Training Log Archive: Lard

Rest.
Sore calves and quads - no surprise.
G&C with the crew. That is - Golf and curry. Fab.

The FVO boys went for a stroll on the hills.

Well, the much exciting pub to pub actually - across all the Ochill 2000'ers.
Boy what a night, great craic, some views (at least we weren't rained on until the last descent). 10 tops and god knows how much climb in 25km.
Many thanks to Jon X for enthusing about the idea, to Rosco for prancing about like a lamb for 3 hours and to Brad for his nuts, Garmin and banter.
And last but not least - thanks to Elle and the girls for collecting us and taking us for chips after!
I had to call the Fire Brigade to get down the steps this morning!

3:40 included stops etc - actual running - 3:08 says Brad.

C • you should get one of those... 5

Just needed to get out and stretch the legs.
Felt travel weary and sleep weary but nice to be out - straight after a massive thunderstorm!

On the way home Janine and I went to a fab place with caves, rock bridges and river walk. A fitting end to a great week of sights.

Day 5 of OO Cup
I knew this was going to be a control pick and with some more rocky stuff thrown in. Started 4 mins after Andy S and knew I had to just go clean for a 3rd place result. At the start I was a bit rushed and went straight a bit too much rather than use the paths, took me some time to get into a proper controlled rhythm. A miss at about number 8 but I quickly realised I'd gone off-line to the right and picked back up. Andy ran passed me just before the drinks control (had missed at the one before) so I knew I was going OK. Thankfully I was able to tail Andy for the last half of the course - which proved to be mainly running O rather than nav O. I died on the last hill and Andy pulled away, had to be very carefull and fine O'd to the penultimate but then that was it - a stagger to the finish and job done.
The Finn couldn't cope with the pressure of trying to beat THE Jason Inman and buckled with a time of 71.
3rd overall and a successful end to the week!

C • Podium place! 4

Day 4 of OO Cup
A move to a new location for the last two days - and much nearer Andy & Toni's abode. Today was more runnable with lots of the avarage sized depressions. The paths were hard to see and stay on but the orienteering was fairly straightforward if you kept good compass and map read ahead. I ran well despite being very tired, made some good route choices and finished in 2nd place - helping me move up to 3rd overall and 2 minutes in front of the Finn with a day to go.

Day 3 of OO Cup
Mala Lazne

Today was another middle on a 1:5000 map. So I knew it would be rocky and detailed. I was too tired to be able to run hard anyway so tried to make sure I was clean - after an apprehensive start I got and good rhythm and went round clean until a long leg two from the end where I parallel errored and lost 3 1/2 minutes! I can see how I did it and I corrected very quickly but the damage was done. Still not a bad result. 5th today.
6 minutes down on the Finnin 3rd overall.

Day 2 of OO Cup
Mala Lazna
This was reported to be a long and tough and technical day. And so it was - not helped by me being crap in the middle part of the course - so crap that I navigated 10 to 11 and found myself back at 10 and didn't know how I'd done it! the last 4 km was hard and hilly running on long legs and I was dying! Needless to say I didn't deserve a good result - 8th placed and 19 minutes down on the leader - oh dear! Work to do. Fortunately Andy S had a similarly worse run and finished behind me.

Event: OO.cup/08 Slovenia
 

Day 1 - OO Cup, Slovenia
Mala Lazna

1:7500 map and a middle race (ish). I knew this would be tricky and rocky and I should treat it like a quality training session. I did and finished 2nd only 1 1/4 down on the leading Finn. I really enjoyed it!

Easing up for our 5 days - not!
Headed South towards Adjovscina and took in a hill with great 360 degree views starting from a high pass. It turns out it was the same hill i walked the juniors up on the Slonia tour we did - the one with loads of WW1 bunkers on the top that Marcus lead us through. J9 and I couldn't resist srambling through one of them! A lovely sunny day so views were great (apart from at the Julian Alps!).

Knackered after yesterday's long exlpoits.
The weather was meanto be decidedly worse today but in the end it was only bad in the evening. Drove north and east round the Julian Alps and did a waterfall walk and drove up Slovenia's highest Mountain pass for more views. Fab place.

Oh, we'll just go for a little walk says J9.
Well with the weather planned to worsen tomorrow we decided to get high into the Julian Alps and hope for some views of Triglav (the highest mountain - which we want to attempt some other time). In the end we climbed a sheer cliff face up from Lake Bohinj - 1k climb in 2km! And then headed to one of the Julian Alps Mountain Huts. Amazing! middle of nowhere and there are huts with loads of beds and supplying food all day long! Soup and hot apple strudel - yum! And fabulous views of the jagged peaks - unfortunately Triglav in cloud. J9 and I tempted to stay up and out but in the end we headed home - long trudge back out and back to ground level.

Spent all day getting from Scotland to Slovenia.
Camped at Camping Soca 2km out of Bled.

Wierd event - met Greg Hull at the airport - an old Leeds running friend who was coming out to walk with others. Turns out he was heading to where we were heading so we gave him a lift. Even more suprising, it turns our Greg is seeing Faye Pinker!

Much needed break.
Holidays tomorrow! Slovenia here we come!

C • Slovenia 1

MBK with HOrr at Carron Bridge.
We got lucky with really sunny weather whilst all around us was heavy showers! There's not much trails here so after much chatting and getting lost by me we realised we'd almost gone round twice! In an hour!
Hollie is very good at MBK and is being groomed by J9 and I for MBKO, which will compliment her foot O of course!
V tired and struggled on the hills. Need a rest.

C • MBKO?? 2

Schmuck!
Only Inman could go for a warm up and miss the start of the race!
And not just miss it but be at least 2 minutes back. So, given my sore back and complete lack of drive tonight I was quite glad I could jog the race from the back. Stopped at the fence crossing near the top to watch the FVO'ers through and then jogged back down behind Jon X.
Some fab results from the O'ers:
Murray - 3
Doug -4

Martin top 15
Brad - in front of Kyle, then Will, then Jon, then Hazel, then me....

C • thanks for your confidence, but... 2

After loads of gardening (think I've done my back in!) went for an easy leg stretch through the Hydro (not stopping at the bar), Holm Hill and a loop of Leigh Hills (that disqualifies me from the upcoming evening event) and home. My legs are tired (getting the excuses in now before I die tomorrow night).

Kick started the survey of Loch Ard forest for MBKO.
My God, it's massive. Did the northern part from Milton and along Loch Ard-side - some great views of the Loch in the sunshine.
Back sore and I was feeling the weekend so didn't overdo it.

C • Loch Ard, what an area! I r... 1

Felt like I needed a long endurance session to:
a: get my AP hours up if I'm to do 365 in 365
b: build some endurance
c: see what the state of play was

So I chose to run/shuffle/walk up two Munros from Feshiebridge. As it was a nice sunny day I took no food, no drink and no spare clothes - running in shorts & t-shirt. Well, the streams were aplenty and I knew I had the belly to make it round. Felt pretty rough after two hours and was made worse by dropping off to an old track that wasn't there so I trudged through knee-high heather for about 4km.

Was I pleased to see the car and my stash of malt loaf!

C • 366 8

Needed to go to Grantown to decorate and garden so drove up to Revack and went for a tough, hilly terrain run. Managed to do a full loop of the forest going all the way to the top fell. Lots of wildlife, including two red kites that were swooping far too close for comfort and making a racket (I must have been pretty near their nest). Grouting and floor tiling.

Run and grub from the Longhursts.
I turned up having forgot my trainers so Beccy kindly let me bezz it back home in her car. Set off hard to catch the group who had left 5 minutes in front. It didn't take long but then Louise sent the fast boys off on an extra loop and I had to join them.
Therefore the run was more a tempo run for me than any other type.

Pub quiz after (we won!), thanks to Jon & Rosco - the rest of us were just blondes. Good banter as always.

C • Pub quiz 1

Visiting Jamie Stevenson.
THE Jamie, not the other, foreign one.
Chatted about his last trip and next trip to Scandinavia and went for a tempo (for me) run round some golf courses and Torwood Wood - this area should be mapped!
Good banter.

Had to get out from home, despite the thunderstorm.
It was really nice running in the rain actually - up to the monument and Gathering stone then through long grassy paths back home, trying to avoid the padlocked gate. Great to be out but I felt fat and slow (Brad proved that I was with his scales later - ours have gone 3 kilos out!).
Bum.

C • 3 Kilos out 11

Up by 7:45 after the banquet!
Spent the day travelling fairly leisurely home - back at 8:30pm.
Does lugging 15Kg main bag, 10Kg Rucsac and 15Kg physio table class as strength training? Left shoulder stuffed!

JWOC Coachs' race.
Following on from an exciting morning with the juniors we mass started just after the prize giving. The real elites run the men's course, the real coaches run the women's course (and I'm at least the real shape to be a real coach!).
Gareth and Lars (Denmark) hared off from the start and on the first hill climb I realised I didn't have the fitness to even try to keep up so decided to run my own race and work for my usual goal (beat the best JWOC woman's time). I ran cleanly round what I thought was a nice, but tough, course (nearly fell asleep on the long leg) and finished on the same minute as the fast girl (by 2 mins) - Jenny Lonqvist. Lars finished in front but don't know what time he took. It turns out Gareth broke his compass on the way to 3 and struggled thereafter, don't know when I passed him.

C • I can remember a spring cup... 2

GBR v Poland and Switzerland?
Got taken out by Doug Doug at one point. Lots of spriniting and throwing myself about. Sore the next day!

NB: All athletes survived the banquet without incident (but had lots of fun) I am very proud of them all.

JWOC Classic day
Up at 6:30 and working the start all day from 8am till 2:30pm.
Managed to make it back to enjoy Hector's amazing 16th placing in a very strong field - felt like we were at WOC today.
Great solid results from many.

Went out for a jog around the army base and decide to go for a pb on the base's jogging trail.
2.6Km very undulating gravel track - 11:30 exactly.
Plus w/up and down loop etc.
Not much time despite it being an athlete rest day.

A nice dip in the sea in the morning followed buy some Classic preparation.

Easy run round army base.
Nice place!

Out to the Middle Distance Model Event to try out some terrain.
This area was pretty rough and low vis with technical orienteering.
I didn't like the map - seemed like a rush job to me.
Team OK though.

Kim, gareth and I went out to yesterday's sprint and ran the men's course to the last control.
I have actually talked through the lad's course with them etc so I did know some of the optimum routes beforehand. But I attacked the course and stayed pretty clean. Had difficulty reading the washed-out ISSOM spec map but it was fun and just the full-on session I needed.