Friday night five by five.
I had a feeling that I'd been slacking
this week. Avoiding work more than running. A decent session on
Wednesday at club, but somehow I forgot to go running on Thursday
then today by the time Mary got home and said she wasn't up for a run
it was too late to get the train to meet RD and run home with him
from Gullane. Then I spent far too long on facebook putting off the
moment when I would pull on the trainers. Eventually got out the door
at 5 not bothering to take the head torch but with an idea of rad
road reps. About a week till Carnethy. Why not?
Well one reason I have never been a
huge fan of rad road reps before a Carnethy was: a long time ago I
spent a winter doing this on Tuesday nights (?) with Phil Davies
(Borrowdale) and his pal Ronnie Gallagher (Carnethy). Both stronger
runners than myself. We would meet at Holyrood in the dark and run up
the Radical Road then over the top and down to the grass beside the
Commie Pool roundabout, down to Holyrood and begin again. Three
usually. It was so dark that when I was greeted boisterously by Ronnie subsequently at some race registration I didn't recognise him. Also we didn't
spend much time in each other's company. Phil would take the front,
Ronnie in tow and I would be a good way behind. Not that we
would've chatted on the climb.
The net result was one of the slowest Carnethy5's I ever done. I suspect weather or underfoot conditions - or maybe I just don't have a hairy enough chest (see below). Whatever, I binned the rad road reps.
The net result was one of the slowest Carnethy5's I ever done. I suspect weather or underfoot conditions - or maybe I just don't have a hairy enough chest (see below). Whatever, I binned the rad road reps.
Phil (centre)
It's about as steep a climb as you will
find that's runnable, with the first 200 yards being the worst. After
a bit the gradient eases off and goes round a couple of left corners
before you get to the beware falling rocks sign and push the stop
watch, gasping. When I first started running, it took nearly 7
minutes. The years have whittled that down to less than 5. I can do
the reverse – the descent – in just over 2 but haven't had a shot
at that for a while as the chances of an incident are quite
high. It's also well populated with tourists a lot of the time.
Tonight I did the first two reps in the light as the last of the
Europeans and Japanese made their way off the hill. I suspect instead
of the parliament building in twilight a few of them will have gone
back to hotels with a photo of my greasy head close up, blurred, with
a pained expression.
I would steady my heart rate at the no
entry sign then push my stop watch at the first footfall on gravel.
Watch off at the falling rocks sign bolted at head height as the path
levels off. I planned for a few reps so reminded myself to pace it.
Stupidly I started rep one about 50 yards down on a guy in an
Edinburgh Marathon t-shirt. I should've given him 3 minutes but it
was too cold to hang around. Sure enough I caught him before half way
and unless we were going to run hand in hand I was now obliged by the
code of competitive running to race him up the hill, just as he was
morally obliged to raise his pace and try and keep up. I wasn't sure
if I could hear my keys in my back pocket or himself just over my
shoulder so ended up doing a 4.37 first rep.
Ronnie
The proper way to do reps or intervals
is either each one same speed or a little faster. The idiots' version
is race the first one and go home after pulling up on the second with
a stitch. I pretended not to have raced the first but decided to pack
it in if I failed to keep them under 5 mins. I said “good effort”
to the dude who was 15 seconds behind, but I was annoyed to have set
off like a fool. I jogged back to the start down the same way.
Probably took about the same time on the way down.
Next one 4.50. Thirteen seconds slower.
Do that again and we're through. Third one and the path was free of
tourists but more tricky to see the underfoot conditions. 4.49.
Clawed back a second. Jogged back down and walked the dark bits. The
fourth and traditionally slowest of five. 4.58. On the last one you
can empty the tank and give it everything but at number 4 you feel
the pain knowing there's still more. I walked nearly the whole
descent. I was betting with myself it would be just over the 5 on the
last one. There wasn't much internal dialogue as I ran – just heave
ho and try not to trip in the by now nearly pitch black. The tourists
have worn a small trod to the right just towards the top and when you
hit this you know there are just yards before the watch goes off and
you can throw everything at it and the torture is over. 4.56. I let
out a noise like the team scored a goal. After a moment turn round
and flip flop down the path, knees trembling and feet feel like
they're wearing flippers. I can't remember ever doing 5 rad roads and
now because I have set a dangerous precedent, I can't do just 3.
On the mile run home I already feel in
recovery but my calves protest on the way up the tenement stairs. A
slight headache I had from squinting at stuff on the monitor has been
replaced by the splendid thump of exertion and giddy high of deep
breathing. Feelings of guilt quenched. Here comes the weekend.
I presume this means u will be winning carnethy this year if ur legs recover in time .
ReplyDeleteBrilliant. I used to run 6x3 minute reps on the steepest lower section. Start from the bottom (obviously), run 3 mins, then turn around and jog back down the way you come. More or less zero recovery. Closest I've ever been to throwing up.
ReplyDeleteRESPECT!?
ReplyDelete