Training Log Archive: IanW

Day off after a pretty tiring week

6-day thoughts:

Physically:

- Need a bit more speed to be a bit more competitive on elite
- Endurance is now sufficient to survive a true classic race
- Can't cope with relentless rough terrain like on Days 1 and 6, need more terrain/hill strength

Technically:

- Prefer Scottish/more technical terrain to that in Southern England as have to be more focussed on the navigation
- So predictably, the worst day was on the least technical terrain...

- Have cut out most of the big mistakes, which only happen when I don't have a plan/think a leg is easy. Sometimes a more conservative approach will save time.
- But now too many small misses/hesitations, mainly in the circle, and especially when things don't appear on the ground as I would expect them to from the map. Need better/stronger attackpoints? Better/safer route choices?
- Still losing 5' each day in these small mistakes.
- Now need to pick up more on the small wobbles and trying to eliminate them, spikes really are when I run straight onto a control exactly where I think it should be, having executed things as I wanted to.

- Planning ahead is still poor, not utilising the 'dead running' sections of courses well enough to make things easier later on.

Results

- About as expected, good battle with Jon but would be nicer to be a bit more competitive and up with the Team Monday guys
- Best result - Tentsmuir - always enjoyed sand dune terrain.
- Percentages behind leader: 54%, 68%, 41%, 32%, 41%, 52% - happy that the classic is relatively low :)

Scottish 6 Days - Day 6 - Loch Ordie

Reverse order start with Jon 3 minutes behind. Very visible open moorland area - but tough underfoot, where it wasn't the heather that was getting you, it was the burnt heather or the marshes. Found it physically and mentally tough to keep the legs moving at times, it felt a bit like the first day with power limited.

Technically generally OK, non-optimal to first and hesitant to 3, looking a ridge too early. First miss on 10, needing to be further down the re-entrant (30"), also a little low on 13 (30"). Getting more tired now, and a sudden rash of mistakes, drifting off line to 15 and then checking out another wrong control (1'), too low at 16 (20") and too high and not seeing flag at 17 (45").

Clean from there to the finish, bar a few minor hesitations, just had to keep the legs moving. Splits suggest I started off a bit too fast then dropped off in the middle, time loss ~3'30" all of which eminently avoidable. But finished a week of pretending to be an elite :)

GPS distance - 10.55km Route

Quite a climb up right at the end, otherwise fairly gentle along a flat track. Could walk all of the way today, didn't really take advantage of the views in the time I was waiting for call-up.

Scottish 6 Days - Day 5 - Barry Buddon

Primarily an open sand dunes, again flat but very fast, and tracked up quickly through the long grass which must have been an advantage for the later starters. Ridges a bit more complex than in Tentsmuir.

First part was in a tricky knoll-filled woodland, spiked the first but then the worst mistake of the week - almost 4 minutes blown at #2. Didn't have a good enough plan, drifted south when north of the line would have been a far safer route. When I eventually twigged what was going on, Rich shot past and into the flag. Tried to hang on for the next couple of controls but then lost sight and over-hesitant to 5 meant 30" lost.

Out into the open and things got better, aimed too far left on #7 and a bit hesitant, but knew which way I had to adjust. Surprised to see 10 just behind me when thought I had to go further; too far right on 12 and took a bit of time to correct (20"). Poor route out of 12, to a van rather than the drinks point... Good until #16 where very hesitant when almost on top of the flag (20"), then hesitant along the ridge to 20 and 21, getting the distance judgement wrong and being tempted by the other controls out there (30"+).

Annoyed at the biggest mistake of the week, where a slightly more conservative approach would have saved big time. Still have problems reading ahead when I have the opportunity, and simplifying in the really complex areas in advance of getting there. Time loss ~6' today...

GPS distance - 9.6km Route

Not very far to go today...

Scottish 6 Days - Day 4 - Tentsmuir

Chasing start for those within an hour of the leader over the first three days; for the rest it was a 2 minute interval start. But given Jon was just over 2' up it pretty much amounted to the same thing. Forested sand dunes today, pretty flat with plenty of green on the map, although the worst was avoided.

Started poorly in an intricate area, horribly off line to the first control, further time losses at 3 and 5, the latter being controls on knoll and hill very close to each other. 90" down early on, not the best of starts. Should have avoided the light green on the long 2k leg to 8, then a short leg into detail in the slow run which I was happy to spike. Saw Jon not too far ahead coming out over the dune at 11, he helped guide me into the next two and we were level at the drinks point before 14.

But then a poor mistake, misreading the contours by 14 as the circle covered up the end of the hill - two minutes later realised what was happening, should have just followed Jon in. High to 15 (10") where Speakey went past without me noticing, another 45" lost at 16 where things didn't quite make sense, and I wasn't expecting to see Jon again. So, after being cautious in the low-vis, was quite surprised to see him pop into 19 as I was punching. Head-to-head resumed...

It was then trying to gain whatever advantage possible. Slight miss in the circle at 20, cutting up too early, but nothing major; pretty much nothing in differing route choices to 24 and 27. Gained a little by not running through the felling to 28 but then lost too much time in/near the circle faffing around. Had I hit that cleanly, I think the lead would have been unassailable, as it was a sprint down the run-in ended in us punching at exactly the same time...

Annoyed at the cock-up at 14, cutting the circle would have helped. Otherwise probably the best run of the week, pushing hard all the way round. Total time loss ~ 4'30"

GPS Distance - 10.65km Route

Decent pace most of the way to the start - 3.7km today! - after seeing the leading guys and gals through the spectator leg on the chase

A good rest - some extra sleep in the morning, and a relaxing time at the JOK mansion in the afternoon. Croquet isn't much of an exertion...

Scottish 6 Days - Day 3 - Tullochroisk

Elite classic with estimated 90 minute winning time, beforehand would have been happy to get within 150% of the winner's time, ultimately a little disappointed not to dip under the 2 hour mark. Definitely now have the endurance to get round one of these courses, but do notice going off a little slower than usual so that I don't drop late in the course. The cooler weather and rain definitely helped today, even though I took the Camelbak out I'm not sure whether it was really needed. Terrain wasn't as tough or technical as I was expecting which must have helped.

After the Day 2 disaster started a bit more cautiously, and spiked everything early on in the plantation. Slight non-optimal route to 6, too high at 7 (90") and hesitant at 8 where the control seemed too close to the stream to be on the hill. Very slight miss at 10, and unnecessarily over a small hill before a bit of hesitation to 13.

Decided to eat on the long slog up the hill to 14 and so bobbled it at the end (1'), but good at the end of the even longer slog up to 16. Slight parallel error to 19 but quickly corrected (45") and again to 21 (30"). Didn't like the look of the straight route to 22 so just followed the fence down, sounds like this route was best. A few more mistakes near the end when tiring - dragged too far down the hill at 25 (90"), waded through the stream to 28 after going too high (45") and hit another control on the way to 29 (20").

Generally happy with the run, mistakes count around 6'30" today, plus a couple of stops to re-tie shoelaces meant sub 2 hours was achievable. Legs didn't feel too tired when I finished which was pleasing :)

GPS distance - 13.8km Route

Perfectly timed jog to the start through the rain.

Scottish 6 Days - Day 2 - Kinnoull and Deuchny

Worst day of the lot, head not right and making many stupid mistakes. Yes the number of controls spiked is accurate...

Route

Up the hill then easy along the track to the start

Event: Scottish Six Days Tay 2009
 

Scottish 6 Days - Day 1 - Dalrulzion - World Ranking Event

Typical tough and rough Scottish forest, difficult to run or get any sort of rhythm through the terrain. Generally happy with the navigation, but physically felt like I had very little power in the legs - all of the hills felt really hard work.

Lost a minute or so to the first control, taking what would have been a good route had it been intended, but was a bit hesitant along the slope and Tim Tett caught me 2 minutes at the flag. Fine through the first set of forest controls and all of the moorland, though was being overly cautious with the running as had turned the right ankle down the hill to #7.

Really slow down through the white forest on the long leg to #16, dragged a bit by the windblow and faffed when hit the path/ride rather than just bashing through the green. Small misses/hesitations on 18 and 19, and lost 45" on #22, turning north too early after thinking I'd gone further through the felled area than I had. Slight miss on #24 as well (15") and then the silly mistake, losing a minute on #26 when initially bang on line...

Pretty happy with the navigation today, felt confident in my abilities and no major gaffes bar the utterly-avoidable miss on 26. Total time loss ~4'30"

Day 1 Route

Some jogging to the start during/after a chat with Helen