Training Log Archive: Mark3

Achilles felt not-too-bad running off road.

Seeded ludicrously high due to ranking position so I hoped to be able to use the good people as they overtook me. This didn't work quite as well as I'd hoped since lost over a minute on 2 (didn't take an accurate enough bearing; distracted by Clive who'd had the same number 1, left the control in the same direction as him and then changed direction too late.

Really really bad 90 degree error on 4; didn't come out of 3 quite where I thought and was running SW rather than NW, on a track not a ride, for ages before realising. Should make some good routegadget. Lost 2 needless minutes on the easiest control on the course.

After that though it was pretty good - deliberately careful and it paid off. Bit confused at 19 by the extra fence; maybe a minute here, but otherwise fairly clean. So could've been 42:30 ish...but given conditions, other people made mistakes too so it's positive that the harder controls well - just need to react better to early mistakes and not make future mistakes because of them.

Achilles still pretty sore but had entered so thought it was worth a go.

Had a pretty solid heat (1.1), a bit hesitant maybe and not running as fast as I'd have liked, but no major mistakes. Small miss on 7 and the E way into 19 would have been faster, but pretty happy with this.

Made the B final comfortably which I was pleased with.

Final was a disaster. Misread map into number 1; thought the canopy was along the edge of a building rather than in between two buildings, so missed entrance and had to go all the way around again. About 40s lost here made the rest of the race depressing - couldn't really concentrate as too busy being annoyed. Overshot 3 and had to go back to identical building, then bad routes to 15 and 16, wrong side of 21; no real mistakes but just slower since heart wasn't in it after the start.

Finally got the internet sorted in new house :)

Unfortunately have had achilles tendonitis since the 23/24 Sept - I've stopped running training and been doing cycling and swimming instead (unfortunately these aren't really cardio for me since I don't have muscles in the right places, so they give up before my lungs do) to try and maintain my fitness a bit. Been icing and stretching lots every day which has definitely been helping. As has the max strength ibuprofen gel I've used for the few bits of o-ing I've done.

Suspect part cause at least is the inov8 road-x 155g shoes...clearly not enough cushioning there (literally zero) - probably too much of a change from adidas adizero adios which I usually run in. So I won't be wearing those again! Shout if you want a pair (I'm sure they don't injure everyone.

So what have I done...
(1) evening jog on 19th since missed training on mon+wed due to moving house
(2) crook peak cake race - really tough at the start but great views, did pretty well and pleased with position/time (21:59; about 15th or something)
(3) parkrun PB at little stoke; 1809. working on cornering technique worked!
(4)Englefield 10k - achilles was hurting a bit before this, but this made it much worse! probably shouldn't have gone. came 3rd but was in quite a lot of pain. not much difference made to time though; just over 40 for all-grass with hills, pretty pleased
(5)didcot urban - definitely shouldn't have done this. actually crying with pain on a few legs. came 2nd with a pretty clean run but losing about 40s/km in speed.
(6) went swimming - 60 * 25m. ached.
(7) prologue from the sprint at bath uni - really good course, lots of short legs kept you concentrating. Made some small mistakes (14 looked at control on wrong building, 17 ran past tree) but otherwise fairly good, still painful though, can't run quite how I usually would since that makes hurt more
(8) bristol urban adventure challenge - unfortunately had to miss final to go to this instead, bit of a let-down since my team lost; hoped it would have o elements but it was more finding places and then answering crytpic questions.at least learnt never to give up o for anything else!
(9) bath urban - again, good course, nice to see the sights. again a bit painful though although the double strength (10%) ibuprofen gel helped numb the pain a bit; still making it a bit hard to concentrate on the navigation. wrong path (too low) on 6, bad route to 8(S first), bad route to 11 (tunnel) and then disastrous 15 (on wrong level) and 16 (came out way came in). 15 was annoying because had read control description and knew it was going to be on top of something, but assumed dotted lines would be tunnel (ie underground) and that the control would be at street level (but above the tunnel). clearly wrong about this! but not sure you can tell just from the map. however coming out the same way was my fault, since map was obvious once you were there. otherwise fine I think.
(10) also done about 20k of cycling, slowly, on 15 year old mountain bike. sore in many places now.

Hope achilles ok for this weekend! Luckily they are both short and the middle distance is off road.

Still struggling to increase my HR because my arm muscles are so rubbish! Hopefully its doing something for my lung capacity though.

C • oh no 1