Training Log Archive: Mark3

EDIT: 33rd / 184
https://www.merciafellrunners.org.uk/node/3017
Could probably have been 10 places higher (and ahead of the first woman, dammit, rather than 3 mins behind) without the nav mistake. Still, not a bad result I don't think.
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Good race, enjoyed it. Felt pretty good on the flat/down; not great on the ups but I was definitely holding my own/catching people near the end.

Slight navigational issue coming out of number 2 where I couldn't see anyone ahead of me and had no idea what to do; I'd been holding the map not not doing anything ridiculous like looking at it. Decided to cut to the path, it looks like most others went down the reentrant but I'm happy with the path choice. Other nav decisions ok; mainly stuck with groups when I was in one and tried to go straight otherwise.

Did the nutrition pretty well, alternated SIS bars and shot bloks on the climbs, meant I still had energy at the end was was passing a lot of people in the later stages.

Two minor hiccups, though...
(1) Worst possible start. As an experienced orienteer I am perfectly capable of not tripping over the tape on the floor at the start. Unfortunately, I am not capable of not tripping over the person ahead of me who is incapable of not tripping over the tape. This wouldn't have been a massive issue except I dropped my map and failed to notice I hadn't picked it up again due to wearing gloves, and therefore had to scramble back to pick it up again into the path of all the runners behind me in the start pen running towards me. Luckily I managed without getting my hands/self trampled, but lost 20s or so and then had to run much faster than I normally would on the first bit to get back into a reasonable position (which I basically failed to do). But anyway. I doubt this made a major difference in the long run but psychologically it was not good.
(2) Lost 4 mins by getting lost on #7; couldn't see anyone ahead of me so had to navigate, was doing it pretty well but then contoured around an edge and lost concentration and thought I was on the wrong ridge, dragged a few unfortunates with me until people realised, turned around and had to go quite a lot back up again, and saw a group of about 15 people had overtaken... then the rest of the race was desperately trying to get them back again before the end. Reckon I just about managed this, mostly on the way up the final hill to #9 and then on the descent at the end. There were maybe a couple I didn't have time to catch; will be able to see on the results. Really frustrating! But means time is definitely beatable next year I guess :)

http://www.ngoc.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#107&cou...
7th/50
Ahead of Phil, which was obviously the only goal of this event and therefore it was a total success :)

Actually my best forest performance for a while, in spite of a few mistakes - although I think quite a lot of this was down to either luck or good compass; take your pick...

Missed 7 and found a control on a boulder instead; should've used the earthbank rather than relying on just compass. On 10, didn't read the shape of the land well at all as trying to stay ahead of some UBOCer. 13 was definite luck, Ben punched punched just before me and hit it perfectly. I then put my map away and tried to stay with him to 14, this was relatively successful (how he navigates at that speed is beyond me) but because the control was just over the ridge, I didn't see him punch it and then I didn't know exactly where I was. Obvious moral here.

Only saw one stream at 15 was the other was slightly obscured by the circle (although not unfairly so) and so turned the wrong way. Rest of course went pretty well; felt to be running really well - faster than I can navigate really - hence a lot of it felt like luck. But well planned course and nice forest mainly made this fun, despite the grim weather.

http://www.ngoc.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#108&cou...
6th/62
Not a bad run, maybe with no mistakes could have made up the 30s behind Paul Murrin but not the 1:50 behind Rich P. But pretty pleased to be ahead of Marcus, Richard B, Joe T.

Helped at the start by Charles "it was a dodgy torch" Daniel investigating some unmapped alleyways before helpfully choosing the right one just when I needed him to.
Then pretty clean up to 12, but always thing happening far too quickly; have just become so used to the 1:12,500 street league events that this scale felt ridiculous and I didn't forward plan any leg at all. Confused for a few seconds coming out of the underpass at 12 but got it together; then overshot 13 as just didn't notice going through the wall and totally out of touch with the scale.
Slight miss before 19 but realised very quickly I was going into a dead end before lost more than 10s.
Pretty good run; again, really well planned. Definitely worth coming down for these two events; good work NGOC.

1st/102
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/sandwellvalley/results/w...

Really happy with this. Grim, cold, drizzly weather; and course not the same as what the website said it would be; bad times.
Stayed with the leader until the middle of the first lap (2kish) and then decided I wanted to be ahead for the second downhill and got a bit of a gap which I maintained. He was coming back at me at the end I only finished 8s up, so it was close. But for a definitely-not-flat parkun, although theoretically hard surface but there were several twisty bits and lots of mud and gravelly stuff, I think this is a really good time considering no speedwork or anything. I think the new training regime of no speed but more hills is working, and that showed over the whole weekend actually.

At work until late and quite a lot to do this evening.

http://www.mdoc.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#276&rou...

Pretty good except for two errors - (1) missed a 60 in the middle of the map by accident, (2) missed a 40 because I was convinced it was an LP whereas it was in fact a TP. I checked multiple times, even after I'd finished, and still read it wrong every time! It was only once I'd found the offending LP on Google Street View and I was in the process of complaining about it that I finally noticed (and looked like an idiot).

Also ran past a 20 down a hill so fast and didn't think I'd have time to look for it properly so didn't bother.

Not a bad run though; enjoyable, warmer than I expected since I'd dressed based on last night and it was forecast to be colder, but I didn't account for not being on top of Cheshire's third highest 'mountain' tonight.

Good food in the pub and chat with Sam after.

Cold hands throughout, brrrr... Snow at the top, mud at the bottom. Thankfully the forecast precipitation held off.
Good route to try on my own although quite a lot of potential for getting lost.
Small group of only 5, suspect the weather put a lot off.

Put in some effort on both climbs. Nice to finally get a view from the top!
Strava hasn't synced properly yet, but I'm assuming that's going to be my best segment time to the top.

Didn't have long, meant to do a run at lunch but it was a bit raining and I had a little niggle...luckily it had gone by the evening (and was also dry) so had time for a quick go at the uphill segment before the cinema.

Pleased that it was my fastest time, despite carrying my standard 2.5kgs.