Training Log Archive: Arnold

British University Champs (as a guest).

Rather tired after yesterday and I’ve definitely had enough of small faffy areas like this - 37 controls on 11k and lots of vegetation everywhere.

Probably about 7-8 minutes of mistakes and at one point I was about to give up - the map just didn’t make any sense. But I guess it was good to get some more training in.

Winner will do around 60 so miles behind, but I don’t particularly care.

Another minute off the PB, but this one was really tough. Set off too fast and the second half was just painful. Thought I might barf on the last hill so slowed down even further, but hung in there somehow.

Beautiful morning. I haven’t slept well all week (too much stuff on at work) so thought this would be horrendous, but I actually felt really good and light. One day I need to study sleep physiology.

Easy shakeout around Oxshott after Sunday’s extravaganza. For once I forgot my Garmin

Very long run in honour of the London and Vienna Marathons today.

Idea was to take it very steady on the flat first 20k and then not slow down much over the hilly last 10, which sorta worked.

Calf and achilles tight from the beginning so overall not much fun. Thought I might not make it at around 23k, but got through somehow, even though I briefly had to walk on the final hill.

Just one set

Feelin’ hot hot hot

Sunshine, glorious sunshine.

Still a bit pooped from Sunday though so was more of a recovery run.

Long acceleration run

Plan was first 10k in 4:50, second 10 in 4:40 and last 5 in 4:30

Actual 4:53, 4:39, 4:32 so reasonably close although the individual k splits fluctuated quite a lot - wonder whether it’s me or the Garmin? Probably me.

Hard work but ran first half with Abi which was nice.
And it does put a 1:30 half in perspective as that would be 4:15 - although the Garmin tells me I did a 1:38:46 half as part of this run, so I guess somewhere between 1:30 and 1:35 must be doable.

Mud, glorious mud.

Longish Richmond Park evening run. Could have gone to the Street-O after all, but then had left my kit at home - oh well, it was nice to be out in the park despite all the mud. Hard work as still recovering from Sunday, but pleased to be under 5m/k despite all the hills.

Real orienteering!

There is a prize if you can find the best route from 7 to 8

C • 7-8 5

YES!!! Finally managed to pull out a decent performance. Mass start race, started a bit slow (well everyone else too fast) but a decent route choice got me back to running with my old pals Finki and Phil for all of the second half. Pace was quite high but felt comfortable-ish all the way, and I was leading a good part of it

Thought I had both of them at the end but Phil had really good speed and beat me by 5s. But I don’t care.

Will post map later because finally it was REAL ORIENTEERING. A big map of runnable (but steep) forest, 19 controls on 11k with one mega route choice.

The contrast to the JK long control pick mud slog on a mini map could not be greater (to be fair the 15C sunshine helped too.)

Got my JK exam results (ranking points) back on Thursday and they were predictably poor - only the 5th, 8th and 10th best scores of the season (middle was best).

But I’ve made peace with the results - partly I was unlucky in terrain selection (sprint too fast - hadn’t done any intervals: middle/long too slow - hadn’t done enough rough running). And partly I hadn’t done enough orienteering training / wasn’t hungry enough for orienteering. So when normally I’d gain minutes on navigation this time I lost them, particularly on the long.

I do need to sort my neck and shoulders out though.

Still pumped for running as well and am looking forward to Richmond Half in early May.

C • Exam Results 2

Still quite hard work (but sunny and dry for a change). Rather apprehensive about Sunday now, but then I have 2 months for some good training.

Morning run in Richmond Park. Slower than I thought, but it was really really muddy

New IOF clothing rules have been released, see here:
http://forum.nopesport.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=152...

JK Long. 13th today / 11th overall, so it got worse not better. Crappy forest but can’t really use that as an excuse any more. Probably about 3-4 mins of mistakes which is definitely too much.

I am rather perplexed about how I can be so quick around Richmond Park and so slow in the forest- or at least no quicker than before. Possible explanations:
1. I’ve done almost no Orienteering and hence no proper terrain training over the winter. So in brashy / muddy forests that shows.
2. The neck injury I picked up falling over skiing in February, which has made me feel pretty tired, for some reason impacts orienteering more than running
3. I’ve picked up some other mystery illness in the week - unlikely
4. My motivation for orienteering is low, meaning I could maybe run faster but I don’t

Most likely it’s 1 and a bit of 4. I do need to get my neck sorted out though so will see the osteo again tomorrow.

And next weekend I’m doing the Austrian Ultralong champs - mass start M40 but only 11k in hilly terrain. So it looks like I’ll get my arse kicked, oh well.

Separately I’ve entered a half marathon first weekend of May and I’m pumped about that one.

White course “shadowing” Tobi, who it turns out can run really fast when he wants to, and promotly came 1st of about 30 kids. Not exactly fair as without me he would have gone totally the wrong way a couple of times. But he’s pumped.

C • Wow! 2