Training Log Archive: taramelhuish

Training camp in the Austrian mountains, so so pretty!!! Terrain was very steep but I managed ok with the nav, just found it difficult to move across the slope well. Started going out along the slope on a short course, then did an exercise which I didn't like - basically we were given an area on a map and told to run round it to try and find 10 controls...which took ages going nearly no where as I ended up just plodding along and standing round wondering where to look for more controls when I needed more, and I still only got 9. Not that useful I don't think, if the idea was fine/close map reading I think there are better exercises to do. Then going back across the slope on a map with no tracks or green. Pretty similar to the first one, apart from the massive downpour which would leave me soaked and freezing for the rest of the day.

Another training, this one in probably the most spectacular location I've been orienteering. An up/down/across the slope course, focussing on making sure you had a good compass direction. It looked quite hard on the map, with heaps of identical gullies all parallel in some parts, but it ended up being very fast and visible terrain so it ended up being very easy to just go straight and see the control pretty soon. I was so cold I couldn't feel my feet properly starting off so I was moving the whole time, which made me make sure my exit direction was good, but no great speed through the course. Got some really awesome views going across an open section on the higher part of the course where the rocky mountain side panned up on my right and I could see a whole valley of more in every other direction.

So despite having run in the rain twice and immediately frozen upon finishing twice, they decided to go ahead with a short relay they had planned....meaning heaps and heaps of time waiting around in the rain for two very short runs of two controls each. And after waiting over 10mins for my last leg, there were so many complications (injuries, wrong maps, wrong orders etc.) they then decided to just scrap it so I could finally jog back...not much fun at all!! Got cold I was still wearing a thermal, jumper and puffy jacket inside after showering and dinner until 9pm ://

Run up the hill behind Lukas' place with him and Sandrine. Started off on some gentle fire trails, then moved on to some steep and slippery single track to the top which was very tough. Good view up the top though and a really nice run!
Spent the arvo on the bus to Austria for a training camp so no time for a second training.

Easy run from Lukas' place, so good because there is a big hill and many many forest trails so just took a map and explored a small amount of them. Was very foggy as soon as I got into the trees and felt very stiff (??) but it was still a nice run.

Running training with Lukas' squad starts with a little bit of basic core

Doing hill intervals with the Swiss ain't no fun and games, a pretty brutal 4x4mins (2mins) session up some forest trails which only got steeper throughout the reps. Managed the first one alright...but then it only got harder, and even though it was quite slow I was really feeling it the whole time, though I think overall I managed to keep a pretty steady pace. Jeez though, with a junior squad which I think were mostly younger than me, they were so quick!! Struggled to keep up with a few of them :// definitely one of the hardest hills sessions I've done, but that's a good thing and at least there was some nice scenery ;)

Lonnnnng way back, including a slippery descent straight down a singe track instead of the windy road we had gone up

but actually with the core circuit separate as I was slow to get through things today so took ages (boring)

Training in Aarau with Lukas' club. Very trashy map coming from Halden - the forest might have been pretty if not for all the nettles and blackberries...also a lot of track running. Took it easy at the start anyway but just felt like I had no energy for some reason (rest day yesterday and strength wasn't hard so idk?) so cut the second loop of the course because it wasn't particularly enjoyable getting through massive amounts of green.

C • Swiss lowland forests 1

Took a whole day of travelling to get to Switzerland so no time for training, though a rest day wasn't so bad after a big day yesterday

Sprintervals in town which I didn't do on Saturday. I think it was quite good doing them today actually so I could push really hard because they were fairly short (around 4mins each). Approx. 1:30 walk/jog in between each. Felt quite good and like I was orienteering better than Saturday with my decision making etc. and had more fun this time! Got pretty cooked, not sure if from pushing hard or from being tired from yesterday but still was able to push, even a little bit up the hills ;) Everyone seemed to be on their way to work/ school so a bit of traffic slowed me down a couple of times but overall wasn't too bad.

Verrrrryyyy long cool down feat. 6x 30sec strides and an extended route home to go via the park on the hill to do a micro sprint...but wasn't really worth it as I was so tired by the time I got there but thought it would be good for exit direction practice. Made myself finish the very short course since i was there even if I was moving at barely a jog pace, a bit confusing because of the scale but I pretty much visited every control...or close enough...then slogged it the rest of the way home

Last halden strength :((((( fun as always - mixed it up a bit and did the warmup outside in the sun...which then involved all kinds of hopping and jumping up the stairs! So that was quite tiring but on the whole it felt easier than the last couple of weeks which I hop is a good thing! Had to say bye to my friends at the end which sucked - keen to see everyone again at Jukola!

Home from strength (rode there to return lizzie's bike to her), feeling pretty tired!

Essentially the same long run as the last one, though through the bare rock section with no real path I definitely got on a different line and ended up on a track which dropped closer to the water and had to climb back up on a bit of a rougher path then off the path to continue on my desired route. Also took some different small trails coming back through the forest area and missed my favourite one :( Also decided I would go to the top of the fortress this time as I won't be able to do so for a long while. Got home at the 19.9km mark, so obviously ran to the 20km point, then decided 1k isn't that far so I would make this my first half marathon distance run ;)