Training Log Archive: schnitzer

Burghfield Common. The first ranking event of 2008 and the pressure was on with almost all the Monday night run club orienteers attending. What made it even more important to do well was that Tim, Mark S and I are right next to each other (42/43/44) in the all important ranking list (Matt is like 90th or summit cause he got very drunk in Scotland - Tim and I were sober every night of course) and even more important than that was if I didn't have a good run after probs the worst week of training this Winter I may have strangled myself.

So I decided to give Tim's idea of drinking the night b4 and no more than 5 hours sleep a go to see if it would work for me too. Also put on my comedy tights reserved for days when I want to cheer myself up and give everybody at the event that still has decent eyesight a proper laff.

Went out a bit rapid and tried to keep the pace like that all the way. My legs were a bit achy which slowed me down up the hills and thru the rare ruff bits but was still going fast right up to the line. Time loss...

2. Was drifting a bit East but ran next to a big depression and converted it into my attack point but bad ruff compass from there cost me 30secs.
4. Very slight hesitation in the circle - 5secs.
7. Didn't check my descr, assumed it was a spur and ran right past it - 30secs.
9. Got a bad stitch - not breathing hard enuff. Had to slow to almost walking speed to get rid of it. 30secs.
10. Again slow out of 9 breathing really hard finally got rid of it just after punching 10 - 15secs.
12. Ignored the ultra fast terrain and ran up the path well off the red line b4 entering the circle - 15secs.
14. Very slight hesitation in the circle - 5secs.
16. Got proper stuck in the brambles. Shudda gone around - 30secs.
17. Maybe 5 pints of Westons Vintage/Organic not the best idea the night b4. Forest Gump - 45secs.
20. Went in too early and got confused - 45secs.
22. Tiredness setting in and ran into completely the wrong block... of gorse. Then s-shaped it to the control - 60secs.
25. Ran str8 into the circle saw the flag but didn't believe it was mine. Then realised the depression was now a lake - 15secs.
26. Ran North out of 25 instead of West and got caught in some seriously marshy 5hit - 15secs.

So a total of 5:40 but 1:30 of that due to erm... physical constraints. Not gutted at all to be beaten by Matt and Tim as we were all within 90secs of each other and all lost a similar amount of time, maybe Tim a bit more. Hats off to that Mark Saunders chap who set the standard for us all with a near technically perfect run probs only losing a minute in total. Good effort old boy.

To gym.

Fantastic stretch b4hand. It seems that my gym*2 = stretch*2 strategy is working and I am more flexible already.

5*20...

UC - 10kg+bar
DP - 32.5kg
BOR - 12.5kg+bar

Didn't do the full six cause worried about burning the candle at both ends and in the middle.

From gym.

High Meadow. Was quite looking forward to racing in arguably the most technical area in the FOD but I had a shocker. Time loss...

1. Left the track right next to my hill top attack point but saw another hill top a couple hundred metres further on and used that instead - didn't work. 2. Just ran in the general direction not really paying any attention to whether going up or down, didn't look for an attack point and circled trying to re-locate for a few minutes.
3. Thought sod any more contouring in this rather ruff bit of wood and ran down to the path but took a bad line more back towards 1 than 3. Used path bend attack point but missed it too high. Total 7mins lost so far.
10. Missed the obvious route and ran major downhill thru a load of crap to a road and had to climb back up again. Bad line from depression attack point.
12. Who knows - I'm tempted to blame the map or say it was in the wrong place but with my nav at the mo it was probs me being a crap orienteer again.
13. Tim caught me up and I ran in s-shapes towards the control. Fortunately he saw it as I was running past it. Comedy moment - Tim says 'You're a bit all over the place today John' and then ran in the opposite direction of 14 haha.
14. Small miss no attack point too low down the slope.

Felt pretty depressed after as even when I was spiking Tim was still a lot faster. Hartley rest day syndrome strikes again.

To gym.

5*20...

CF - G6
BF - G2
RF - Y3
SF - G1
LP - R3
OP - G7

Nice.

From gym.

To hills.

Hollybush Lane lamp posts with Timmy. 5*5 lamp posts, 2mins rest then made some pathetic attempt at the next set but had to sit it out - legs just stopped working. Well done Tim for carrying on on his lonesome.

1) 9:15

Scenic route from hills.

To gym. Right change of strategy with the old gym workouts - I will now start going every day for two main reasons, a) it almost halves the amount of time actually at the gym so requires less motivation to get it done and means I eat lunch earlier than mid-afternoon and b) the only time I ever really stretch properly is at the gym so it should mean I end up doing twice as much stretching every week!

Shock bloody horror it wasn't raining today.

5*20...

LP - 7.1
SC - 9.1
AD - 12.1
AB - 13.1
LC - 13.1
LE - 11.1

Went up two notches on every exercise and altho it was not easy it still wasn't like upper body stuff where sometimes don't even manage the fourth set let alone the fifth. Feels pretty good knowing that I'm a lot stronger now but I'm still nowhere near regular enuff on the compound/core exercises (it's been over three weeks since I ruined myself with that squat pyramid) which I'm not usually worried about when I'm rowing regularly but option denied cause the last time I did something got disturbed in my lower right leg which I can still feel a bit. Maybe I'll do a chilled 5km tomorrow b4 upper body and see how it goes.

New PB from gym. No rain, no wind, not even tired from leg workout, kicked arse.

To Ashton Court.

Ashton Court. A mostly chilled session talking thru basic techniques and jogging around the permanent course with our new mate Charlie who is hopefully coming along with us to the NGOC Mini-League event on Saturday.

From Ashton Court. Beautiful weather for it, shame it had to go and f-ing...

...piss it down later when going to gym. This is defo the first and last time I cycle down the gym in rush hour. Huge amounts of traffic everywhere and of course a lot more important that they get where they're going all warm and dry in their cars than me all cold and wet on my bike. And they stink like shite.

5*20 except flat press...

IP - 25kg
LP - 10
3*20, 15, 10 FP - 30kg

Put the weight back up to summit more reasonabubble today - hard work. Probs go back up to six exercises on Thursday.

From gym.

Clifton Down, Leigh Woods etc with Tim (back in the club!), Matt, Mark S and Tom. Probs my worst Monday night run so far with everything that could going wrong. Shin numbness, a touch of indigestion, stomach cramps, not enuff grip, not enuff light and really, really tired from the last few days of training. Sorry guys for having to wait for me so many times but I wasn't going to risk another crash or ankle injury.