(Really) Warm Weather Training

The distinctive silhouette of Alan on a morning
run on the beach (Photo 2:09 Events)

March for me means the Algarve and the 2:09 Events training camp at Falésia. This would be my 21st or 22nd consecutive year here, burning off the winter blues with 10 days of running and conditioning in the company of fellow Harriers Frances and Eddie and about 105 other runners from all over the UK.

Whereas last year's event had been unusually wet for the Algarve, the forecast for this year showed wall-to-wall sunshine for the duration and so it turned out to be, providing the most consistently sunny weather I have ever experienced on this training camp.

Frances, Eddie and I had arrived a couple of days early to tie in with the Glasgow flights and to give me time to do a few domestic chores around my apartment after the winter. This also provided Eddie with the opportunity to immediately pick up a new injury when he tripped over a tree root on our first acclimatisation run and skint his knee. With Frances consigned to sun bathing and light cycling due to her pre-existing knee injury and me carrying a virus which had reduced my legs to jelly, I was worried that Eddie would also be absorbing more rays than miles, turning the Harriers' contingent into a doctor's waiting room rather than a pack. This was a situation that could not be allowed to happen! Fortunately, a liberal dose of nae sympathy from Frances and I soon cured Eddie's skint knee and he was declared fit to train. I was also confident that I could run gently in the heat and drive the virus out of me. On our first pre-training day, we also met up with Stuart Gibson who was out for a short break before returning home for a wedding that weekend, Stuart promising to return next year for the full training camp.

Eddie, Stuart and I take in the sun's rays

This year's head coach was the UK's second fastest ever female marathon runner (2:23), Mara Yamauchi, retired from international competition since London 2012 but still competing for her club in cross country leagues and relays and, as a young F45, still fast enough to run me into the ground. All hope of me having an easy, virus friendly first official run on the camp went out the window when Mike Gratton asked if I would lead the way on that first cliff top run and show Mara the route as I was virtually local. I survived, finding out in the process that Mara is a totally down to earth runner, very approachable indeed and can chat whilst running at a fast pace. This would be Frances' only run of the camp, her knee not reacting at all well to the run. However, Frances was soon booked in for the first of three visits to the camp's miracle worker, Sue, who was providing massage therapy to those bringing injuries to or acquiring injuries on the camp (but not skint knees!). Eddie also completed this run without falling.

Mara Yamauchi takes a stretching session

Over the space of 10 days we did a huge amount of training as usual. Except for long run days, we had an easy run of about 5 miles (trails and/or beach) at 8am each morning and an afternoon session which would be some sort of effort session on the track or the cross country course. Most days there would be a core stability, yoga, drills or pilates session before the afternoon running session and most evenings there was a talk about nutrition or some aspect of training. On the long run days (the first Sunday and the last Saturday), we did only one run, starting at 7:30 in the morning before a day of "nutrition" and relaxation.

Eddie on the trail to Vilamoura

Our non-running sessions were really diverse this year. Mara brought a range of running drills and strength and conditioning sessions which were different to those we had experienced previously. Needless to say, they need a bit of practice to perfect and to train the neural systems to trigger the right muscles (or even the right legs and arms) at the right time! Eddie played the injury card for the main drills session and instead was roped in as videographer. Here is the resulting director's cut of Eddie's film.

As always, every run was followed up with a stretching session to ensure a pain free start to the next session. An important point to reinforce; many believe that stretching increases flexibility (it might do a bit) or prevents injuries (it might do) but the main thing it does do is reduce the stiffness and aches felt the next day. That's why I stretch. Eddie took one of the group stretching sessions on the track and put a handful of runners (including Mike Gratton, who rarely stretches) through our usual club post-run stretching routine.

"Hot" Yoga on the hotel's track infield (photo from 2:09 Events' drone)

With such fantastic weather this year, all the non-running sessions were outdoors on the hotel's track. This provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate the only multi-tasking I am capable of, where one of the tasks is sun bathing and the other can be yoga, pilates, etc. The yoga sessions were taken by Sue Wainwright, the multi-talented sports masseuse and saviour of several Harriers over the years, were geared towards runners and took account of the fact that we were in the midst of a heavy week of training and were mostly on very tired legs.

Core stability Algarve style - my core is very stable here - its going nowhere!

The pilates session was taken by Algarve resident and former English National Ballet ballerina, Michelle Goyens. These sessions are also geared towards runners and were very well explained and demonstrated. We may even be bringing some of our findings to a session near you very soon.

Ready for 5k marshalling action

On some of the morning runs, we ran to the orange grove circuit, a flat loop on trails accessed by a set of high rise stepping stones (or an ankle deep run through the river). It was during this run that Eddie's knee packed in (not the skint one) and he had to walk back. On the same run I had one of my dizzy spells and also had to abandon early and jog back. Meanwhile, Frances was trying out various routes on my mountain bike. The Harriers were doing well!

The Falesia 5k road race took place at 10am on the first Tuesday of the training camp as usual. With various training groups from club to international level in the village at this time of year, the quality is always high. As the only Harriers' survivor by the Tuesday, I was the only one intending to run, although even that was a morning of the race decision as this was the first day when the headaches and dizziness had gone. However, Frances and Eddie were not at a loose end as they were gladly swept up by the race organisers to help marshal the race!

End of lap 1 of the 5k

This is a benchmark race for me each year and gives me an idea of where I am form and fitness wise. Well the answer is a not unsurprising rubbish! As I found at the Scally, from the word go I could not get a deep breath in and was struggling throughout. So not only did I record a course worst but also a personal worst 5k road race time of 19:07, over a minute slower than last year in around 30th position. The race was won in 15:30 by one of our (younger) training camp members. Although I was the first M50 from our training group, there was one other M50 from another group a full minute ahead of me. So a bit disappointing but not surprising.

The race was soon forgotten after a post-race swim in the sea, not something I usually manage in March as the sea is normally much colder. I am pleased to say that the two Calderglen race marshals also cooled down with a swim.

Post-race cool down Algarve style (Frances is behind the wave, Eddie is behind the camera!)

Nutrition always plays a huge part in an intensive training camp such as this, as illustrated in the following photo:

Long run #1 recovery breakfast - breaking in gently

Considerable restraint is needed on these training camps. It is easy to get carried away and do too much. So whereas we had the choice of this:

We showed remarkable self-control to order only this:

However, fuel is still required for the long-run:

Long run #2 - recovery breakfast

It wasn't all just running and eating. My good friend Dr Jonothan Williams, roped me into an improvised Casualty emergency scene to demonstrate what to do if a fellow runner collapses whilst out for a run. With my stage name "Mark" I did my very best impression of an unconscious runner (something that comes naturally to me):

DRS ABC

Of course there were other sports, not least the post farewell BBQ pool competition but there was too much cheating this year for my liking:
Bu

Doesn't look legal to me.

But most of all, despite all the training, the training camp is mainly about the relaxation and fun:

Taxi for Reid (his helicopter is too small!)

No wonder my heid is spinning!

And so we leave the pine cliffs for another year (or less hopefully).

An edited selection of photos from Frances and I are here with a few explanatory captions and some more photos from Frances are here.
Thanks to Frances and Eddie for making this another 10 days of fun in the sun (despite the various ailments).
Alan