Mary with Rad Road (easy side) in view.
Still the crap weather. Only one thing
to do – a hard interval type session that makes the sun shine
internally even if the skies are grey.
Coach Hunter suggested a close to home
workout as a long trip to the Pentlands was kind of wasting fuel when
the photos would be dull. I had to agree but wasn't keen on Rad Rd
Reps. However a vague plan had been kicking around to do the other
side, the reverse side of the Radical Road where it descends to the
Commie Pool roundabout.
Alex
We ran round the back of the Queens
Drive. There were loads of folk out and about and a fair number of
them overtaking us as we jogged the snaky road up to Dunsapie. Didn't
recognise any of the fat boys who were breaking sweat to overtake
then struggling by the the time the road levelled off at the top
loch. Its always a good game to guess what familiar faces one will
pass in Holyrood on a Sunday. Alex Oliver is the bookies favourite as
I think he lives in Hunters Bog in the Summer. We had bumped in Alex at the top of Easter Road but couldn't stop longer than to hear
he'd pb'd at BOTH the 10ks yesterday and today. He is looking FIT! We
couldn't stop because a local, clearly pissed, with can in hand, was
anxious to tell us how he had been doing some running, and not just
away from the Police. (As Alex later posted on fb “....Its
been a while since a man has asked me to feel his thighs in daylight
on London Road.”)
I was a bit chagrinned at letting all
the joggers go past and tried to calm myself, imagining how bad Mary
was feeling about being demoted to a slower-than-jogger pace. There were a few good-sized lady
power-walkers as well. Power-walking seems to be a ladies-only activity.
While Mary went along the road I did a
couple of diversions and round the back of the hill at Dunsapie to
add to the workout. The crows and jackdaws that live in the walls
below the top road were all enjoying the updrafts. As was a kestrel
above the Crags. We approached the Rad Rd from the Hunter's Bog
shoulder. We weren't sure where we would start each rep, however
there is a big rock with a sign on it and a starting line across the
path you can't ignore. Right lets go!
mmm where should we start?
I deliberately reined in the first rep
planning on each being progressively faster. Coach said five laps but
I reckoned I might squeeze in 6 to her 5. On the first I noticed it
was 2 minutes to the big nose of red rock where it levelled off and
around 50secs from there to the Falling Rocks sign at the other end.
This 50 secs being pretty flat and an opportunity to fine tune one's
rep. 2.49 for number one. My jog recovery back to the start was
hi-jacked by ELB of HBT who had just run up the hard side of the Rad
Rd and she wasn't breaking her stride to chat. We waved at the coach
and I was dropped off at the start with precious little recovery for
lap 2.
Emma
2.48 for lap 2 then when I saw 2.47 for
lap 3 I wondered if I could get a royal flush for all 6. Then the
wind got up hitting us square in the face for the second minute of
the climb. I thought if I have the wind to contend with I'd better
start having more of a dawdle recovery back to the start. But
overcooked lap 4 doing 2.44½
and the legs beginning to fade. Mary had changed from a long orange
sleeve top to a white vest, tying the orange one to a tree near the
start. We passed each other with minimal acknowledgement faces in a
world of pain. I took some photos of the kestrel.
I
caught Mary on lap 5. She started a bit ahead and it gave me a
target. I hit the red nose at 1.55 and stopped the watch at 2.43.
Each one faster so far but the legs now had quite a bit of wobble.
Waited for Mary and we jogged back to the start for the last one. I
pushed the first 2 minutes then seeing I was ahead of schedule legged
it along the gravel flat putting my watch off at 2.35. I had to sit
down while Mary appeared.
Its
not in any way as hard as the Rad Road Reps from Holyrood but a great
workout at a runnable gradient. Making it less fearsome and more
do-able. Like most workouts its as hard as you make it. Hoka shoes
floated over the rough gravel. But make sure, if you are going to do
this you remember to lift your feet returning down the slope to the
starting point as Gillian took a flier last Wednesday night here
clearing a couple of yards in the horizontal before touching down
fully prone and digging a couple of trenches in the gravel with her
elbows and knees, which she had to take along to a&e next day to
have washed and repaired. (Not the first time she has done this.)
Now if there was only some way to confirm the time?
Pair of whippets spotted in Holyrood?
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