Another good week of training for me just gone! Don’t get me wrong, I know I am not a hard core high mileage, mass vertical rad man of running, but the last 3 weeks of training have been bang on for me. A 12hr and 2x 14hr weeks for the first 3 weeks of my CDR build up. Mileage was pretty low the first 2 weeks with slogging in snow and then training on skis. This week was all pretty good quality running (for me), but sadly the vert was down a bit- 1/2 of last weeks 6000mD+, but there was almost 50km more distance covered- it’s all a trade off I guess. Right now I am really happy with the balance I have with my training and that is without a doubt the advantage of having a (very very knowledgeable) coach in the form of Frenchman Christophe Malarde. I won’t say who else Chris coaches because it will just sound like I am name dropping, but he knows his stuff and I am pretty happy with the direction we are heading in. I am looking at it as a long term relationship. I knew there would be little to no real change in time for TNF100 last month (only 6 weeks with Chris then), but I was probably wrong as I arrived at the start of that race feeling very rested and so ready to run. A good recovery and now into a good training cycle I feel the balance is really what I have been lacking for the last 14+ months. CDR might even be too early to really reap the rewards of this, but I think improvement will be seen.
Super fun weekend was had in Chch running. Saturday was solo on the Crater Rim Trails. Cashmere, Rapaki, Vernon, Sugar Loaf, Gibbes Pass, Pack Horse, Mt Herbet and finishing at Diamond Harbour with a milk shake and a ferry ride to Lyttleton. 5hrs, 44km and 2180mD+. Sunday I met up with Vajin and Nelson and we started out at Little River. It was all gravel or sealed road which was very odd for me, but it is good honest running that you can not hide from like you can do on the trails sometimes. I don’t really know the area, but you can see a map of it on my MovesCount. 5hrs20, 51km and 1470mD+. Was a fun outing, again finished off with a milkshake, chocolate, for the 2nd day in a row. Easy week coming up so will be a good time to get some skiing in I hope!
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- Sign of the Pack Horse
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- That way!
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- pretty self explanatory
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- Vajin negotiating the crux of Sundays run….
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- Nelson and Vajin smacking it high above Little River
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- Jubilee Rd- its F’n steep. Don’t believe me? Go run it and let me know what you think 😉
Did both long runs over the weekend in the above slippers (that’s what they feel like), as well as 4hrs the week before in the snow and mud above Chch and a few other outings. I would say I would have maybe been better in my FellCross on Saturdays and the week earlier on the Crater Rim Trails as they are pretty darn muddy and slippery right now, but I feel like I have run enough in these shoes now to say they are pretty good. The upper and fit is very very nice. I would love to see a winter/SoftGround version- maybe with a FellCross sole?
I aren’t going to go for a full on review- they are good- light, comfortable, tick the right boxes. But there is no point re-inventing the wheel- the lads at Ultra168 have done a great review so check that out!
Ski Runner NZ 