Training Log Archive: IanW

Event: JOK Chasing Sprint
 

Chasing Sprint Prologue - Whippendell Wood. An almost perfect run :) Started off fairly fast, maybe too fast as dropped off the pace a bit towards the end, the climb up to the final control felt a real slog. Worst time loss was 10" or so hesitating just before #6, stopped, read the map again then looked up and saw it. Similar situation into #12 but not so hesitant as knew the control was further on.

A couple of not-so-quite optimal route choices but generally the flag appeared exactly where and when I expected it to. Shame I couldn't run a little bit faster - the forest was so so fast, hardly anything to slow progress.

26th place, 3'20" down on the winner

GPS distance - 4.05km

Chasing Sprint Chase - after the prologue result, I got the feeling I was sitting a little high in the results list. Likely outcome was that I'd lose a few places, given the chase favours pack running and hence those who are fleeter of foot. Prediction turned out to be true, although Splitsbrowser tells an interesting story.

Stayed with Iain Embrey off the start, was caught on way to #2 by James Taylor who was about 10" back, then at #5 by Tim Tett and Lewis Taylor from 25" back. That was probably expected. The mini-pack of 5 split on the route choice to #6 but hit it cleanly. Poor exit out of #6 cost about 15", however the minute-back pack were nowhere to be seen - turns out they'd screwed up pretty early on.

Rarely for a chasing sprint, I was in no-mans land, and it proved costly when I didn't take the time to check the map enough while still trying to push the pace. Most annoying is that one more glance at the map would have been enough....

Thought I was on the right path, but suddenly things didn't seem to match up, seem to have been going for a while, where's the big path? Oh crap, parallel path... Swung round and relocated to find the expected pack - 13 people within 40", streaming through #9, I'd blown a minute, huge margin for an event like this.

After that it was just try to keep up, use the pack to pick a better line through which worked a couple of times when sighted the control early, but just didn't have the legs. The front of the pack had pulled out another 30" by the finish.

46th on the chase for 36th overall, without that huge cock-up could have (surprisingly) just held on to the prologue position. Good to know my limits though, especially with the BUCS areas looking pretty rapid too - taking that 5" to slow down and have another look at the map can save you time.

Forgot to start watch in the melee so no GPS data...

Jog from/to bus and to starts, not really enough warm down...

MO Prologue - Splits

MO Final - Splits

Easy over to South Park from the lab, and a bit more plod-like on the way back.

Hills session in South Park

5 x (3 x 45" up, 15" easy down) with jog back down recovery (2'45" - 3')

Felt far better and stronger than thought I would, got into a good rhythm and really consistent up the hill, hitting about 600m distance per complete set (including the downs, so about 525m up) and managing to hit the short steep section so could go up at end of second rep in each set and at the beginning of third.

Feeling a bit off colour the last couple of days, so taking things easy

With added maps...