Training Log Archive: IanWIn the 7 days ending Feb 26, 2006:
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Sunday Feb 26, 2006 #
Orienteering 1:16:50 [4] **** 8.93 km (8:36 / km) +235m 7:36 / km
spiked:18/29c shoes: VJ Falcons
VM Individual, Leith Hill
Men's A - 8.93km, 235m climb, 29 controls
One word sums it up - frustrating. After being really psyched up for it the day before, it was difficult to get there again. Coupled with an awkward night's sleep and the blizzard conditions at the start I had nowhere near that same feeling just before the actual race.
After running at Leith twice in the past year I knew what to expect and how to run there. Most of my mistakes previously had come in the fast open parts in the northern part of the map, so I was determined to cut those out. I'd always got through the technical parts OK so wasn't so worried about that. Bad mistake...
The plan was really quite simple:
- run hard and fast where you could
- for the controls in the technical parts get as close as possible to the control as fast as possible then attack
- where possible, use the thickets to simplify the technical areas
- in the fast part, check the compass and pick off the features
The plan worked, except for the last bit of the second point. The three most costly mistakes were for controls where I didn't have a decent attack point although I'd hit the edge of the circle - that was 6 minutes gone. There was a bit more time lost where I had the attack point but just didn't slow down enough to read the map, follow the features and hit the control cleanly.
The omens weren't good when I had a complete mental block on the way out of the start to the first control, hit the big path and was utterly confused even though there was only ever one path to hit. Overcame that, hit #1 well, bit hesitant into #2, went too fast into #3 and missed right, another 30 secs gone. Spiked 4 and 5, and was most surprised to now be ahead of my 6 minute man (who had a terrible start). #6 was back into the technical part but the rhodo bushes made it easy. Into the part where I made the mistakes in October, knew what I had to do, spiked 7-10. 6 minute man had opened up a bit of a gap and caught his fellow runner (my 18 minute man!) and it was clear they would go round together for the rest of the course. This is, in essence, what won it for the Tabs...
Then it started to go downhill again. Took the wrong option to #11, missed left, went too far right, saw it obscured behind a fallen tree. Bad approach into 12, control was exactly where I expected it to be though. Poor route through the rubbish to #13, couldn't really screw up 14. Then first big mistake - back into the technical bit from a very good attack point but didn't read the map, missed the thicket that would have led me straight in and got dragged up the slope to a control on the women's course. stupid mistake. Got to 15, minute or so lost, out again through the rubbish and ended up by the car park. Not great - path up to #16 and the map exchange.
Turns out I was going fairly well through here, 37 mins for the first, longer loop.
Out onto the second loop, bashed out to the major path junction, along the small path, past the thickets and spiked 17. #18 looked like there was a risk worth taking, turned out there were many mountain bike tracks around and this screwed it up. Hit the big path, took far too long to confirm I was where I thought I was, another minute gone. 19 was all about distance judgement along the path. Then really rushed 20, should have slowed right down and taken my time but didn't, big mistake - 3 mins for a 1min leg....
Determined to get #21 right, slowed down a bit, find the thickets. Between and control. Past big thicket, read the contours, there's 22 just off to my right. Bash out to path, back into the fast part, past the line of thickets again, up to #23 - very visible. #24, I've messed this one up before, slow down a bit, past the two rhodo bushes, past the big rhodo bush on the path, cut off, should be just round the back of this one. Spiked, off to 25, spiked that too.
Then the other big mistake - got to the edge of the circle but went too far and started looking in the reentrant rather than the spur. after a bit too much wandering around, Cerys was on hand to relocate me and was straight into #26. 3+ minutes gone, really stupid mistake, so easily avoidable, really annoying. One last time through the technical part, use the rhodo. 27, 28, 29, finish. At least 6 minutes gone on that second loop and a time of just under 77.
If I'd stayed with my 6 minute man I would have done 67 round there - on a par with Joe. Without the shin splints injury that's kept me off training for most of this term, I reckon I could have kept up... damn injuries. Final margins in both matches were <10 minutes, closest since 2003 when the men won by less than 2 minutes.
Men's A - 8.93km, 235m climb, 29 controls
One word sums it up - frustrating. After being really psyched up for it the day before, it was difficult to get there again. Coupled with an awkward night's sleep and the blizzard conditions at the start I had nowhere near that same feeling just before the actual race.
After running at Leith twice in the past year I knew what to expect and how to run there. Most of my mistakes previously had come in the fast open parts in the northern part of the map, so I was determined to cut those out. I'd always got through the technical parts OK so wasn't so worried about that. Bad mistake...
The plan was really quite simple:
- run hard and fast where you could
- for the controls in the technical parts get as close as possible to the control as fast as possible then attack
- where possible, use the thickets to simplify the technical areas
- in the fast part, check the compass and pick off the features
The plan worked, except for the last bit of the second point. The three most costly mistakes were for controls where I didn't have a decent attack point although I'd hit the edge of the circle - that was 6 minutes gone. There was a bit more time lost where I had the attack point but just didn't slow down enough to read the map, follow the features and hit the control cleanly.
The omens weren't good when I had a complete mental block on the way out of the start to the first control, hit the big path and was utterly confused even though there was only ever one path to hit. Overcame that, hit #1 well, bit hesitant into #2, went too fast into #3 and missed right, another 30 secs gone. Spiked 4 and 5, and was most surprised to now be ahead of my 6 minute man (who had a terrible start). #6 was back into the technical part but the rhodo bushes made it easy. Into the part where I made the mistakes in October, knew what I had to do, spiked 7-10. 6 minute man had opened up a bit of a gap and caught his fellow runner (my 18 minute man!) and it was clear they would go round together for the rest of the course. This is, in essence, what won it for the Tabs...
Then it started to go downhill again. Took the wrong option to #11, missed left, went too far right, saw it obscured behind a fallen tree. Bad approach into 12, control was exactly where I expected it to be though. Poor route through the rubbish to #13, couldn't really screw up 14. Then first big mistake - back into the technical bit from a very good attack point but didn't read the map, missed the thicket that would have led me straight in and got dragged up the slope to a control on the women's course. stupid mistake. Got to 15, minute or so lost, out again through the rubbish and ended up by the car park. Not great - path up to #16 and the map exchange.
Turns out I was going fairly well through here, 37 mins for the first, longer loop.
Out onto the second loop, bashed out to the major path junction, along the small path, past the thickets and spiked 17. #18 looked like there was a risk worth taking, turned out there were many mountain bike tracks around and this screwed it up. Hit the big path, took far too long to confirm I was where I thought I was, another minute gone. 19 was all about distance judgement along the path. Then really rushed 20, should have slowed right down and taken my time but didn't, big mistake - 3 mins for a 1min leg....
Determined to get #21 right, slowed down a bit, find the thickets. Between and control. Past big thicket, read the contours, there's 22 just off to my right. Bash out to path, back into the fast part, past the line of thickets again, up to #23 - very visible. #24, I've messed this one up before, slow down a bit, past the two rhodo bushes, past the big rhodo bush on the path, cut off, should be just round the back of this one. Spiked, off to 25, spiked that too.
Then the other big mistake - got to the edge of the circle but went too far and started looking in the reentrant rather than the spur. after a bit too much wandering around, Cerys was on hand to relocate me and was straight into #26. 3+ minutes gone, really stupid mistake, so easily avoidable, really annoying. One last time through the technical part, use the rhodo. 27, 28, 29, finish. At least 6 minutes gone on that second loop and a time of just under 77.
If I'd stayed with my 6 minute man I would have done 67 round there - on a par with Joe. Without the shin splints injury that's kept me off training for most of this term, I reckon I could have kept up... damn injuries. Final margins in both matches were <10 minutes, closest since 2003 when the men won by less than 2 minutes.
Saturday Feb 25, 2006 #
Orienteering 44:42 [3] ** 5.69 km (7:51 / km) +105m 7:12 / km
spiked:12/14c shoes: VJ Falcons
VM Individual postponed to Sunday, so jaunt round one of the long relay courses on Holmbury Hill. Not going full out by any means, just trying to get the navigation right and get a run in after being holed up all day. One very relevant leg for the day after, which I spiked, some good route choice legs and a really nice forest - even if there was a bit of rubbish on the floor in places.
Friday Feb 24, 2006 #
Running 25:00 [2]
shoes: Brooks
Wahey - a run! needed something to ease the hamstrings, which were still feeling tight, so walked over to Portmeadow and did a loop of the nature reserve. The paths looked boring, so made it into a terrain loop. It's mainly rough open, went over the long tussocky grass, dodged through a couple of patches of trees, jumped nasty undergrowth where it did exist (not much of it actually). Felt good to be out there again, quite difficult to straight line it, some good terraining :). Think this is the best you'll find in Oxford for you want to be doing Kat. will only work in the winter though, the summer vegetation in there is rubbish. Walked back so didn't have to run on the tarmac. Shin felt good.
Stretching 6:00 [1]
Before and after run. Bring on tomorrow :)
Thursday Feb 23, 2006 #
Stretching 5:00 [1]
hamstrings aching quite a bit...
Wednesday Feb 22, 2006 #
Cycling 35:00 [2]
Cycle up to Headington and back for Outreach. Attempted to draw a map of the school grounds - surprisingly difficult with no base map to go off...
Badminton 30:00 [3]
Match vs Merton-Mansfield, Kat will be pleased to hear they won, although the final game was mightily close at 23-20. In surprisingly good form seeing that's the first I've played all term...