Training Log Archive: Psuba

Event: Night League and Club Night
 

Walking around in Statford - upon-avon.

No more spaces on the Brownsea ferry so did not go to the Night League.

Event: Midlands Championships (UKOL)
 

Midlands Championships, course 2.

Legs more tired than I thought they would be, but worse - a blister on my foot from about halfway in affected my running quite a bit. Made a few errors, but not as bad as it could have been (will update with more analysis later). Quite a runners course. Ran most of it with no one in sight, gradually caught a youngster from about halfway in (despite my foot), then lost him on the leg to 20 (I chose a better route). One of the last to start and finish.

Need to keep training for longer distances to be prepared for the JK although I suspect it is probably too late for that by now.

Detailed analysis:
Leg 2 - Bad route selection, went N of the line whereas S of the line there would have been a lot more path and easier navigation. Drifted N out of the control to the path before the fence, then drifted N again as I crossed the woodlands to the track. It did not feel like a white forest as mapped with significant undergrowth and the directional mistake cost me at least 1:30 on this leg even though I was OK in the circle.
Leg 4 - Nightmare. I am pretty sure the mapping of the dead oak trees was inconsistent here, I was OK to the corner of the rough open but then went it to a visible dead oak in the light green that was the rightmost as I was looking at it - and it wasn't our control. Ran like a headless chicken to the nearby other dead oak trees (half of which wasn't mapped) before finally retreating to the rough open to try again, this time finding the control immediately based on just the shape of the rough open. 4:50 lost here.
Leg 6 - In control all the time but probably could have run around more as the white forest I cut across wasn't really white, so lost time in the middle of the leg. Chose to stick to the track from then on, had to let a few motorbike riders pass on the track just above the control so lost a few seconds there too. Legs pretty tired by this point unfortunately.
Leg 7 - Again, pretty sure the dead oaks were inconsistently mapped - running on a bearing from the fence corner there were a few dead oak trees about 2/3rd of the way to the control unmapped. Lucky I was pace counting.
Leg 9 - This is where I started to get a glimpse of the youngster in front but I lost him immediately as I made a mistake near the control circle - for some reason I was sure I was looking for a dead oak tree when control was in fact a depression. This meant I drifted S prior to the circle then had to relocate based on the contours (which I could have used as a guiding feature earlier). Lost about 45 sec - 1 min.
Leg 10 - long leg, in control and no mistakes but seems tiredness cost me here based on the splits (not much in it between a lot of people).
Leg 13 - Small hesitation in the circle - 10 sec
Leg 19 - a 30 sec hesitation on the top of the earth bank in the middle of the leg - wanted to make sure I am not dragged to beyond the control by the runner I caught up by this point, but instead I wasted this time figuring out the map.
Leg 22 - ran on a bearing that I am pretty sure was OK but ended up to the right of the control. I noticed the tree to my left but something did not feel right about the relation of these two trees on the map. 10 sec.

All together lost about 8 minutes to navigation - the rest just tired legs and the blister.

Event: British Night Championships (UKOL)
 

Bournemouth Parkrun #134
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/bournemouth/results/week...

Great conditions for a PB, but took it relatively easy considering tonights British Championships. Pushed on km 2 (3:48) and 4 (4:01), and sprinted in the end a bit (a sub 3:30 interval, basically). Km 1 was 3:58 with easy start so really a sub-20m 5k would have been on the cards. That is not the point of today, though.

British Night Championships, course 2.

Great complicated area, complex course, decent performance but enjoyed immensely. Lots to learn from, but at last I had enough in me to make it a challenge, not a lost cause!

Control 1 - drifted North straight out of the start, pushed there by the brambles, so lost at least 30s before got to the path. Should have read the map more carefully...
Control 2 - first big mistake, made me take things more carefully after this. However I just ran past the control at the next junction (not sure the area N of the control was 100% well mapped, but I was careless here and ran on rough feeling just where I should have slowed down). Took me a while to relocate and go back for the control - lost 4:45 here
Control 3 - won this leg (!), probably helped initially by the fact I had to backtrack on the first part of the leg before!
Control 5 - this was clearly a runners leg, no issues with navigation (was careful at the junctions), would be interesting to see if others took the same route.
Control 7 - gunned it to the stone wall (acc. to Garmin 3:16m/km here) but then was very careful, did not jump over but went to the corner and took a bearing, about 1 min from the wall to the control within the circle. Looking at the map in good light could have used the small hill as the navigation feature as the control was just the other side, reachable between two patches of green, but hard to see this at night... maybe could have ran slower through the rough open and read map...? Probably about 15-20sec slower than could have been.
Control 8 - Again took a safe route choice here, getting out to the open, back at the gate and down the hillside. No problems at all with navigation but suspect it would have been faster to contour through the undergrowth??
Control 9 - First contoured out to the clearing ended up higher than I should have (30 sec), then was extra careful running on the path, checking the rock features until I got to the more open strip that I needed to cross. The main error though was on the op of the hill next to the control where I drifted left and took a while to figure out which rock formation was which to relocate and find the control - a further 1:20 lost here (at least 2:00 on this control)
Control 10 - took a very safe route all on paths although would have been much faster to initially run on the spur then the path. Also wasn't sure where in the ditch the control would be so ran further on the path and had to turn around (duly ignored other runners around me who actually found the control earlier but I ran my own race and not paid attention to what they are doing), so about 30 sec lost on this (not counting time lost on route selection).
Control 11 - somehow lost the path as I was running out the control, maybe earlier runners created an indistinct route through the undergrowth which I followed... had to then relocate myself which took some time at the top of the open area (about 1:15 lost here). I then used the rock formations near the control to guide me which worked well for navigation but they had lots of brambles which cost me about another 20-30 sec relative to running around. (Read the map more carefully next time) So lost about 1:40 on this leg.
Control 12 - Made a mess of this - first read the stone wall as a path so had to backtrack (40s), then did not read the route properly until the control so didn't realise the fence was all the way along the clearing, so went in-out-in to the clearing and using the path S of the fence instead of using the path N of control 12. Looked shorter on the map, but took a lot longer in reality - probably another 1 min lost (1:40 all together).
(map exchange)
Control 13 was OK
Control 14 - made a conscious decision to run around the hill instead of over to be safe. Given that there were others climbing it probably was not necessary, but more importantly I committed too late as I started to climb at first. This in itself cost me 20sec... on this short leg that is lethal. Should be more confident in committing to my choices!
Control 15 - felt good, initially slow on the tracks as I had to overtake, but again gunned it once I got out to the open strip (3:07m/km acc. to Garmin), still over a minute behind Paul on the split!
Control 16 - took a bit scenic route, in control all the way but really sub-optimal.
Control 17 - Again - gone through the undergrowth instead of using the path unnecessarily. In control but very much suboptimal - probably started to tire mentally???
Control 18 - No problem with navigation but was stopping to check many times. Didn't simplify the map enough here and should have realised that I have been to the same strip of open about 6 times before! Again, probably mental tiredness.
Control 19 - No issues
Control 20 - Again a bit of scenic route going around the green strip to the N, unnecessary but in control.
Control 22 - In control but stopped a few times to check the junctions - should have been able to simplify the map though as the control was near the stream as the feature to stop me and the contours could have helped if I could/would read them!
Control 23 - Out of Control 22 I changed my mind on the route and backtracked (20 sec), then in control all the way but stopped to make sure a few times. Again could have simplified the map based on contours but didn't.
Control 24 - Won this leg too, probably lucky with the control as a group of people from another course just arrived same time as I did.
Control 25 - ran with the group on this leg although I let them run ahead and checked my own route - which was a good comparison as I had to stop before the small hill prior to the control to figure out what the map was showing whilst the others were running continuously. I have to get more used to reading the map at night and running at the same time! (or is it confidence).
Control 26 - took a different route than the group ahead but got there in front of them. However, this does not mean I was fast - I was going around the marsh to the right and the vegetation was extending somewhat more than I expected so had to come around looking for the control more than I expected and I lost some time here.
Control 27 - another leg where I gunned it to near the circle, and I was OK until that point. There I crossed the stream and lost confidence on where I was, I started to think I was W of the circle when I was still S of it - wasted about 1:50 on this stupidly.
Control 28 - A properly stupid route choice here - looked to cross the stream but seemed "too wet" so backtracked, climbed up the back to the bridge, ran across there and came back to the control from the other side. I was in control all the time but had to stop and check a few times and really a completely wasteful route choice in the climb department as well as distance. Very scenic though! I don't even want to calculate this extra time.
Control 29 - Had no issues with this but somehow lost 40 sec to Paul on this short leg so must have been starting to get tired (checking map too much?)
Control 30 - Under the bridge this time and in control, but again probably too much checking the map?
Control 31 - No issues and finally not losing too much time
Control 32 - was just about how to get through the maze of veg patches and earth features quickly which I didn't do too well.

C • I wasn't hanging 1

about 5K + 3x30sec intervals in lunch break

Mainly to get the lactic acid flushed out, plus get the weekly cadence adjustment run done.

Kings Cross Runners Need session.
5K jog to Guy's Hospital to tower run (660 Steps!) and 5K back after.

Ran up to 31st floor 2x.

Interesting experience, very dry air/throat after the stairs, more so than normally experienced in hill intervals.

Considering the taper for this weekends British Night Champs I wasn't pushing the tempo upstairs but was trying to maintain steady cadence and just avoid breaking down into a walk.

Not the best shoe for this (the iRock would have been better) but had to compromise - no time to clean the iRock and dry after Sunday.

Very muddy on most tracks so even when running along them I was zig-zagging and slow trying to read the map. A complex area meant I had to constantly try and be on top of navigation which slowed me down. For most legs the limiting factor on speed was the navigation and not the legs - which means this was a good training exercise for the mind.
Made about 3 errors costing about 5 minutes total, mostly not being precise enough when I needed to, although to #2 it was being bogged down in a supposedly white area that was fully undergrown with brambles then figuring out where I ended up fighting through.

Long - Splits

Legs probably need the rest day - will take this as an easy week considering the Biritish Night Champs and Midlands Champs this weekend.

Event: WIM Regional
 

Turf Hill & Millersford Winter Warmer Regional event, Brown course.

What a waste. Seriously not sure what I can take away from this.

Physically shot after yesterday, so it was tough going even though I binned "race mode" after #3 (see later) and just jogged. Garmin kindly confirmed physical shape by correcting my LTHR down when I finished - thanks, I already knew this was a struggle.

Worse, I have wasted a huge amount of time, mostly due to mistakes I could easily claim to have had to do with the map quality. I normally hesitate because I should develop a technique that minimises the impact of mapping errors, but there were a number of spots where I am not sure what alternatives there would have been.

Times lost:
#1 picking up athe map the wind blew it all over and by the time I was able to read #1 I was down the path 90 deg so wasted some distance. Not a major one (especially compared to what came later), but annoying.
#2 went on a bearing in probably the right direction, but reading the other features I concluded I drifted left as I passed the middle point of both the marsh and the gorse on the other side of the re-entrant, so turned and started to look around relative to these features. Then ran further up to find the control, probably on my initial bearing but I suspect further up the slope than the map seemed to indicate. Cost about 1:30
#3 the mapping of the gorse here was a complete disaster. I thought I was cautious now after #2 and instead of relying on the shape of the gorse as mapped, I was pace counting from a ditch prior. I might have picked up the wrong ditch (or it wasn't mapped correctly, as then started to look for the control too early - but the shape of the gorse looked more or less what I expected. Then I tried to relocate from a ditch N of the control - that did not work either. Finally ran further, almost convinced I was way beyond the control, found a veg boundary (?) and a sole tree (mapped as a bush...), beyond the control, took bearing from there back - and still didn't find the control. Then I looked for a vegetation shaped like it was on the map, which was further N, and I did finally get the control. BUT it wasn't even in the right place relative to the road and the tree. Time wasted: about 9:30
And this is where I am not sure what I could have done to limit the risk here, other than taking a huge detour. Also the vegetation on Google Earth looks similar to what I remember, but neither match what was on the map... From this point on I really didn't care much.
#4 - just ran past the control before adjusting myself coming back, this was my fault as I shouldn't have gone past the spur - 50s
#7 - probably the only interesting control in the whole course navigationally. I did mess up at the beginning running for a while on the ride instead of the track (60 deg error), I corrected it but it meant running over rough instead of the track, so probably lost about 20-30s here. The interesting part was nearer the control with the patches of dark green - no problem there.
#10 - another control where the vegetation did not at all look like on the map. In hindsight I should have just stuck to the path and wait to see the control as I was running past, but even the path was vague and not quite like on the map so I tried to find the semi-open area mapped, at which edge the earth back was the control. In the end I did find it, it was more a marsh but this also cost me about 2 min of looking as I thought I ran past it based on the contours around me (which again weren't clear).
#15 - this was nasty: as I was running on bearing I noticed a tree on my bearing and tried to find it on the map. I couldn't, so concluded that the 3 distinct vegetation features marking the control was the tree and surrounding bushes (as was the case near #3!). Got to the tree, no control. Looked around and finally found the control further back at the edcge of the re-entrant. Looking at the map at home, I can see the tree mapped but almost completely masked by the control circle. Really the circle should have been broken so the tree is visible. Also the bushes with the control are mapped directly on the bearing I took to the tree, but in reality they were further off to the left which is why I did not see them. 1:20 lost
#16 - no mistakes but I swear the shape of the slope was not matching the map
#17 - just drifted right and had to run back for the control - about 20s lost
From here on there were no mistakes, but leg 19-20 I planned to run through the white forest, but had to bail out to the right on the track as the white forest wasn't well runable at all. If I had known that I probably would have been about 1m faster.

So, that is about 17m worth of mistakes, and I am really not sure if I own most of it.
Between those and my tired legs I am not sure what I gained from getting out there today.

Ran this with Ian with the intention to just jog around in anticipation of the hills session later.

ran again from Lulworth cove car park over to Durdle Door and then the hill reps with 1:30s off each.

Durdle door hill rep timings were
4:58
5:02
5:16
5:16
5:20
5:20
5:27 (although I had to stop and walk behind a couple on the steps for a while)

C • Missed you 3

So - it was supposed to be a 14x400m / 2m off session for sub-3:30.

As the rain started to fall I decided to interrupt but as I was running the last in the park, a badly behaving dog, despite its owner shouting at it, was running after me and repeatedly tried to bite my legs. I stopped and turned and then it ran back to the owner. I was quite upset and shouted (as much as I could out of my breath) to the owner (who at this point was far) to teach her dog as it was trying to bite me. Her response was "stop running in the park", which just got me quite upset. I did not even know what to respond to this arrogance and stupidity, I mean - really????

Note the wind effect in the speed as I was running back and forth

Intervals were
1:17 (3:14)
1:23 (3:29)
1:17 (3:13)
1:24 (3:32)
1:36 (4:01) - this last one including the whole biting, shouting and jogging the remaining bit, so was well on course as well.

Chatty run with the group that meet at the local RunnersNeed shop every Wednesday. I though I give it a try - a nice bunch but it looks like the rain scared off most regulars so there were only 6 of us out to do the 5K loop - reduced to 4 by the time we did the hills.

Slippery in places due to the rain but at the tempo we did it wasn't a real problem.

10 min tempo on the hills circuits with the Runners Needs bunch.
It is comparable to the medium hills at Wessex although doing less in time.

Sped up compared to the 5K, but unfortunately as we started with the downhill the upped tempo steps upset my stomach (not really prepared well for a tempo run during the day with my eating choices), so struggled from almost the beginning. Managed to avoid bailing out though even though Will did lap me. I have an inkling he would have anyway, but either way I would not have been able to keep up with him - at least there is a target to aim for now.

Event: Mole Valley Orienteering Series
 

MVOC Street-O Ewell.

4th/31, approached it as O-Intervals with map memory exercise. Tried to take about 4 controls as the interval, then take the next leg easy to plan the strategy / order for the next 4-5 controls.

http://www.mvoc.org/Events/2015WinterSeries/201602...

Went OK apart from the beginning where I wasted about 4 minutes as the map confused me - the street turned but it was marked on the map as a junction of a larger and smaller road, so even though I was in the right place, I thought I wasn't, so took some time to run around and confirm I was where I wanted to be. With over 3 minutes to spare at the end and this, I could have gotten a few more controls, but as a training session it was OK - I managed to get the legs turning over on several sections to sustain sub 4m pace, and this did happen even at the end of the run, so no issues with tiredness any more. This just reassures me that I can in more important events go for it more than I was so far, trying to keep things in reserve.

Top-up run from Clapham Junction back to the hotel to have a day with 20k+ distance this week (even if it wasn't a continuous run).

Ended up back quite late, so maybe wasn't the best planning timewise...

Event: Wessex Galoppen Bisterne Close
 

Bisterne Close Wessex Galoppen.

4th/15 (though Gavin forfeited his run when found a control missing)

Mostly stuck to the plan of trying to nail control in-out routine, except for 12 where I made the classic of making a bigger mistake after a smaller one - drifted N out of 11 (which I knew), went to visit a control I saw which I knew wasn't mine (losing about 30s), further drifting N, then when I corrected myself and got 12, I rushed and took the wrong path over the spur, adding lots of extra distance to 13 (costing maybe 1:20). Other than that smaller mistakes to 8 (vegetation wasn't quite mapped well - 40s), 10 (which I suspect was in the wrong depression, 40s), 17 (contours weren't mapped properly so was confused for a short while before reconciled the map with the terrain, 30s), then just stuck in heather to 18 which one could argue should have been mapped, so lost maybe about 5-6 minutes all together. Other than that a fairly clean run, probably on the right track, once I am not doing these with tired legs and mind I should be making up some ground to the guys in front.

Event: Night League
 

Very muddy, wet, some rain and wind (although the wind was unusual direction - usually it is headwind on the uphill section and back straight - now it was headwind into the shorter SE sections).

I got there late - 20 sec after the field has started, so no stretching of any kind and the rush to get there did not allow me to settle. Then I started overtaking people - someone kindly jumped double footed into a puddle after the first muddy section, which just splashed a large amount of muddy water in my face. Thanks! Any plans out the window, I just tried to push km2 and then half-heartedly km4, but it really didn't work.

Core exercises, balance ball, planks, and some hula hoop

Wessex Night League.

2nd place but well behind Dale.

Messed up pretty much everything I could - first so confused with the score system that I ran quite slow for the first half trying to decide if there is a trick in it. This duly distracted me and made quite a few errors as well losing a lot of time. By the time my mind was clear I was way over time to get them all, so had to cut my losses. Physically did not feel so good this time, well what with no warm-up (getting there late) and the earlier sessions of the day not a surprise.

Wet, muddy weather not helping either, but at least I got my Lucifer headlamp replacement so I could properly see.

I need to think through what to do with these night events because at the moment I am mentally lost with them.

Just a short shakeout session

Event: DFOK Kent Night Cup
 

Kent Night Cup 1 hour score at Joydens Wood.

Very muddy on the rides and very brambly in most places off track. Not a very enjoyable map from that perspective.

The rules were that only higher numbered controls can be taken in sequence. Essentially the question was when will you start bailing out and skipping controls (lowest number was 60, highest 80). Mass start event (as all KNC events are). Ran together switching leads with 2 other guys until 65, when it seems like everyone split. Note that I was making a mistake to 61 with suboptimal route already, but as I was in the lead, everyone followed :) Then I decided I had enough of trail running and went across the brambles to attach 65 - which was a mistake (40s). From this point I was alone, and duly messed up both route choice and execution to the next control (67), losing some time (1m), then relied on the guy running in front too much and overshot 69, had to go back (2m). From here on it was trying to balance remaining time with getting maximum controls. Managed to get to the finish with half a minute to spare. Quite pleased with my running, was able to tun all the uphills (although there weren't any very steep climbs), but messing those few things up meant I likely could have taken one more control realistically. 2 would have been unlikely and at a push due to the distances increasing if I wasn't skipping numbers.

Results:
http://www.dfok.co.uk/content/results/2016/Joydens...

It looks like if I got 15 controls which would have been possible without the mistakes, I would have been OK (that's how much the winner got).

Used the Silva trail runner II lamp I bought to use until the custom made one gets replaced/repaired.

Decent session anyway, if a bit of a journey to get to without a car as I was.

2x Hyde Park outer ring

Steady cadence training using the Viennese Waltzes as usual.
Tried to keep the effort low whilst keeping the cadence up - looking at AHR seems like it mostly worked.

Avg cadence was 174SPM so getting there, but still feels weird, especially after about 10km. Not surprising after less than a month of doing it, but feels like progress as AHR lower for the same pace than a month ago.

Event: London Street-O Race #6: Surbiton
 

Surbiton Street-O.

4th/80: http://slow.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/st...

Slow to start without warmup - legs still feeling the hills session on Sunday. Started to get into it midway through. Used this as a map memory training session, so trying to memorise the route to + exit direction from the next control.

Never sure whether my strategy is good or not for these score events, and on the SLOW street-O events an added source of potential confusion is the need to turn the map over for noting the answer at each "control", making tracking where I am & keeping the map orientated an extra challenge.

Long planned hills training at Lulworth and Durdle Door with almost the only decent hill option nearby. Took advantage of a half day break in the weather - back to rain in the afternoon. Still strong winds through the session, thankfully tailwind in the last part of the climb. Probably means it was easier than it should have been... had to battle the wind down though. One lonely runner was crazy to do similar to what I was, though only saw him on one of my reps, he overtook me though. Just happy I could keep the cadence at running through the reps. 1m rest at the beach before reps

uphills sections were
4:48
5:02
5:06
5:13
5:14
5:19

Event: Sarum Saturday event & Wessex Night League
 

Horrible weather outside (SARUM event cancelled), so no running today. Could have braved the Parkrun but even woke late for that.

A decent indoor training though usual planks, stretch band, balance ball and core exercises.

Work+commute and no energy for anything else.

Thames South Bank up and down. Cadence adjustment tempo. Had to weave around the tourists and commuters but tried to keep a tempo where I could. Was not pushing over LTHR. It was nice as I overtook a ship on the way back downriver :)

Stomach issues from mid-2nd interval. Used the warm-up and cool down to do cadence adjustment with the Viennese waltzes.

No balance ball, so just core exercises and stretch band ones in the rented apartman.

Event: WIM/WSX Monthly Evening event - Potterne Park
 

Level D - Wessex Night League orienteering - Potterne Park

Fairly short 1 hour score. Didn't warm up and took a while to get going, but still not fast enough in places. Made one mistake & slipped, although caught myself but yanked on my shoulder that was duly hurt for a while. This whole incident was probably what cost me 1st place - hey ho. Wasn't in the best shape of preparedness anyway, but enjoyed the second half of the run.