Training Log Archive: HWW

Event: Park Race 3: Grovelands Park
 

Run to work, via Stratford High St, Bow Roundabout, Whitechapel Road, etc. Legs still aching from Sunday, consequently probably my slowest ever time for this run.

Cycle from 1MLP to Grovelands Park, Southgate for Park Race orienteering

Park Race orienteering #3, Grovelands Park: 5.1km, 18 controls
Not being able to run as quickly as usual should have meant I could think more and make fewer mistakes. Then again, having about half of the controls in woodland meant there was more scope for type-Harold errors.
2 wasn't pretty - probably should have bashed through as there seemed to be the beginnings of a path but I decided to "play it safe" and follow the ditch in. I undershot and then stumbled around for perhaps 20-30 seconds until I and a group found it. With 4 I opted for the bash through option - bad idea, skirting round would've been so much better.
Otherwise relatively clean, although I couldn't really make out what the map was trying to show around 6 and 7. Slightly hesitant to 8, 11 and 17 and a little slow on the run in.

Cycle back to Leytonstone from Park Race orienteering. Fine with the route while cycling with Ollie until Tottenham Hale and a bit beyond, then inadvertently explored a few bits of central Walthamstow. Ended up coming back along the Lea Bridge Road, via McDonalds in Leytonstone.

Long - Splits

The usual.

Commuter duathlon: pt.1 - Home to Old Ford Road Boris Bike station
I'd initially planned to run the whole way in but legs were still aching from Sunday so decided to go for the easier option.

Commuter duathlon: pt.2 - Boris Bike from Old Ford Rd to Potters Fields (or rather Roper Lane / Tower Bridge Rd as the Potters Fields one was full)

Commuter duathlon: pt.3

City Runners' Run along the River
My legs were still pretty ache-y and I'd said that I wasn't going to run that fast. However, with another (new-ish) runner keeping with me for the duration of the run I decided that I could maintain the pace enough to hold him off. Actually not massively far off my PB, so maybe pain is purely superficial.

Cycle home from City Runners / Shortwave Bar

Cycle to work via Fitness First, London Bridge (and via Victoria Park in an effort to make up for leaving a little late)

Kettlebells class

Event: 36th Surrey Hills Trail Challenge
 

Surrey Hills Race 2013
Upon looking at the entry list for this, I thought I'd have a reasonable chance of winning this, having lost out to Ben Stevens last year with a small catalogue of errors. That was, until, GG announced his presence at the start, having arrived in the UK yesterday for an impromptu week-long stay. We had both previously run a fair chunk of the Hills Race course together a few years ago but, as I was in my non-training years at that point, I blew up massively after around 40 mins and we didn't finish it.
From the start I set out at what I have to admit was a fast pace, with GG, Alan, Ben and James trailing to control 1. GG and I took what was probably a sub-optimal route to 2, emerging behind the other three, but we recovered the lead on route to 3. 4 and 5 felt fine and we were able to maintain a strong pace. By this point I was essentially letting GG navigate and, while chatting to Ben afterwards suggests we maybe didn't take the best routes to 5 and 6, we were nonetheless well clear.

Approaching 6 I began I feel a stitch coming on - v annoying, as if anything I though I would have been affected by not eating enough food soon enough (cereal for breakfast at 0745) - but this sapped my pace. I quickly lost ground on GG and, while I kept him in sight until shortly after the water station at the Duke of Kent school, he'd built up a fair lead by the time I saw him coming back from 7. My route from 7 to 8 was mainly dictated by the fact I wanted to revisit the water station, but in doing so I think I unnecessarily added distance and hills. By now my legs were starting to wane (although the stitch had cleared up) and to make matters worse the sole of my right foot was being rubbed raw by my inov8s.

Now slowing, my route to 9 seemed ok but in taking the road less travelled (sounds like everyone else took the westerly option by the lakes) I probably added more time and distance. Then, running through a field between 10 and 11 I looked back and saw Ben. I knew I'd been slowing but didn't realise he'd regained so much ground. This momentarily had me in a defeatist mindset but, realising that I only had a couple of k to run at most I decided I'd try to hold him off. Navigation to 11 and 12 was fairly clean and I was still running, albeit v slowly. Ultimately finished around 4 mins down on GG and a little under a minute ahead of Ben.

A Course - Splits

CFA Level II exam - no physical activity (hopefully sufficient mental activity) but at least this does now mark the beginning of sporting summer.

EY Modern Pentathlon 2013: Riding (6 jump course)
I'd not originally intended to ride as part of this competition; my team (supposedly 4 but in the end an incomplete 3) had our designated rider (a virtual beginner). However, given the opportunity for others to have a go near the end of the competition I decided to try.
I have ridden before, most recently around 3 or 4 years ago as part of an OUMPA training weekend organised by my cousin, but have never jumped. Not that this effort really involved "jumping" - instead I was essentially led round over the lowest level barriers. Still, its something I'd like to return to and work on, and would love to be able to competently compete in a full scale pentathlon. Additional bonus in that, thanks to this participation I was still a contender in both the individual pentathlon and tetrathlon events.

EY Modern Pentathlon 2013: Running (3,000m run: 3 x 1km circuit of Tonbridge School cricket pitches)
Unfortunately the organisers decided that it would be too complex to arrange a chasing / Hungarian start format for the 4th wave of the run, based on team's points totals after the first 4 events and 3 waves of the run. As such, the run involved a mass start instead but there were still (just about) lapping opportunities.

With a fast start from the field, I made sure I got clear but also was able to find a comfortable pace. Arguably I did go off too fast (as evidenced by my km splits) but I didn't feel I was fading too much. The far end of the loop included a gradual ascent which felt tough, particularly when one was still heading away from the start / finish. I was also surprised that the guy in 2nd was only around 100m back on the second lap (the twists and turns of the course made this particularly apparent). I put a little more distance in on him over the 3rd as I tried to hold things together for a quick time.

Ultimately not super fast - an improvement of 2 seconds on last year but then I'd have thought I should be comfortably achieving sub 9:40 on grass. Still, it was enough to help move my team up to 10th (of 12) and for me to win both the overall men's tetrathlon and pentathlon, something which I really hadn't expected given my day 1 performances. With last year's prize having been tickets to the Olympic Games Modern Pentathlon, I had wondered what this year's rewards would be. The organisers didn't disappoint and so as a result I've now got myself a ticket to the Sunday of the Lords Ashes test, yay!