Training Log Archive: BrandNewMe

Wallington road run. Steady, seeing how things are after yesterday. Felt ok.

Very wet, dark, road run around suburbia. Felt good. No niggles at all. Mmmmm. Too much road running makes me very happy indeed.

Insomnia.

Warm up.

Edinburgh City race - race the castles.

Going ok, some sub-optimal route choices, but as my last sprint race was in March, and I didn't do sprint training for it, and I finished uninsured, I am satisfied with the performance and result.

To 1 down the steps and past 4, and up from below to 1. Out of 1 north, not realising I was on a bridge and had to go around. Thought the control was on the other side of the wall too so overshot a bit and skidded on the cobbled.

To three I went west, through the yard and up. 4 north out of the control and down the alley. 5 easy. 6 up Victoria street (ne from 5, then up the steps half way up the street, over the royal mile, down an alley and left.

To 7 retraced my steps to the royal mile then down the alley. Not the quickest route poss. South out of 6 might have been quicker. 8, 9 easy. 10 back down the alley I used to and from 6, then straight on, approaching 10 from the east. 11 was actual orienteering, there were no tracks and I was pretty hesitant. 12 I went to the tree on the junction by accident. Not the straightest route out to 13. Stayed n of the railway out of 13 to 14. Think South might have been quicker.

To 15 I went up the road south of the control, and kept going past the control approaching from the path to the west. Not sure this was quickest. Retraced my steps west out of 15 and went all the way around to approach 16 from the north. I missed the cut through half way along my route. I think this cost me a fair bit. Retraced my steps out of 16 to 17, but the run in was from 16.

So time loss, splits will be interesting, but ok and I am quite pleased.

Nick looked at the splits for me. Some small time losses here and there, bigger one at 15. It was fun, but glad to put these behind me and get back in the forest. I know improvements are possible with training, it's whether my heart is in it for 2015 when the forests look so much more inspiring.

This is the last morning of 7am starts at work, as I finish the crappy project I am doing at work today. Shame I don't get paid overtime for the 8 weeks of starting at 7 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Nice cycle as it is so quiet at 6. Holidays next week. I think this calls for a celebratory bacon roll!

RTC warm up.

Fun. Slippy so reluctant to run hard, but hit a good rhythm. Dropped 30 secs by not realising I could run along the western approach rd to 11. Rest fine. Sprint hasn't broken my body - yet!

No warm up or warm down whatsoever. Oh dear. Not at all professional. Naughty naughty me. I blame the kids. Both Lucy and Laurence wee'd on the Sheraton. Well, it was dark, and she was desperate...

Geeking for tomorrow.

Edinburgh geeking.

Another 7am start at work. Nice, cold and still on the cycle this morning.

Warm up / down

10 x 1min on 30 secs off. My favourite intervals session.

I am pretty nervous about Saturday. Not about the performance I might give, or the tricks that Jegor might have planned - I'll try my hardest, but certainly don't expect to be cuttering up the podium - but the effect that it will have on my body. I have reached the stage where in my mind sprint = injuries and that's my worst nightmare, so today's reps were to show me that I was wrong, and could run fast without breaking (or they would actually break me). Either way, it would stop me being quite so paraniod about getting injured on Saturday. It had the desired effect. I survived. It was ok. Not great, but not terrible. I felt shite and slow and things started aching but I didn't break.

Portobello jog.

Sprint stuff. Running wild and cf

Cold this morning. First raynaulds hands of winter. Nice.

I wanted to try out my new x talons before saturday (thanks run and become) so I went for a jog when Ray went back. Not really up for it but went out. I got to the meadows for the start of Martin's session, but wisely decided not to be talked into reps, as I wanted to do reps tomorrow. Had a brief jog around the meadows, then got bored so I headed up blackford hill, in the dark. I've never really run from blackford pond, and didn't know the way, so just went straight up. Felt good on the run, and running up the hill.

In other news I asked work if i could get 20 days extra holiday next year. I think they might go for it. 20 days = 5 weeks for a part timer like me!

C • you don't ask, you don't get..... 3

I had to get some time off school for the kids to come to POM, so had to ask the head teacher if it was ok. I got as far as 'I am in the british orienteering team' when she said 'great, when can you take a session at school?'. I said no. Its sounds a bit ungenerous, but there is only so much you can do. I felt pretty guiltily afterwards, and work might give me some time off to take the school kids orienteering. Does anyone know if there are any schools orienteering resources in Edinburgh? Schools friendly maps etc etc? I was thinking meadows or Arthur's seat. Thanks for any pointers.

C • speak to Janet C, I am sure... 3

Slept in

V windy so decided against the pentlands and went from work to cammo, down river almond, crammond, along the front to the star bank inn, then wiggled very unsatisfactorily to gayfield, royal terrace, Holyrood park, bog and home. Everything ached. Struggling to get momentum moving in the right direction by the end.