Training Log Archive: schnitzer

Big Wood. Hmm, I usually like a big wood in the morning. On finishing the course I promptly stated that this was probs the worst national event (in terms of the actual o-ing) I had been to for a long time...

MAP: Prominent trees not very prominent, rides were tracks/tracks were rides, green was white/white was green (altho I have come to expect tree-density being all over the place on Sarum maps now). Very inconsistent as well - they used rootstocks and holly bushes as control sites but quite a few significant ones were not even mapped.

CONTROLS: Most were ok but I would question the use of prominent trees on this map. 12 on course 1 was alright but the rest esp 2 were dodgy. 19 was indeed prominent but not all the similar trees around it were mapped. Was it in the right place?

COURSE: Course 1 very good - an excellent contrast between long/short legs plus lots of changes in direction. Good length as well - without my mistakes I would have been just over 90 so I would expect a GG to do 75. However course 3 was very bad with 6-7 controls in a str8 line.

Time loss...

1. Missed East - bad line from holly bush attackpoint - 30secs.
2. No attackpoint, hesistated too short, tried to re-locate on stuff that wasn't mapped, hit path South then hit path East then used white semi-circle as attackpoint - 2mins.
8. Drifted too far South realised about half way and corrected - 15secs.
11. Hesistated too short as couldn't identify attackpoint - other fairly big rootstocks not mapped - 15secs.
13. Went thru the crap forced a bit South rather than South East but carried on into more crap when I hit the ride, shudda run along ride to junction - 45secs.
14. Tried to hit this without attackpoint, failed miserably - 45secs.
18. Missed very slightly West - 15secs.
19. Who knows? 2mins.
24. I am a tired loser - 45secs.
26. How many times do I want to cross the earthbank? Sorry, vegetated sleeping policeman (not the sort of size that you scrape your front valance on either). 30secs.

So 7.5mins total is a complete estimate as the splits aren't up yet. Now I've had time to reflect I think my initial thoughts were a bit harsh - most of my time loss was my fault and nothing to do with the map. Maybe one or two controls were a bit bingo like and maybe one or two sites were a bit optmistic but no more than any other area around these parts e.g. Grovely, Rushmore or Shillingstone.

C • Nice job you too! 3

Moseley Green. Felt a bit tired, nav mostly ok, just a little high on 8, missed South on 10, hesitant short of 14 and shudda taken the path route on 3 and 12 as was significantly quicker. Probs 2.5mins in total. A bit gutted really as made similar time loss to JK 2007 middle (6.2km & 255m) and ended up doing a similar time. Surely I should be faster now?

To gym. Finally sorted out the front wheel problem - the rim tape was thin rubber so went to the bike shop and they swopped it for some plastic stuff. Dunno why it wasn't a problem for 1000km. Proper to55 weather - raining and (surprise) windy. These kinda days I wish I was still driving.

Mostly 5*20...

CF - G7
BF - G4
RF - Y5
SF - G3
LP - R5
3*20, 2*15 OP - Y2

First full upper body workout this week - nice to have enuff energy for once, shame about the motivation.

From gym. Running today has defo made my knee worse. It aches pretty much all around the knee cap. Something tells me it might be in pieces after 14.3km tomorrow but sod it I'm still gonna run. After all it's not as if there's any important events coming up.

To gym. Unfortunately my front tyre was flat again this morning and a quick inspection b4 giving up and putting in a brand new tube revealed just like my initial repair on Tues not the repair blown but a new hole near the repair right next to a spoke hole. I hope it's more to do with the tube being weak after the first blow out than to do with the rim tape not being good enuff - time will tell. For the mo I'm counting that as two successful puncture repairs yeehaa.

Did a proper set of dynamic stretches for the first time but strangely forgot the leg swings which I've been doing fairly regularly.

5*1km/1:00r...

1. 4:00.0
2. 3:30.1
3. 3:30.0
4. 3:30.0
5. 4:00.1

Put the resistance down from the usual level 5 to level 4 in an attempt to make it more cardio than strength to make up for the current lack of V02 training i.e. running. Didn't work - body still knackered b4 lungs so level 3 next time.

5*20...

HF - G7
GL - G7
AD - Y3
AB - G1

I know I said I was only going to do leg strength exercises on Monday from now on but seeing as my training is a bit all over the shop at the mo what with the knee problem I couldn't resist trying out the new strap-ons. Oh yes, they are the 5hit. I'm gutted I haven't been doing these exercises regularly thru the winter cause they are obviously more specific to running than any machine exercises or even free-weight leg exercises. They are quite simply leg swings (the dynamic stretches I missed earlier!) with cables attached to the ankles and you can feel them really working the core - the leg that is swinging is actually working less than the other leg, hips and abdominals that are keeping everything str8!

C • Bollocks! 2

From gym.

To gym, slowly, legs very tired.

Mostly 5*20...

5*20 DP - 37.5kg
4*20 UC - 12.5kg+bar
KR
BR
3*20 CF - G7

Went up on decline press. This is the most I've ever lifted at 5 sets of 20 - coped ok. Something went pop in my right upper back on the 4th set of up to chin. This used to happen to me every so often b4 I started stretching my upper body regularly. Thing is I haven't bothered doing any stretching at all recently ever since I read that it's better to do static stretches afterwards and dynamic ones b4. When I get back home I'm always too hungry to be bothered. So I guess I have myself to blame. It's not too bad anyway neck's a bit stiff at the extremes that's all. Anyway just too tired from yesterday to carry on with a complete cable workout so that will have to wait until Saturday morning now.

From gym. Legs totally screwed and just knackered in general. Don't think I've ever wanted to get off and push going up BVR so much! Rowing intervals postponed until tomorrow. Knee getting very slowly better each day but still slightly painful - get the feeling I'll get thru the 14.3km at Big Wood on Sun but then be off running all the next week as well. If it does make it worse again no running until JK... and not happy with it.

Redland - Sportesse, Glastonbury - Shepton Mallet - Redland.

Firstly I have to say well done the Gunners for being the first English football team to ever beat AC Milan in Italy. That's a pretty impressive piece of history. It's weird but I knew they would - whenever I'm in a boo my team seem to win and when I'm really happy they tend to lose. It's a weird sort of balancing effect you get when you support a team and I've been trying to explain this to Tim 'hoof it' Britton for a while now.

In the couple of hours leading up to the game I had been trying to fix the holes in both the innatube I had punctured earlier and also my spare one that I thought was good, but that's another story - let's just say it had a negative ending. Now my history with puncture repairs is similar to trying to teach a cow to sing, a complete f-ing waste of my life basically. So this time I really did try my hardest to get it right and the first one lasted one hour b4 it popped (not my repair, a completely new hole) again. So not wanting to stress myself to the point of suicide I thought I'd sort it in the morning and then spent a long time (unsuccessfully) trying to extract the splinter from my left achilles.

After all this woe Arsenal then won their most important game of the season so far and this was the turning point for my negativity. I woke up this morning and I had been paid (on time shock horror!) so I decided to cycle to Sportesse in Glastonbury and buy the strap-on's I've wanted for ages. 30miles each way and decent innatubes are important so tried to fix the new hole, failed, then put in the spare and it stayed up! Went to the bike shop bought 2 new ones and borrowed Tim's pump (cheers buddy) just in case.

Beautiful day, long ride and my plan was to chill Winston - no dodgy overtakes accepting whatever colour the traffic lights are and no consideration for truck drivers whatsoever haha. After all, they used to make me wait when I used to drive so now they can wait now that I cycle - fair's fair.

Only one real issue with the ride. Once I'd got my strap on the police had just closed the road to Wells cause of an RTA where an air ambulance was landing in the road. The copper didn't have a clue that changing my route via Shepton Mallet only added on another few miles but then I didn't either until I thought about it properly. Fantastic ride, strong up the hills right to the end. Knee mostly ok.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/brist...

C • Two things: 4

Redland - Chew Magna - Bristol David Lloyd. On a bit of a negative one today (again) so bear with me. Thought about putting some effort in this morning so I prepared a route just over 20miles and the goal was to do it as close to an hour as poss. So why the f did I start by cycling thru the centre of Bristol getting caught by almost every traffic light and stopped by every car that decided not to pull away that quickly when it was just changing. This led to some dodgy overtakes risking my life as usual.

Got a lot better once I was out of Bristol on the A37 but then onto the B road towards Chew Magna I was annoyed that I had swopped a nice A road surface for repetiive strain injury. At least there was a lot less traffic... not a lot. Even the B road thru Chew Valley has its quota of huge lorries that don't even thank you when you stop and lift your bike onto the pavement so they can get thru - they are not very nice people.

Then I got a puncture, my first since putting the Mill Valley back on the road again. Not bad - must be at least 1000miles. Anyways I don't carry a puncture repair kit/spare innatube or a pump so...

...pushed the bike all the way from just b4 the A38 junction to the gym - not the best when you have a bad knee and a splinter in your Achilles that you can't get out for 5hit. Stopped off at the Long Ashton Co-op for that all important choco-milk.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/brist...

C • Walking? 3

5*20 IP - 25kg
5*20 LP - 11
3*20, 2*15 FP - 32.5kg
3*20, 2*15 BOR - 15kg+bar
20, 15 KR

Just no go. Do yourself a favour and do the weights first in future. Honestly, how many times.

From gym. Pushing bike.

Redland - A370/M5 - Bristol David Lloyd. Major headwind going out nice tailwind coming back. Fairly heavy pack with locks/gym kit. Knee not bad not that good either.

1) 1:13:35
2) 0:48:15

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-kingdom/brist...

5*20...

LC - 14.2
AB - 14.2
AD - 13.2
SC - 10.2

From gym. Tired, cold and wet - thought I was a bit unlucky to get caught in the rain but once back home I realised that I was actually lucky to not get caught in the hail.