Wednesday 28 October 2009

Half Term



This is the las day of my half term holiday. I have used my time off to do lots of hard training. I have started to cut back on quantity now and beginning to focus on quality.
The week started off well with a good track session (20x400m), and hill reps in Bandama (the largest volcano crater on the island), however by Friday I started to feel a bit ill. I had a cough and felt sore all over. Since arriving in the Canary Islands I have breathing problems on and off linked to dust storms that blow in from Africa. After taking Friday and Saturday off I was able to run my planned tempo run on Sunday, I didn't feel great at the start of the run but by half way I started to feel better and managed to run 1hr17 for 20km on the trails of La Isleta.
To 'help' me feel better and to try to prevent myself from catching the flu which is going around I have been forcing myself to drink disgusting smoothies of spinach, ginger and garlic. I am going to have a few easy days and hopefully attempt another 20km tempo run on Thursday.

Sunday 25 October 2009

Orienteering at 1800m


Today I went orienteering in La Calderilla (the highest orienteering map in Gran Canaria). The area was really good, but a poor map and course planning. It was an enjoyable day in the mountains and good running training, however I didn't finish the orienteering course as too many of the controls were in the wrong place or not there at all. I hope to go back to the area soon and do some re-mapping.

Friday 23 October 2009

Training in El Hierro


I am just back from El Hierro. Even though I was there with 32 children (Geography field trip) I managed to get in 4 unforgettable runs. On the first evening there I set off at 6.30pm to try to run to the highest point on the island (Malpaso 1501m), however I misjudged the available light and had to turn back about 1 km from the summit, and had to finish the run in the dark (1h40).

The next day after walking for 3 hours with the kids I ran back to our hostel. This was an amazing run, I climbed over 1000m in under 5km, taking 45mins. The rest of the run was through some of the nicest pine forests I have ever seen (2h).

Probably the toughest run on the week was from a fishing village called La Restinga, which is a world famous diving area, back to the hostel. Although this run started in the baking sun it was long before I was running through the clouds! I can't remember a training run like it, as it climbed the whole way. This run was 100% climb, and at times was some of the steepest climbing I have ever done (1h20).

Today I only managed to fit in a 30hour jog through the forest. The pine forest of El Hierro are amazing, nothing on the ground but pine needles! the perfect recovery run!

Monday 19 October 2009

Trip to El Hierro


Tomorrow I am going to the beautiful island of El Hierro which is Europe´s most southern and western place. It is a trail runner´s paradise, especially if you like to climbing!Its highest point is 1501m, and I plan to run from sea level to the top, which is less than a kilometre "as the crow flies".

Sunday 18 October 2009

Training in Firgas ((La Ruta de Doramas)



Yesterday I went training with about 20 other trail runners in Firgas. We were 'trail' running the route (La Ruta de Doramas) a race that is going to be there on the 7th of November (the day before I go to Argentina, so I won't be able to run).

It was one of the nicest runs I have done on the island and I can't wait to go back to train there again.

Back again!!


It has been a long time since I have updated this blog!

I have less than a month to go before the K42 final in Argentina and I am starting to get excited and nervous!

Training has been going very well recently! and I feel in good shape!


Highlights in the past few months have been winning the Las Palmas Extreme Mountain Half Marthon for the second time, buying a spinning bike (a new daily part of my training) and some amazing training runs around Gran Canaria.