Training Log: rcro

Back in Shropshire for a train-run from Craven Arms to Ludlow. Really nice weather for a change - but felt pretty slow on the way up (I kind of expected more than 120m ascent given how it all felt), and steady otherwise. Racecourse wasn't the fastest surface though.

Picked up the pace after the A49. Planned to stop at top of Corve Street but added on drop down to the river as a fast finish.

Pretty much finishes the planned runs in this part of the world.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11336635455

Made the most of the weather by going around the castle after - including up all of the towers. I'm not good at being a tourist, nor paying money to be a tourist - but this was quite nice and glad I took time out to be in the sun doing something different.

Weather turned whilst waiting for the train home, and then was rain after Hereford - and torrential from Cwmbran. As in running kit thought I should try running; climb is hard work straight off train. Makes me more glad I did stuff up in Ludlow rather than head back earlier.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11338778332

Day 2 - Bucknell to Knighton. Lucky on costs as was still a free space at the station, and then not charged a fare as guard said we'd be there before he issued it. Followed HoW line trail the whole way.

Climb was all runnable, which I did slowly - kept jacket and gloves on as cold waiting for train but getting a bit warm until out in the open. Some impressive bluebells at least.

Good views in the open, a trig, and kites eating lambs. Track on other side was muddy and slow, as were the last couple of fields before Offa's Dyke. Run in down to Knighton was nice.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11328115846

Did a bit of walking around Knighton after - steep with weird footpaths makes it feel like it would be a good place for sprint training. And the supermarket, though no longer Tuffins, also poses navigation challenges.

Fairly short notice planned few days running around Knighton. Unsure how the weather was going to be, but stuck with Friday's plan to bus up from Kington and run back. Cold, wet and windy day. Jacket on from the start and never got hot - had to stop and get gloves out after 5k and losing circulation in hands.

Big climb out of Knighton but going ok-ish once up. Detoured to a monument I assumed was pipeline related, but appears not. Surprised the footpath actually goes along Offa's Dyke rather than 10s of miles away. After Evenjobb the path got slow with lots of tree thinning dumped across it, and then a section where path diverted away from an empty road into loads of wet fields.

Last climb up had the best views, as the weather was slightly better.

Fairly firm underfoot, but some sections were very slippery - fortunately mostly ups rather than downs.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11322036333

Leckhampton MapRun.

Not feeling great as in work and been busy all day - and needed a toilet stop - so just picked a route that looked efficient and interesting and didn’t try to get the low scores. Got an eye on the weekend, where hoping to do some longer runs.

Not moving comfortably early on but improved. The early climb was slippery mud so walk pace. And lots of other wet bits too. Overall - did decent amount of offroad and plenty of new explores done.

Nice to be beaten finally. Been a lot of times I’ve been feeling off pace or going short - but think this is only second Gloucester MapRun since chemo that I’ve not won.

BOK urban at Pucklechurch. 5.9km long course.

New place for me and not a huge amount to it, so lots of repeated roads. Course was reasonably good with mix of long and short legs and lots of micro-route choices to think about. Longer legs seemed more straight forward with one obvious route each time, though appears other people went different ways.

Felt like a fairly hard effort, and noticed all the hills. Out early to beat the rain, but it came early too - though not yet slippery.

Neck has been really hurting today around all the scarring/damage. Hopefully nothing much more to it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11309192211