Training Log Archive: markg

Warm up

I continued my tradition of crap sprint races in Brisbane. Silly little control plates and a few dubiously mapped details. Started fast and then got lactic after the first hill. Was reminded at the 1st control that I need to check description really carefully otherwise I'm never going to find the controls once I get there and lost a few secs. Ran well through the next couple, I took the lead briefly, and then had a 20s wobble on #4. I reckon the staircase coming into the control from the east was mapped too far into the garage - I ignored it to begin, assumed the real staircase was further in. Saw Olly as I left #4 and figured he was catching me. I then lost 1.5min at #5 despite approaching the control from the side where it should have been visible and wandered around like a dope until Olly came through and found it after 30s of stuffing around. Raced with Olly for a few controls, started to make a little ground on him but then we both decided that #10 was going to be up in the building rather than down on the ground and that cost us another 1.5min. #11 was a bit dodgy too, mapped as a canopy and the control description said it was on a building but the feature was just a few poles in the ground. 4th, 2min behind Macca.

Commute to work and back. Rode Megan's mtb with it's slick commuter tyres. Felt like I was flying on that thing compared to my knobbly tyred mtb and beat my record to work by a couple of minutes (32min) to prove it.

Some cheeky sod got a ride on my tail all the way along the corso into a headwind and then popped past me up the hill toward the green bridge and said spritely 'That made it easy for me. I hope it wasn't rude.' Of course it was you cheap git.

Token warm up. Warm down was collapsing into the boot of the car, inhaling two pieces of banana cake and drinking 1/2 a litre of gatorade.

ACT Looong Champs at Awoonga. My plan was to take it easy, minimise mistakes, and survive till the end. I'm not quite sure how I did ... I started slowly, took awhile to make up my mind about a route for the 1st leg, slow enough that Miss Jones, who started at the same time as me, ran out of sight (about 30s quicker on the leg). Ended up going right to the fence which was safe but a bit further and had more climb. Continued in the same slow and steady vein and by the 1st spectator crossing had made no mistakes and had caught Toph and Hoggster. Toph threatened to run away and then died away but I ran with Hoggster through the map change to 18 - still no mistakes. I thought I might have had a little break leaving 18 but Hoggster overhauled me and then coming into 19 I hit the wall. Hoggster was gone by 21 and I struggled to keep running. By 25 I was predominantly walking and getting light headed. I lost about 6min from 19-Finish.

My biggest mistake, apart from getting sick the last few weeks, was only taking one gel on the course. The second was racing Hoggster, I think he was going a little faster than I should have.

Ironically, giving I hit the wall, I had a very clean run without a mistake worse than a few seconds' wobble so technically one of my best runs ever ...

Event: SILVA National Orienteering League
 

A little pre-breaky warmup hoping to remind my legs what running was plus warm ups and downs for the two races.

ACT Sprint Champs at CIT. My result was about what I should have expected after 3 weeks of no exercise whatsoever and still not having properly recovered. Felt very sluggish and unable to push it at all. The navigation was pretty easy but still got caught out a couple of times not paying quite enough attention and lost 45s overall on 3, 7, 14, and, stupidly, the finish where I didn't read the map and then got confused by the bunting.

The problem of elite competitors ignoring OOB continues: on the way to in to 18 I accidentally ran through the garden bed on the western edge of the circle (practically the only one mapped as OOB) and subsequently eased off the gas. I then dobbed myself in at the finish but no action was taken. I know some others ran through this too but were less forthcoming to organisers. I don't think there was anyone at this location to catch out violators.

ACT Champs Middle at Wild Deer Sands. A disappointing run. I felt a bit stronger running than this morning and was very clean (was also very cautious in the more complex bits) except for a wobble at 3, big errors at 6 (-1.30), 7 (-0.30), 8 (-1.00) and maybe 10s stuffing around at the fence at the last control before going to the crossing point. All the mistakes were sort of dumb and I'm disappointed not to get in the top 10.

I'm still pretty clogged up in the head but otherwise feel okay. A little worried it might turn into a sinus infection.

I've still got a cold. It's clearing up a bit so hopefully I can do something tomorrow.

I got the blood tests back and there was nothing unusual so the diagnosis is some unidentified virus.

Woke up with a scratchy throat which only got worse during the day and was joined by a runny nose and sneezes. Another f@#$ing cold, this is ridiculous.

After going crazy at work last week, I also got a weird virus which has caused debilitating mouth ulcers and strange muscle fatigue, eg, my arms feel like I've just been rock-climbing and I have trouble writing legibly (not so great to start with mind). After doctor asked whether I'd ever suffered Rhabdomyolysis I figured I should wait for blood test results before training again.

C • sounds nasty! 1

I wouldn't usually log a walk to the Yeronga shops (~400m) with Ewan but how else could I relate this tale demonstrating the super-human abilities we can unlock when called to defend our progeny ...

Ewan and I are wandering along, dawdling as he likes to observe everything very closely, poke a finger in it if he can, but it's a beautiful sunny day so everything is good, there's no rush. Ewan stops to inspect a driveway gate being held open by a bucket - how interesting! Daddy dutifuly waits a metre away. After some seconds, my attention is drawn to the car in the driveway. I paid it no heed before - it wasn't running and there was nobody in it - nothing to worry about, but now it was moving, rolling down the drive toward Ewan! Enter super-human abilities! I jump forward and lift Ewan into my arms. Safe! But that's not enough. I couldn't just leap aside. So with Ewan in my arms I throw myself against the back of the accelerating car drawing upon internal reserves for protecting our children honed by thousands of years of evolution and force it to a halt. I'm lucky it wasn't an SUV ... anyway, it was the highlight of my day.

C • OMG! 3