Training Log | Take me to the mountains: Week 8 Ultra-Training

WEEK EIGHT 

11th December - 17th December

Monday 11th December

Finish work at 11:30pm in town. So walked the 5km home. I'm not breaking my streak!

Walking: 5.2km | Time: 53:01 | Av Pace: 10:09/km | Elev Gain: 15m

Tuesday 12th December

Manage to run to and from meetings in town today to sneak in 5km with some hill repeats. Strava goes mental so I've no idea on the ascent my hill reps actually is but don't care. I've found 5km where I should have just been sitting on a bus and in meetings.

Running: 5.3km | Time: 31:41 | Av Pace: 5:57/km | Elev Gain: 76m

Cycle (commuting): 14km | Time: 50:31

Wednesday 13th December

Run to work. Tired this week. But clocking up that mileage. 

Running: 7.7km | Time 43:37 | Av Pace: 5:36/km | Elev Gain: 27m

Thursday 14th December

It's Thursday - it's Beigel run! We're dressed as elves this week because, well obviously, it's nearly Christmas! Great gentle miles. When you're with company it's amazing how 10km just vanishes without thinking about it. Also really good practice in slowing down which is so vital for the ultramarathon training. 
Tonight we take the train to the Lake District for 4 days in the mountains. I can't wait. 

Running: 9.3km | Time: 57:48 | Av Pace: 6:11/km | Elev Gain: 51m

Cycle (commuting): 29.7km | Time 1:34:26

Friday 15th December

LAKE DISTRICT! Woohoo! We're staying at YHA Ambleside so plot a route from the YHA all the way up to a beautiful ridge of Wainwright mountains. The snow is insane from 400m+ and in places is knee deep making it hard going. Incredible strength training. Beautiful day. 

Hiking: 19.9km | Time: 6:36:55 | Elev Gain: 903m

Saturday 16th December

We manage to persuade some of our friends to do Fell Foot parkrun in Newby Bridge. Very frosty underfoot so really tough going especially on tight legs after all of yesterday's ascent. 
In the afternoon we take our friends out on a hike up to another Wainwright. Gorgeous views from the summit and a lovely crisp day. 

Running: 5km | Time: 24:50 | Av Pace: 5:00/km | Elev Gain: 35m
Hiking: 7.5km | Time: 3:08:25 | Elev Gain: 349m

Sunday 17th December

Started the morning with a quick, very muddy, fell run up the hill behind our house. 
Fading light in the evening made it tough going when at 2pm we suddenly had the time to go out for a hike. Great speed on the ascent and decent and an hour walking in the dark got us another Wainwright bagged. 

Running: 3.1km | Time: 19:23 | Av Pace: 6:28/km | Elev Gain: 70m
Hiking: 11.1km | Time: 2:35:37 | Elev Gain: 383m

Week Eight Totals

Running: 75.7km | 9:53:00 | 1,870m

Cycling: 44km | 2:34:00 | 207m

Swimming: 0m

Thoughts: I feel like myself again mentally after some time away in the Lakes. Looking forward to another big day tomorrow of ascent in particular. Pretty scared about how much ascent will be in the Transgrancanaria 64km race after the mileage on Friday's hike didn't even constitute a third of the total height! Must work on those hills.