Training Log Archive: BrandNewMe

Packed everything into the van as Ray looked after the kids. 3 hours of exercise. Then play park for hours as it was sunny for once. Then drove down the great glen, parked the van for the night, went to the eagle barge for a slap up dinner, and did some great pissed cycling home. Seafood platter for dinner is abit like celery. The effort put into eating it must outweigh the energy provided. Syrup sponge and ice cream less so.

Not feeling too perky today. My knee is v sore and stiff. My pf foot pain is back. I am too old for drinking like that (GREAT night tho!). I hobbled around the white course after Lucy, in my jeans and trainers. Not loving the fact every control was 'waist deep bog, centre of').

Plans for the future? I'm not sure. Things I am sure of:

I am not going to be in the 2016 british squad.
I am not going to worry about technical training ever again. If it's there and it's fun, I'm up for it. If not, no thanks.
I'm going to be a bit less obsessive about training and not staying injured. Running commute every day? It's not got enough variety and too many junk miles so I wouldn't have done it in the past, but in the future, could be fun! Mountain marathons - possibility. My friend Emma does kettle bells and stair reps with a local hard man. It looks like a giggle. I want to do a track race sometime. Track reps could be a laugh. I want to try to get XC fit again. I'm sorry if you thought I would stop trying to wreck my fragile body. I can't.
I'm not going to stop orienteering - it's a brilliant sport, such fun.
I don't know if I'll run w35 or w21e next year. If I'm fit enough to make the woc team it will be elite, if not I'll be pot hunting.
Nick's not coaching me anymore. If I am not putting in 100%, I wouldn't expect anyone to put 100% into me. If I am fit enough to make the woc team next year though, I will be picking up the phone and grovelling to him though. Thanks Nick, I have learnt so much about orienteering, and how to start enjoying it again.

Reflections on woc long later, but now I have a campervan to pack.

Feeling a bit barfy. Jogging around the warm up map trying out the knee protection system the physio had designed. Not bad. Great to have a midge suit to warm up in.

WOC long.

The knee bursa thing was problematic apparently. The physio was worried, and yesterday we had a long discussion on the pros and cons of running prior to confirm the entry which had to be done by midday Thursday. The team management put me under no pressure to run at all. If I hit my knee, with the bursa in the state it was in, my patella would have minimum protection and I was in danger of damaging it. This and the fact that the 6 different prescription medicines I was taking (the usual, antibiotics, eye stuff, cocodamol, and diclofenac) were combining to make me feel v nauseous indeed. It wasn't looking good.

The disadvantages of running were:
Jess might do well instead of me,
I might end up really crocked for a long time by running,
I was feeling so nauseous a good run was unlikely
I was feeling a bit out of it and woozy from the drugs.

Advantages for running were:
I knew if I didn't run I would probably go mad.

Different things motivate different people, and my motivation over the past few years has been this one race. If I could do it, I would feel everything had been worthwhile. That I had been successful. If I didn't run it I would have failed in everything I have been working towards. For me there was no choice, I had to run it as I didn't want to face the consequences of not doing so.

Number 1 was going well, until the end when I thought it was on a reentrant. It wasn't. Dropped a good 1:30 I think.

2 - a bit off line mid way. I recovered and went round a lake on the shore until I hit a big crag. Swim 5m or go round. I went around. Too early on to get so wet.

3 and 4 were ok. 5 was a v long leg. After lots of debate I went straightish. This was bad. V tussocky. Hard to attack the control confidently the way I went too.

6 and 7 were quite tracked up, so easy.

To 8 I took a bearing, and lost confidence in the windblow. I hit the path as it crossed the slope though, and knew where I was. Phew!

Picked my way to 9, with Hanny catching me 9mins. Bummer. To 10 she gets away and catches Amelie and the Latvian who must have passed me with my poor number 5. After 11 they were about 50m ahead, and I hoped to catch them with a slightly different line to 12 but I got caught in some windblow. Bummer. 12 was lovely, as was 13. Such a beautiful experience. Then the rest was easy. So I finished in one piece, much to the physio's surprise.

It's all over. YEARS of demons faced. The result was a personal worst, but I feel so happy - a real weight off my shoulders. I need to stop now, draw a big line, accept that I have succeeded. If I am going to go on as an international orienteer I will need to find a new, positive, motivation. I'm not sure if the motivation is out there, and I don't really care. It's really important to me that I take the time to appreciate that I have done what I wanted.

I got lots of drugs from Sarah last night for the scratched eye pain. I also have a very inflamed and swollen knee. I must have hit it during the race, and the bursa got inflamed. Sarah dropped around this morning to take a look, and drained fluid off it with a syringe and needle (I was so nearly sick). It is now compressed, and I should be ok to run tomorrow. Eye is getting there, and will not be a problem tomorrow.

Woc relay. Lost concentration and navigated 5-6 when I was at 4, or something like that big time loss. Scratched eye at about 8, lost dibber at about 12. A horrible day in the forest for me. Luckily Cat and Jess pulled it back big time, and the eye pain and knee worries is masking all other thoughts.

Warm up

Middle / relay model. With some drills.