I've been maintaining the strictest of training regimes over the past week and the mileages are rising slowly but surely. More importantly though the quality just seems to be getting better and better with much harder sessions seeming to be the order of the day. They mileages are not that high on the harder runs but the severity of the climbs are just so good. This past week has seen the return of the Menai track and field hill sessions and the darker 
evenings have seen a large..ish group muster for the mile run to the session in Bangor. More than anything, I think these sessions improve the stamina and with the rep's being very short recoveries, the body really gets the most effective workout. As for me, I find the benefit comes from the quick starts. My race technique has always suffered at the start and this comes from lack of confidence. These hill sessions will enable me to get these quicker starts and hopefully allow me to be able to maintain a more aggressive race strategy.
evenings have seen a large..ish group muster for the mile run to the session in Bangor. More than anything, I think these sessions improve the stamina and with the rep's being very short recoveries, the body really gets the most effective workout. As for me, I find the benefit comes from the quick starts. My race technique has always suffered at the start and this comes from lack of confidence. These hill sessions will enable me to get these quicker starts and hopefully allow me to be able to maintain a more aggressive race strategy.On Thursday of this week, Neale mentioned that he might like to get out on the road on wha
t should have been his rest day so following a discussion regarding quality miles off he trotted asking me to pick him up about 5 miles later. I travelled down to find Neale plodding along in his usual heavy footed manner but he waved me away saying he wanted to go a little further along towards LLandudno....An hour 10 miles later, I picked him up at the gateway to the Great Orme with a big smile and tired legs! Saturday, saw the infamous Snowdonia Marathon at Llanberis, with over 1300 entrants and the toughest marathon course in the UK , Neale and I stood in admiration as the lucky runners endured some horrendous conditions, with torrential rain and high winds plaguing the competitors from the outset. I was over the moon to see fellow Welsh vest holder Gwyn Owen of Eryri harriers finish in a creditable second place. He was completely wasted at the finish, having given maximum effort and also sporting injuries from no less than three falls on the decent in the final three miles. Following the race, Andy Neale and I went for the infamous Pizza and a pint at Llanberris where we were joined by a who's who of runners from the north Wales scene. World and Commonwealth mountain champion Anna Frost and her other half Gilbert were there at the table together with the Lloyd family and no less than 6 other Welsh vest holders. It was great. We had a lovely evening and I was lambasted for my pre Cardiff Half Marathon breakfast of a fry up.....I am a little suspicious that Anna in particular found it quite hard to believe!!!!
On Sunday, Andy and I joined up with Gary Williams, for another hard session over the tops of the Carneddau at Abergwyngregyn. We enjoyed lovely
conditions and scenery and I was pleased to be able to hold my own with the guys and the compliments followed later. One of the things that makes me persevere with the all of this effort is the kind words that my training mates have for me when I come in with them at the end of a very hard session. Monday evening saw yet another invite from Andy to run over at Bethesda, so Neale and I travelled across and my better half suggested that he might go out for a longer run again, although he wouldn't say where. An hour and a half later, he returned having run the complete Nant Francon loop, a testing route of the best part of ten miles with a good ascent and testing surfaces. On his return he was fresh, buzzing and declaring it to be his favourite ever run / route. When we returned to Andy's house he stood there gloating as Andy and I prepared to leave for the session. And what a session it was....speed, hills, more speed and more hills, need I say more. I was absolutely blowing out of my a..se!
I was intrigued by the route that Neale had done, so I demanded that we return to Bethesda on Tuesday morning so I could run the same course. I would agree that it was both challenging and a good work out. More importantly, it gave me time to mull over my decision not to do the London marathon. I will write more about this over the next couple of days, but although the decision was easy to make, I am sure there will be one or two saying why?
t should have been his rest day so following a discussion regarding quality miles off he trotted asking me to pick him up about 5 miles later. I travelled down to find Neale plodding along in his usual heavy footed manner but he waved me away saying he wanted to go a little further along towards LLandudno....An hour 10 miles later, I picked him up at the gateway to the Great Orme with a big smile and tired legs! Saturday, saw the infamous Snowdonia Marathon at Llanberis, with over 1300 entrants and the toughest marathon course in the UK , Neale and I stood in admiration as the lucky runners endured some horrendous conditions, with torrential rain and high winds plaguing the competitors from the outset. I was over the moon to see fellow Welsh vest holder Gwyn Owen of Eryri harriers finish in a creditable second place. He was completely wasted at the finish, having given maximum effort and also sporting injuries from no less than three falls on the decent in the final three miles. Following the race, Andy Neale and I went for the infamous Pizza and a pint at Llanberris where we were joined by a who's who of runners from the north Wales scene. World and Commonwealth mountain champion Anna Frost and her other half Gilbert were there at the table together with the Lloyd family and no less than 6 other Welsh vest holders. It was great. We had a lovely evening and I was lambasted for my pre Cardiff Half Marathon breakfast of a fry up.....I am a little suspicious that Anna in particular found it quite hard to believe!!!!On Sunday, Andy and I joined up with Gary Williams, for another hard session over the tops of the Carneddau at Abergwyngregyn. We enjoyed lovely
conditions and scenery and I was pleased to be able to hold my own with the guys and the compliments followed later. One of the things that makes me persevere with the all of this effort is the kind words that my training mates have for me when I come in with them at the end of a very hard session. Monday evening saw yet another invite from Andy to run over at Bethesda, so Neale and I travelled across and my better half suggested that he might go out for a longer run again, although he wouldn't say where. An hour and a half later, he returned having run the complete Nant Francon loop, a testing route of the best part of ten miles with a good ascent and testing surfaces. On his return he was fresh, buzzing and declaring it to be his favourite ever run / route. When we returned to Andy's house he stood there gloating as Andy and I prepared to leave for the session. And what a session it was....speed, hills, more speed and more hills, need I say more. I was absolutely blowing out of my a..se!
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