year and I'm clearly fitter than I was, so it's been a positive experience all round!

Come Saturday I'll be hitting up Penallta parkrun to have a swing at a decent 5k time. Not expecting a PB, even though it is a faster course than Merthyr, just want to get ready to have a good run at Nos Galan on New Years Eve.

Hoping to try a few new parkruns over the next couple of months, as my association with Merthyr parkrun came to a unceremonious end last week, freeing me up to try. I plan on hitting Ponty at some point, I'm told Swansea Bay is fast too...

I'm just past 10 miles for the week, plus I'll probably run Thursday, much better stuff. Feeling quietly confident about 2018 at the moment, new challenges (the Ultra!) await.

I had an Ultra good idea!

I shared my idea to upgrade my long distance races from Marathon to Ultra in my last post. It was an idea, quite possibly a bad one, but an idea regardless.

Well it is an idea no longer, it is a thing, a thing that is happening... on May 6th in the lovely surroundings of Pembrey I will be running the 50km version of...

For the record I didn't pay £28...

I went to St Illtyds school, this is St Illtyds race, it's written in the stars!!

I should be building up to it quite nicely, Jan will see me peak (in races) at 8 miles (Lliswerry), Up to a half marathon in March (Merthyr), Full in April (Manchester) then May comes around!

I'm a bit sparse for Feb...

I've had a quiet week n a half as I've had a unwell belly and then the snow and ice came and I'm not fancying breaking a leg. I have an Ultra coming up you know.

In other news I'm RD for parkrun this week, so if anyone wants to come and swell Merthyr's frankly poor numbers you're very welcome. We're also short of volunteers... hit me up!

It's been a while...

I've been busy!

Luckily including busy running. Fairly normal service will resume I'm sure.

Now, what this about, could be many things, but for now I'll stick to... cross country!

I'm a lousy trail runner, I've said this many times before, so by extension I'm a pretty lousy XC runner. I'm not great on tarmac either, but getting better...

However, as a part of my club I've been running in the Gwent Cross Country league. Dragging my oversized gut through mud in several very nice locations.

Firstly was to our fair capital city, Cardiff, in particular Llandaff Fields. I didn't really know what to expect, I thought the standard would be monstrously high and I was right. Regardless, I strapped on my new-from-ebay spikes and off I went. It was tough, very tough but I ran quite well and it was over before I really realised. It was fun! Now my score was counting towards the Aberdare D (maybe Even E?) team, so I wasn't setting the world alight. But it was a start.

Next it was on to Brecon and much tougher heavy conditions, however I improved my finish place by quite a few places (less people there maybe) and was lapped by Dewi Griffiths...



Didn't run so well after a busy schedule really but it was ok. Tough but good day in the office.

Finally (more to come) was a longish drive to Pembrey Country Park, and by far the best conditions so far. Sandy climbs weren't the easiest but I got my highest placing to date, which is the kind of progression I can track. Wasn't feeling 100% well either so, all good!



The moral of the story I suppose is, try something new, you may enjoy it.

With that in mind, my 2018 races will hopefully include my first Ultra... only slightly further than a marathon, but baby steps.