Add run notes for week 22

Author: Sparrow0hawk

content/blog/2025-06-01-runnotes.md

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+Title: 26th May-1st June Run notes
+Tags: running
+
+## Monday
+
+Bank holiday run at the end of the day. It's rained today and I settle in for some light drizzle with my raincoat which
+makes a change! I'm off to Sissons wood for a steady state run aiming for a there and back. I pass a chap sorting out his
+e-scooter just before I enter the wood and what ever he was doing he sorted it out and starts to tail me all the way. This
+creates an odd pursuit dynamic in my head as I give him space to overtake but he never does. He seems to be going slow 
+and I start to pay him no mind and just crack on. Eventually, I turn around and he buzzes past me without any drama so
+much for the great chase narrative my head had constructed.
+
+## Wednesday
+
+It's lunchtime and I'm having hill repeats. These were supposed to be in the morning but fate had other plans and I was
+needed to nursery drop-off, thankfully fate dealt me back with some meeting cancellations and I'm able to get out earlier
+for this workout. Five sets of 3 minutes up the classic Middleton park 5% and the whole things feels great. I keep my effort
+high out to the park and manage 5 repeats feeling quite strong. I take the first one easy to gauge it before driving up the 
+effort, I wobble slightly on rep 3 but manage to bring it back for 4 and 5. At the time I'm convinced this was a strong 
+day out and I was maybe going as fast as or faster than my best session here. On review it's more like a mid-table workout
+I'm surprised to see earlier efforts were more consistent and faster. That doesn't detract from it feeling good though
+but a sign I need to dial into my focus more.
+
+## Thursday
+
+The first morning run of the week and it's an easy hour out along the Leeds Country Way as far as Carlton. I could slightly
+feel yesterdays hills on the legs during the first few minutes but quick as anything my legs grow comfortable and I'm 
+sailing over the softened fields after the first rainfall in many weeks. This cuts both ways as crossing the fields over
+to Carlton my shoes are weighed down by the mud sticking to them. I come across a deer on the Rothwell greenway and I'm
+surprised how close it's come to civilisation and the nearby road, I shoo it back into the bush and marvel at such a find
+this morning.
+
+## Friday
+
+Three-runs-in-a-row! Speed work today with descending ladders and to keep me reasonably honest I just do laps of the track
+around my nearby park. It's roughly 2km on a slight slope, I take it in my preferred direction: anti-clockwise. After a lap
+and a bit of warm up I'm into the ladders, I start too strong for a workout where I need to gradually increase my effort 
+level as the steps of the ladder reduce in duration. Going too hard on the longer duration first steps of the ladder meant
+that for steps 3 and 4 where my effort was supposed to be cranking up my average pace was dipping and worse I was starting
+to fade just before the end of each of these efforts. For the final step of 1 minute I was able to bring the effort level 
+up again and finally take a step-up on the ladder but I would have preferred building up to that level and having enough
+for another rep at 1 minute rather than having a fade during my 2-minute rep. 
+
+Whilst objectively I got this drill wrong it did leave me wondering about what is the feeling I'm trying to hit in a workout
+like this? I'm I aiming for being able to push my pace through that uncomfortable feeling that I got particularly during
+the 2-minute section? I think the answer is probably that you need to feel worked but also hit the consistency to ensure
+you're getting the right level of exertion to drive adaptations but not overexert and risk injury. Anyway, descending ladders
+is incredibly fun and I can't wait to do it again and do it better.
+
+## Sunday
+
+A sunny but windy one for a long run. I'm dialled in for a steady effort for just under 3 hours time on feet and plan 
+for one last visit down my favourite leg of the Leeds Country Way to the Ruins of Howley Hall. Immediately, as I reach
+the plantation I see a fox. It's before 8am, but it's rare to see a fox about around here, he's being chased off by a magpie
+and I weave round the trail and leave them to it. Steady means I'm not going to pay attention to my watch so much and just
+really try and zero in on my perceived effort. I do check it from time to time but try not to get into my head at where 
+my heart rate or pace is at. I've only really done this route to Howley Hall once before but most of the paths are marked
+and easy to follow. Since last running this route some six weeks ago all the bushier parts of the trail have grown very 
+tall. I have to slow down at a number of spots to try and navigate waist high nettles and brambles shooting out over the path.
+I don't do so well against the nettles and may have to resume wearing legging to avoid some nice nettle rash.
+
+Running up along Woodkirk Beck and see two enormous plants that look like cows parsley growing by the water. I later read
+these are probably examples of [Giant Hogweed](https://www.rhs.org.uk/weeds/giant-hogweed) and I'm glad I didn't get too close.
+I climb the short hill up past St Mary's Church and exchange a morning with the chap opening it up for Sunday service. 
+Not much further for Howley Hall and I meet some dog walkers with a dog (thankfully on a lead) that gets very aggressive. 
+Annoyingly I know I'll have to pass them again so stop at the ruins to check for an alternate path back to Woodkirk. 
+I find a path but still meet the dog although it's distracted by another dog walkers dog now so manage a less tense encounter.
+
+The way back is harder work than the way out and I'm largely out of fluids for the last 4 kilometres so grateful to reach
+Thorpe Hall farm and easy my way across the fields back home. Whilst I'm happy my effort way level for this run I am surprised
+at where my heart rate was, it certainly didn't feel like an anaerobic effort but I'm in zone 4 for over 50% of the session
+with the rest split between zone 5 and zone 3. This is where I've got to trust in the RPE though (which I marked this as a 6) 
+and just enjoy all the other stats as the data points they are on any given day.