Training Log Archive: IanW

Bigland, relay course. Great area, really enjoyable, with the weather to top things off!

Went out after the leading teams had finished and the mini-mass starts had gone, which meant the first control had already been collected, but got into things fairly quickly and knew that I'd need to keep concentrating to get things right. A few hesitations/slight misses/poor routes on controls 6-8 costing ~20 secs each, and far too high at #12 which the splits suggest cost a minute. Happy to spike the long leg to 15, but then missed 30" at 16 by rushing and drifting slightly onto the wrong spur. Simple from there into the finish.

Physical side of things wasn't really an issue as can still outrun the navigation on this type of area, only noticeable on the easier uphill legs where was reduced to a walk.

Much better run than at the selection race last year, though didn't go through the trickier bit in the west, but good to know that the technique isn't all that terrible...

Loughrigg, individual course. All in all, a bit crap... didn't really care for the course/navigation - plenty of gratuitous climb, and route choice-length legs with no route choice and little technical difficulty. Little variation in orienteering style required, and didn't really touch the interesting/technical sections. Binned it at #14 when I looked up, saw where I needed to go, and thought "what's the point" - walked down to the finish. Definitely got shoe choice wrong - especially with the rain, made the rock treacherous.

Feeling a bit under the weather again this afternoon/evening, hoping an early night may help.

First trip out on the road bike for a while, enjoying the late afternoon spring sunshine - good to get out, and the bike certainly shifts when you want it too...

Route: Home - Sarratt - Bovingdon - Chesham - home. Generally felt ok, hill out of Chesham took some effort.