Training Log Archive: IanW

Holme Fell training - control pick to start, was banana-ing controls, not paying enough attention or picking up the contour detail and felt I couldn't really get into the map. Classic signs of mental sleepiness that I've seen a bit too often this year... Messed up one leg really quite badly on a parallel feature, when relocated on another control went back and did it again. Quite a bit of windblow in places, otherwise quite a nice place to orienteer!

'Standard' course on Holme Fell - couple of legs went really well but most of the others had no contact in the map and was lacking in confidence - even if the control was just around the corner didn't feel like I was in the right place. Worst was stopping half-way to one control, trying to fit the ground to the map when it blatantly didn't, before realising I had to cross a path first... Steep climbs killed me every time. Felt like I shouldn't have bothered, only saving grace was that some of the views were pretty spectacular and I wished I had the camera with me.

GPS - 5km

Quick sprint race on and around a hilltop on Holme Fell. First 4 controls fine, bar the kite blending into the orange bracken quite well. Then spent too long looking at crags for #5 (it was in the wrong place amongst many similar mapped/unmapped crags) before giving up to go to #6, being far too high, seeing #9. Thought "this is training, who cares" so re-attacked #5 from 9, to find it a contour or so high. Then confused myself to #8 with an unmapped marshy bit, before hitting the rest pretty well. Bit more confidence than the morning, but #5 didn't help.

GPS - 1.7k

Evening Street-O, thought I'd run it this time, and try to take it steady to keep the calf happy. Seemed ok, but shin a bit sore instead - need to stay off the roads for a bit and do my physio exercises properly to get those muscles stretched/stronger....

Circuits in a cold squash court before the club Christmas dinner.