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Tour de Newport Training: Week 5

Week 5 of the TdN training block and the week is similar to the previous week and will be the last before the first active recovery week. The plan was to continue with the early morning runs and a hill session on Tuesday with a 20 mile run on the Saturday.

Tuesday – 7 Miles

Headed to bed early on Monday night so I could get a full night’s sleep for the early run but it didn’t mean it was any easier to get up but got up and out there. It was forecast to be a chilly one but with the right gear you don’t notice it at all and the lack of frost helps. Felt pretty good throughout and picked up the pace a little compared to usual runs along the same route.

I’m still encountering an issue with the side of my left foot and it seems to appear around 3-4 miles into a run. It’s not uncomfortable but I’m aware of it and really know about it if I turn quickly on it. I’ve worn three pairs of shoes on the last three runs (2 x Hoka and 1 x New Balance) and the same issue has appeared with all of them so can’t be the show and presuming it’s something like tendinitis. Will continue to keep an eye on it.

Distance – 7 Miles

Wednesday – 6 Miles (Hills)

TdN – Week 5, Run 2
My weekdays are somewhat of a routine, much like the many people I encounter. I walk to the railway station at the same time every morning, see the same people on the same train heading to Cardiff and then see the same people on the same return journey in the evening.

Despite there being less people around early in the morning, running the same 4am runs each week means I encounter other people following similar routines. There’s the guy waiting for his lift in a bus stop at 0425 who probably gets a fright as I run past him, the taxi drivers in the Chow taxi rank in Pill at 0500 hoping for a fare, the cleaner locking up the Halifax Building Society in the centre of town at 0515 and an old fella walking his equally old dog in a deserted city centre.

I wonder if these people notice me and share with others the runner they see every morning?

Anyway, I digress. Today was hills and they went surprisingly well despite the struggle to roll out of bed. 12 hill repeats completed up North Street and down Stow Hill for recovery.

Distance – 6.22 Miles

Thursday – 7 Miles

I’m not usually a fan of running the same route over and over again but I’m enjoying my ‘Somerton 7’ route. It’s straightforward, relatively flat and offers a bit of variety with a run past the Riverfront, views of the Transporter Bridge (currently can’t see it because it’s too dark, but it’s there!) and a run through a deserted city centre.

Picked up the pace in this run with just under 8:00 /mi pace throughout. The left foot is still having issues after a few miles and is more of an inconvenience than a pain and whilst running doesn’t cause me to compensate for it. I’ve got an appointment with a physio next week, which is also an easier week, so will see what she says.

Distance – 7 Miles

Saturday – 18-20 Miles

This week’s long run was a little increase on last week’s so 18-20 miles and with the weather forecast to be nice I plotted a route that would take in the coast. I parked in the centre of Penarth and started with a couple of miles along the old Taff Vale Railway line which once joined Penarth with Barry but is now a popular recreational path. It exited near Cosmeston Lakes and whilst it was tempting to explore the area I had plotted a route for the Garmin watch so that I knew how far I had left and when I would be predicted to finish so instead headed along the road to Sully.

Well on a crossroads in Cog

Rather than running through the village I took a detour to the hamlet of Cog which featured De Sully Manor, the large early 19th century Cog Farm and a well in the middle of a crossroad. The road eventually rejoined Sully and it was along busy roads through Barry until I reached Barry Island. I took the road around the island so that I could return along with Wales Coast Path to the seafront. Despite starting a little cloudy when I began the run it was now full blue sky, a pleasant temperature and not windy at all.

At the Pleasure Beach I passed the fairground (still not open yet) and ran a different route out back towards Barry. The route I eventually took was very similar to the one ran during the Barry Island Ultra so no issues navigating along I reached a section where I needed to run towards Wenvoe but OnTheGoMap had plotted a route along a section of busy road that didn’t have a footpath. The road wasn’t long and I could see the end of it but with three lanes of traffic travelling at 50mph it was probably best to take a detour. It’s a pain but I see it as a way of ticking off some more streets on CityStrides.

Back on track I was on the busy A4050 towards Wenvoe where just passed the village I turned on Station Road East. The A4050 has constant drone from the traffic but just a hundred yards after turning off the road it became so peaceful. The lane crosses the Barry Railway which ran up as far as Pontypridd and Caerphilly and even though the line has long gone the station and platforms remain. Beyond the old station the lane winds through the peaceful countryside passing the 19th century Wrinstone House with its turreted wings and then and then turning into a steep rocky track. After passing through a farm the road returns and it’s downhill into Dinas Powys and into Penarth. Due to a bit of a longer run through Barry and the detour to avoid the main road, the run ended up being 21.5 miles so a little longer than planned.

Last week’s run was a bit of struggle at times, particularly towards the end but this week it was much more enjoyable without any issues. I fuelled well drinking plenty and eating along the way (including a pork pie). I ended the run meeting a friend in Penarth for a non-alcoholic beer and walk along the pier and seafront.

Distance – 21.5 Miles

Sunday – 1h 30m

The last run of the week and was meant to run 1h 30m easy but I couldn’t resist an invite to run in the hills with some members of the club. The circular route started from Abertillery and was a long, long climb to the top for a run across the Coity Mountain which runs between Blaenavon and Abertillery.

The run was meant to be 11.25 miles but with a few wrong turns that turned into closer to 13 miles and whilst most of it was run at a steady pace things felt good running back along the top so increased the pace to closer to 7:00 /mi. After the long run the day before, things felt surprisingly good which is a good indication that the legs are getting used to running 50 mile weeks again.

Next week will be an easier week with lower mileage and a maximum distance of 14 miles.

Distance – 13 Miles / 2h 30m

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I once didn't run, then I started to run and got addicted. Then Crohn's Disease put a stop to my running adventures. Now I'm back with a new bum (colostomy) and starting to embark on new running adventures.

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