Training Log Archive: Anvil

Hadn't planned on running, but it was still light when I got some so decided to head out. From home along the river to Barnes Bridge and back through Barnes Common. Really nice along the river as the sun was setting - heaps of people on the townpath, couldn't help picking them off.
Felt good.

Been thinking about EMIT and how crap it is. I am yet to see any reason why some clubs adopted that system over here when SI seems to be superior in every way. Even the basic system of punching: stick something in a hole vs place a flat thing on another flat thing (like putting lego together), constant flashing light and noise vs intermittant flashing light, natural extension of finger vs somthing you grasp in your fist (or at least I do).
I've read a couple of other runners reports here from the weekend where the cards malfunctioned part way through the course - never heard of SI doing anything like that in the 5+ years I've been using it.
Why is it still used? Is it easier for organisers to set up? Cheaper?
Call it a tick in OA's column.

Event: British Sprint Championships
 

Woke up to snow. Wasn't sure whether to to try and get to the event given how many delays there were on the trains last night.
Moot point as I discovered my bike had got a flat since I last used it.
Sort of disappointed cause it looked like a fun event, but that much travel for 30 minutes.....

As if I'm not going to go for a run in the snow.
Headed out to Richmond Park woth a plan to run the perimeter, but decided to run around the internal tracks cause it looked more fun. Lots of snowmen and taboggans around, good atmosphere. For some reason not one, but two random people took photos of me. I'm hoping it was cause the red top I was in contrasted well with the white all around, but still....
Some kids tried to throw snowballs at me coming back through Wimbledon Common, but I was too fast for their measley throwing arms. Told them they were lucky they missed.

Event: British Elite Middle Distance
 

Brit Middle Champs at Hopwas Woods.
100% improvement on the middle race at JK. Was a much easier map, but steeper and harder to run due to the grotty stuff, brambles and stuff underfoot (Australian translation: grotty = shitty).
Pretty happy with the first 10 controls, except taking the soft track option to 3 which I thought would be faster due to the aforementioned 'grot'.
Did a 90 out of 11 costing me 1:30. I wasn't the only one to do it so I'm a little suspect of the contours in that area - they weren't wrong per say, just didn't really give you an idea of the all the different gullies size and slope. Although if I'd just looked at my compass it wouldn't have been a problem.
Really happy with my navigation on the vague downhill section into 13. Spiked the control and dropped the 2 guys I was with from 11. That has never happened before, first real sign of any fitness improvement I've had in a while.
Thought my wider track route to 18 was clever as it cut out 2 short steep climbs and came into the control from the exit direction, but no it was about 30 seconds slower than the splits of the guys who did similar times to me.
Massive choke at 21. Short compass leg, should have taken 30 secs, took 2 mins. Idiot.
Minor choke to 23 (final control). I'd turned off on a track junction I didn't notice (which conveniently led right to the control), but started freking out cause I expected to see it earlier thinking I was on a different track.

Much happier with the race, feel I could have pushed a bit more when I was off track, maybe a little gun shy in the terrain after JK. Feels much better having a result right in the middle of the pack instead of languishing at the end. A little frustrating to be have 4 guys only 10 seconds in front of me - but I'll take that any day over a results board having 2 other guys on it.

http://www.od.routegadget.co.uk/od/reitti.cgi?act=...

Had to leg it to the start after realising I'd left my clue sheet reader in the car. Got to the start lanes with 1 minute to spare.
Worst. Warm down. Ever. Probably jogged about 50m

Just snuck home in time to take advantage of the last half hour of light. Went straight for Hammersmith Bridge along the unlit section of track. As it got dark there were still heaps of people running along there so maybe it's not too dodgy.
Did 1k easy/hard to keep it interesting. Felt OK, a bit tired - will try to get an early night for once. First time in a long while that I can remember running in shorts and a short sleeved T, nice and warm at the moment - got a good sweat up even.
Very tempted to try out the new KFC that opened on High Street. I haven't sampled their product over hear yet, but I hear the chips aren't up to scratch (which is the best part of KFC back home). What this has to do with the run I just did is debatable.

C • chips 2

Nice steady street run. Felt good to begin with, but started to get a stitch after about 25mins that got progressively worse - may have to think about doing some core work.
Tried a new extension to the loop, going north once I hit Imperial Wharf, but got turned about my the streets and ended up in an area I didn't recognise. Decided just to keep going till I found a landmark, came across one of the bike network signs to discover I was heading towards Westminster - going NE when I thought I was heading west!
Have decided to take my Oyster Card with me from now on just in case I end up somewhere ridiculous and can't be bothered running home.