Training Log Archive: markg

DNF'd after about 10km because I was about to fall over. I just wanted to be steady in this race, but after 2km felt weak and tired and had to really push myself to keep going as long as I did. I think it was mainly the heat but also wondering if I wasn't properly hydrated or fuelled up when I started. The funny thing is I was having a pretty decent run — I was slow and I took some slow track options because I was tired but had only made 1 big error (3.5min at 4) and a couple of smaller ones by control 18 when I abandoned.

C • Impact Mag 5

A bemused 4th, 6:58 behind Patrick. Halfway around and after making my first big mistake (4min) I figured I was well out of it but when Wil Smith caught me from 2min in front after another 3min mistake it occurred that maybe I still had a chance ?

Started okay despite inattention on the 1st costing a minute. Knuckled down from there not losing any real time until the 8th where I missed the control in the circle and then had to double back. Control 10 was the first bad'un (4min) followed by 11 (3min). I made both mistakes in the circle, in the first misreading the map and looking for the control in a shallow gully and in the second I must have passed within about 20m of the control in one of the more open parts of the forest. Wil was just behind me at 12 and we raced back to the finish without any further mistakes.

Lost about 9 min in big mistakes all up, maybe another minute from wobbles, and 1 min from a too conservative route choice.

C • Congrats! 4

Warm up on the map excerpt provided. Ran through most of the controls and made my first mistakes.

Warm down

8th, 1:42 behind Jon Torrance. Not a bad sprint for me based on past results but given my recent training I was disappointed. I started fast but between controls 4 and 9 I felt pretty flat and lost some time. Also lost about 30 seconds from hesitations and wobbles (controls 1, 2, 4, 10, 13 and 14). In retrospect I didn't really have my mind on winning, so I shouldn't really be surprised that I was slow.

Sprint warm up at Confederation Park. Jogged to about halfway and then did a few controls at higher speed and backed off again.

Sprint race. Went hard for a while, but the course wasn't inspiring me and so I backed off for a few controls before finishing hard. Supposed to be in a taper after all.