Training Log Archive: Ollie

SLOW Trail Challenge at Ham Riverside, including the westernmost part of Richmond Park. This was a mass-start race, mainly along paths rather than across terrain, but plenty of "real" orienteering in it - including some very tricky route choice legs and some great sub-urban street orienteering around Ham.

Unlike most orienteering races though we could see the map with the course on it before starting. This certainly helped and I ran an unconventional route to Legs 4 and 5. At the time, I was fairly sure it had been a bad decision, as I lost the rest of the field but actually I got a great result - fourth out of around 50 runners, although the third placed runner was six minutes faster. Nick B won in 40:01.

During the race, which went through Ham Common and Ham Riverside - two areas of intricate paths and close vegetation - the rain got worse and was torrential at one point. I was happy to escape Ham Common and be back on the streets during the deluge. The course finished with a section in Richmond Park - this is where all the climb was, although it felt not too bad and the park was very pleasant to run through. It was nice having hot showers at the Ranelagh Harriers club house too, and a well-deserved steak at the pub next door.

My time is certainly fast for orienteering, and slower than I would expect for a 10km trail race. Note that the 10km is the shortest possible distance rather than the straight line distance, which is probably a lot less - 8km maybe? I'll measure it.

To work, but got puncture at St Paul's Cathedral. Then later to Waterloo station, then finally back from from Waterloo. Damp.

Warm down jog after the trail challenge. I didn't really need it though - I was soaked through and not feeling particularly exhausted after the race.