Hogmanay Reps

8 rockets for Hogmanay (New Years Eve) reps.

I was the only JPM rocket and no sign of Paul or Martin at the freezing meeting point. Karen and Sarah were there with Richard somewhere between the girls and the four Elite, including messers Barnes and Weir.

Session was the classic 4 step inverted pyramid, so for the Aro Runners following the blog and looking for an explanation of the session to re-use it here goes.

Each effort is followed by a rest half as long as the rep you just did. Starting and ending in 4 mins. So we have 4 on then 2 recovery (2 being half of 4) then 3 on 1.5 off, then 2 on and 1 off then 1 on and 0.5 off. Now back up the other side of the Pyramid. 1 on 0.5 recovery, 2 on 1 off, 3 on 1.5 off, 4 on and finished. The second half is much harder as the reps are preceded by a shorter recovery.

I made a list of excuses before the session:
1) Jet lag
2) Change in weather from 30 to zero
3) No intervals for over a month (last reps on 24th Nov.)
4) Not sure the little running I did in the Dominican Republic was enough to count
5) Two weeks of all inclusive was showing on my waist as I failed to burn more calories than I consumed
6) Didn't eat enough for breakfast

However I amazed myself by keeping up with the girls until the 3 mins on the way back when they dropped me and the elite started to come through.

Karen dropped Sarah too. In the end the only slither of honour saved was that Richard didn't catch me on the last rep. That just kept me out of the C minus category!

From nowhere on the recovery back I suddenly have fast legs and bounced home chatting away to the elite on the recovery run. I remember when I could not hold the recovery pace let alone talk. It would seem all is not lost.

Post race recovery reps - I'm a B minus!

No Paul today. Martin was busy, but might have been coaxed out if there was some savage hunting to be done.
I was at the meeting point well early and next to arrive was Aisha leading a group of asset managers towards the meeting point. I waved at her and she waved back, changing direction to cut over to my side of the road. Unfortunately, her three buddies kept going in a straight on and the first guy bumped into her and nearly went over, followed by a pure keystone cops moment as the other two went into the first guy. They survived unscathed, but it was very funny.
Then the Scrutton arrived dribbling at the mouth before he'd even got to the meeting point. He cleaned himself up and then set off on a barrage of comments around how great it was to see such a mass of rubbish runners. On the way up I explained how in Paul's grading system he'd recently moved from a C to a B- trending B. The grin on his face said it all.
Alan Barnes (first man at the cross country in 30:mins) was at the canal resplendent in his long white compression socks! I gave a cheer for those. Nick was there too (sixth at the cross country).
My view was then respected by the elite as we needed some recovery reps for those who had raced and those who are going to race on the weekend at some elite bash. Ian Lockett himself set the session as :
12x 1min on 30seconds recovery, as hard as you like or stride it through.
Wind impact high, so 7 out 5 back.
Suddenly I panicked as me and some of the slow boys were in amongst the elite. Quick track back and we're off and I'm sort of in with Paul's B group. I decide to tuck in behind the girls and sure enough it is too fast and I'm dropped at the 4th rep. But there is still a ton of people behind me. Including the scrutton.
John Clarke (3rd at the cross country) goes by at full speed going the other way, he nods in response to my cheerful encouragement.
Battle through to the turn trading places with Steve and Aisha a few times. Easy one to the turn sets up the back five battle.
Ease through to catch Aisha on the first return leg. Karen's group go through on the 9th rep and I risk tucking in. Sarah is not holding Karen's pace and by the final rep I sneak past her.
As we finish the final rep I hear the voice of an out of breath Steve Scrutton "Guess who did not run hard enough yesterday?". He always has a come back this guy!
Great run back (chatting at elite recovery pace) to Alan who was pleased I'd had a good cross country after the bad half marathon race. It's great to be running again while not sick!
Nice to catch these guys thoughts and very nice not to be at the back on my own.
Now, where was Paul?
Possible Limehouse loop with Martin tomorrow. Looking forward to that.

Thursday reps and bad Bob jokes

Again still not feeling too hot. Head still bunged up and having to cough up muck every once in a while.

After Bob's dip (see Tuesday's blog) there was much chatter about that incident. Poor guy had to go for a tetanus jab as he was cut in the canal's manky water. His mate filled us in that even his colleagues in NY heard about his dip. They added it as a new item on the management meeting agenda.

The banter was thick and fast:
Bob could not make it as he can't find his snorkel. (or speedos, goggles, swim cap, etc)
Anyone fancy a Bob set? 4 on plus 100m doggy paddle?

Jean-Marc was out as was Paul and Martin appeared up at the canal. I tucked in at the back.

Session today was:
3x 400 effort and recovery in 3mins
3x 300 effort and recovery in 2 and a half mins
3x 200 effort and recovery in 2mins

Felt ok by rep three so decided to mix it up and see if I could stick with Karen. Which I could. Martin flew on the first few, but by the 300s I was cruising with the middle group. On the last 300 there was lots of walking way from the start and trying not to lead the 2nd group so I decided to give it a go from the front. Even pegged back a couple of slower elite on the 200s which I was very pleased with, came 5th of 13 on each of those.

Struggled back at a very slow pace but recovered just before the office.

Thursday Intervals with Rocket Lockets

8 times 300, with a generous two minutes recovery between reps.

A very evenly balanced group B, with me holding off and refusing to go past Karen until after the fourth rep. Andy was looking good and pushing out beyond the group on the early reps, which we were doing at around 55.

By rep five I was up for it and kicked through the last 100m. Each rep from then in was harder and faster getting closer to 50. By the last one we were all in a line and I decided to risk leading from the front and at 100 to go the crashing of feet behind signaled a full on sprint that nearly caught the A group who were 10sec ahead. Cleared the lasted one 47 and no-one came past.

There was a dead pigeon on the towpath under the bridge, Andy Wier reckoned he bit the dust at rep 7. The pigeon looked pretty much how I felt!

Steve was there, but doing his own thing as he decide if we locked horns it might get ugly.....

Jean-Marc was up there too, and come through us just before a rep in his direction which he kinna joined in on - I'm looking forward to him coming back to the full sessions. When I first started going he was miles faster than me, now I'm sure the tables have turned.....

I also learnt something vaguely interesting. The reason you double up or squat down instinctively after explosive exercise is to make it easier for the heart to pump the blood around. You learn something new every day!

Lockett's Rockets

More first timers today. Charlie came along with Martin and I dragged Mark Westlake and the McCleery twins (that's another story) aka Andrew McCleery up to the canal to make it a JP Morgan fest.

17 Rockets headed out with some strides to warm up as some of the newbies were wandering out loud if those were the first reps. Nope. We started at the sign on the wall and knocked out 12x 200m off 2mins total (ie including the recovery). The recovery was supposed to be static, but we jogged back the first one.

We split into two groups as there were too many to go together and the elite went some 10 seconds before the middle/back group.

Mark was drenched in sweat after the first rep. but looked like he could have been at the back of the elite. Andy was up there powering through in the front/middle of the 2nd group. I was tucked in somewhere near Karen's pace for the first six or so. By then the first people were ducking out and at the end I counted 14 of us as survivours.

After the sixth rep. it was pretty clear this was not going to hurt my back so I started to push through from halfway and held the last 100m at around 90% - this change in gear was noticed and got a comment from Martin (who was also at pains to point out he was not the back marker) just incase he got blogged.

Most enjoyable moment was rep 10 when I reckoned I could catch Mark and did, but he was claiming injury to his leg and then did not complete the session. It is not often I get to go past Mark, so it was a particulary sweet moment.

By the last two reps I was letting Andy get a little ahead until the halfway point which gave me a chance accelerate through the last 100m and try and catch him, which I managed both times at around 90% - I was certain I'd need the extra 10% on the last rep, but he just let me go past with out a fight.

Job done.

Thursday Intervals

They did run on Tuesday!

Just I was two minutes too soon, they were late. Plus coz I went long they'd gone by the time I got back.

Anyways, today was with the rockets, some 11 of us. Martin was claiming his place as back marker also though now as I am up with the big boys I wouldn't what was happening in the slow group. Ha Ha!

Todays reps were 3 sets of 400, 3 sets of 300 and 3 sets of 200. 400s off 3 minutes and the rest of two. Tucked in behind the Karen and Sarah, but felt they were saving too much for the short ones so moved through just behind (well a fair bit) behind the elite. Justin kicked through a couple so I went with him for the hell of it.

Everyone doubled up whacked after each rep, great to see the effort levels going in. Although probably not what the cuddly couple on the bench were after for their amourous lunch break. 11 sweaty rockets huffing and puffing around them between reps.

This has gotta be doing me some good.

Thursday Intervals with Rocket Lockets

Not many at the meeting place today and those that did turn up looked pretty useful.

By the time we got to the canal there were 10 of us and 2 went for the "Full Monty" a threshold run right around the entire Vicky Park boundry as part of their marathon prep.

Fair bit of debate ensued about what the rest of us were going to do. There is a measured 200m on a clear and flat section just before the bridge before the humpbacked bridge over the side canal - that makes sense if you've ever been to the canal. The wee white sign on the wall is the start and the last white bollard is the finish on the outbound.

We did twelve sets of the following: 200m sprint, jog back to the start with both sprint and jog inside 2mins. I was clearing the 200m in 34-38 seconds, getting stronger as we went on. I was keeping up with the middle group (no back markers today) and by rep 4 I was somewhere between the elite and the middle. Someone ducked out around halfway and then I was closing the gap to the elite with each rep.

The pep talk from the tramp on the bench at the end was amusing. Fag and beer in hand he assured us he could not even do one of the reps above walking pace.....

A group of fatties with guides wearing yellow bibs waddled through us and obeyed the orders to keep left so we could sprint through them. On their return leg we actually over took them on our recovery jog. If we are the rocket lockets they must be the damp squibs. Harsh but true.

By the last one I actually caught one of them and went through to finish the last rep 3rd of 7. Wow! Don't know where that speed came from, but it was a great feeling to hold my own with the elite and get the chit chat about what the aim of the session was, how hard to each of the reps ought to be (85%) and why we switched direction a few times (as the wind changed). Very happy with that and relaxed about going off on holiday skiing with not much prospect of running in pipeline for the next couple of weeks.

Thursday at Lockett Rockets

New recruit to the Lockett Rockets today, I took along a runner from work I know who expressed an interest in intervals. Let's call him Simon, because that's his name.

Made it to the meeting point in good time and no Mr Lockett and only 8 or so cats, hung around until 12:37 before pushing off up to the canal.

I hadn't been on Tuesday, but they'd done pyramids so wanted something fast and I chipped in with a suggestion of something simple. 75 on 45 off 12 sets, 6 out six back. Everyone ready? Away!

Simon glances sheepishly down at his bare wrist then notices Justin does not have a watch either. "How will you know when the time is up?" he asks, Justin shrugs, I just know when the time is down, I count or watch for the guy in front. 15 seconds in and the order is naturally sorted I'm tucked in behind Sarah and Justin is breathing down my neck. But what on earth is this - Simon hammers past grinning like a Cheshire cat and pulls away on rep one holding the pace of the elite. I nearly catch him on the recovery, but at the off he's gone again and Justin asserts himself in front of me and Simon mullers rep two. He's not smiling anymore though. At the end of rep three I look back and he's gone. Dropped like stone. I can't even see him. Next time I catch sight of him is on rep 10 (which he joins in on) and then I peg him back through rep 11 and take him on rep 12.

Rep 12 had Steve catching me and he claims he would have got me if the two guys with the canoe on the ramp at the lock had not passed the cyclist coming the other way right at the end of the rep had not blocked the path for him - te he I saw the gap, but left the pace injection to the last moment so he couldn't follow me through!

It was a lovely sunny day and at the end of rep five Sarah was obviously feeling the heat so decided to take off her t-shirt to reveal her mini top underneath. The three tramps on the bench all had their eyes popping out their heads and their jaws dropped and tongues hanging out at that spectacle. She was amused by that story too, not often that much flesh is revealed on the canal at this time of year.

Thursday Intervals

With the canal still drained and blocked there was much debate and after the two rep out and back debacle on Tuesday the consensus was quickly achieved and we decided to go around the dam.

Km reps for the elite, or 3 minutes for the rest of us. 6 of those did not quite work out as I lost the plot when we were on the road and one of the reps kinnda merged into another. So I did my own thing and pushed through at what felt like faster than 5km pace.

Cleared the gas canisters and some - so that was something. Steve was complaining at the end that I set off quick on rep one and he tried to take me on rep 2 but that I kicked and held him back, the point then being I was "no-where" on reps 3 & 4. But I did 5 and 6 and the last one took me through the elite who acknowledge the perseverance of my efforts even if the sustainable speed is not there.

Got hailed on at one point when the temperature dived and then the sun came out. Windy too, with gusts against on the way back.

Did some wii fit yoga in the evening as feeling tight from Berko I guess and feeling the tightness in my calfs beinging to annoy me.

Thursday Intervals

I was on time and enjoyed the hot updraft from the vents at the meeting point.

Mutterings about something called the "Nationals" on Saturday meant the elite were looking for an easy session and not expecting many to turn up.

By the time we left there were only 10 of us and a suggestion of 12x 1on 30off, with 2 at 6. By the time we got to the canal most people were going to do their own thing so Karen, Steven and I were a wee group sticking to the original session at the back.

On the way out one of the bridges had water lapping at the edge of it as the canal seemed to be exhibiting symptoms of a neep tide. Infact, after a detour around the next bridge the problem became clear. Workmen had damed the canal and lift the water level higher with their blue tarpalin contraption. Three guys neck deep in the water building it. Lovely job.

By the time we returned to this spot it was ankle deep and the only way through was to go for it. Made rep 7 interesting. Kinnda ended up out of sync but still did all 12. Strugggled to get going on the first few and just about kept up with Karen's easy pace.