Training Log Archive: JuraMac

Day 6 at Glen Feadar west. Didn't really enjoy it very much as I was quite tired and the first part of the forest was either rough with fallen trees or heather. Was immensely slow for the first 8 controls Got into it a bit more when I went into the lovely forest for 9 and 10. Then we were taken back out onto the heather which was hell and then my last five controls were basically orange level which was only there in order to get us back to the finish. I thought that they should have finished with yesterday as the forest was so much nicer.
Finished 11th today. Finished 10th overall which wasn't too bad.

Day 5 at Glen Feadar east. Really enjoyed the whole course today as it was quite like the terrain at home. Took it steady to the first two and then my plan was to hit the wall and go straight to 3 but I ended up going up the hill and had to come back down. Didn't cost me too much time. 4,5 and 6 were beautiful as it was open hill so just looking at the contours and running. The rest was fine until I got to the second part of 15 where I didn't follow my compass after I crossed the path and so ended up too far to the right. Messed about in the forest for a bit until I realised where I was.
Finished 9th which was fine.

Day 4 at Creag Choinnich. The first part of the course was absolutely lovely, found the controls fine. Then made a horrible route choice to 4 and went straight rather than going round the path which would have been about 6mins quicker. It took me 11mins. Didn't recover well and took another disgusting route choice to 6. I tried to go through the open and over the hill (even though I had been advised by Ross to stick to the forest) but ended up coming below the cliffs, through the scree and bracken until I hit the path which I could have run along and went back up the hill. It took me 15mins. Got immensely fed p and ran too fast for my head to keep up for the next controls.
Finished 12th which was not good.

Day 3 at Birsemore hill. Thought that the first two controls were absolutely pointless and were just there to sap our energy before we actually got going. they were not fun at all. Made a huge mistake at 4 as I didn't really have an accurate compass bearing so didn't know where I was when I emerged from the forest. then went too far up the hill to try and find it. Once I eventually found it (by that point there were several other people looking with me) I actually thought it was too far down the hill than it should have been.
I was a bit angry so blasted to the next few controls through the really lovely part of the forest. Got a bit tired by the end and so made some more silly small mistakes to 10 and 12.

Day 2 at Balfour forest. really enjoyed today although I made loads of small stupid mistakes during the first 11 controls. they were al quite close together and I should have been running a bit slower than I was.
Made a big mistake at 14 as I thought I was further along the hill than I actually was and so ran up, down and along the hill trying to look for the control and find out where I was.
Then made another mistake at 15 when I came too far down the hill but knew immediately where I was.
Another bad route choice/mistake at 17 - I should have gone the other way around the yellow and actually followed my compass rather than randomly running down the hill.
Finished 10th.