Training Log Archive: bradcIn the 31 days ending May 31, 2011:
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Sunday May 29, 2011 #
Event: Scottish Relays
12 PM
Orienteering race 1:07:47 7.93 km (8:33 / km) +209m 7:33 / km
ahr:151 max:165 (sick) shoes: Inov8 O-Roc 350
Scottish Relays, Drummond Estate: third leg of the open (6.3km + 300m) after Jon and Adam. I'd heard from previous finishers that the courses were seriously long, so, considering that I was dead on my feet yesterday, I started with some trepidation. Also, given my experience of the green yesterday, I was very wary about any green on this map too! So, I was surprised to find it pretty reasonable going. OK, I didn't get stuck in the grot en route from #2-#3 that mercilessly consumed many, but all told I never found myself too badly affected by the terrain. I WAS totally affected by complete energy drain, though - three visits to the loo before running left the tank on negative, and it was all I could do to maintain the sort of shuffling progress that would have seen me land a part as an extra in a George A Romero movie. Couldn't lift my feet and was constantly tripping over myself.
One big, fat, stupid error to spoil an otherwise reasonably error-free trundle. My first control on the east-west connecting corridor along the top of the crags, where I managed to completely fail to see it despite milling around in the area for ages, then ended up running on to my next control and bouncing back. 6 minutes thrown away, very, very, stupidly. Also a slight error going to my first control in the final wee loop before the run-in, getting confused and going to the wrong fence crossing, costing about a minute.
Utterly spent at the end, felt like a dried out husk.
One big, fat, stupid error to spoil an otherwise reasonably error-free trundle. My first control on the east-west connecting corridor along the top of the crags, where I managed to completely fail to see it despite milling around in the area for ages, then ended up running on to my next control and bouncing back. 6 minutes thrown away, very, very, stupidly. Also a slight error going to my first control in the final wee loop before the run-in, getting confused and going to the wrong fence crossing, costing about a minute.
Utterly spent at the end, felt like a dried out husk.
Saturday May 28, 2011 #
Event: Scottish Championships
12 PM
Orienteering race 1:51:29 10.99 km (10:09 / km) +458m 8:24 / km
ahr:144 max:169 (sick) shoes: Inov8 O-Roc 350
Scottish Champs, Auchingarrich, M40L: 9.8km + 290m.
Why. Did I bother. Ever. Coming back to this place? What a sh*tty area. Orienteering is about running, not gratuitous self-flagellation, staggering along bent double through grot, getting your face and arms cheese-grated.
So, mental note to self, for one's first run back in a fortnight whilst still suffering from grot-bot and generally being flat out, don't select a massively over-planned course on a really horrible area.
Drained from the start, neither head nor legs in the game - my first three controls sounded very similar to Jon's. Except I didn't really improve after that!
Already done in by the time I got to the manned control at #13, I'm still not really sure why I ever thought it would be a good idea to carry on over the windblow into Mill of Fortune, when I could just have turned for home... but, over I went, and I staggered up the hill to #14, fell over several heaps of windblow and then failed to bother getting back up for a couple of minutes after I'd fallen over in a tangled heap for the umpteenth time.
After those two blissful, serene minutes of dreamlike state, I glanced hazily at my watch and it dawned that the only way Beccy would be able to set off before the last start time would be for me to crawl back down the hill, across the windblow and walk slowly towards the finish. Which I duly did. Thankfully Beccy had already decided to drive up to Auchingarrich to meet me, so she did just manage to get a punching start at 15:27 (last start 15:30) whilst I recovered in the excellent, new, cafe.
A race too far, that was too far by half, on an area that should be a lot farther away from here. Somewhere in the mid-Atlantic would do nicely.
Why. Did I bother. Ever. Coming back to this place? What a sh*tty area. Orienteering is about running, not gratuitous self-flagellation, staggering along bent double through grot, getting your face and arms cheese-grated.
So, mental note to self, for one's first run back in a fortnight whilst still suffering from grot-bot and generally being flat out, don't select a massively over-planned course on a really horrible area.
Drained from the start, neither head nor legs in the game - my first three controls sounded very similar to Jon's. Except I didn't really improve after that!
Already done in by the time I got to the manned control at #13, I'm still not really sure why I ever thought it would be a good idea to carry on over the windblow into Mill of Fortune, when I could just have turned for home... but, over I went, and I staggered up the hill to #14, fell over several heaps of windblow and then failed to bother getting back up for a couple of minutes after I'd fallen over in a tangled heap for the umpteenth time.
After those two blissful, serene minutes of dreamlike state, I glanced hazily at my watch and it dawned that the only way Beccy would be able to set off before the last start time would be for me to crawl back down the hill, across the windblow and walk slowly towards the finish. Which I duly did. Thankfully Beccy had already decided to drive up to Auchingarrich to meet me, so she did just manage to get a punching start at 15:27 (last start 15:30) whilst I recovered in the excellent, new, cafe.
A race too far, that was too far by half, on an area that should be a lot farther away from here. Somewhere in the mid-Atlantic would do nicely.
Monday May 23, 2011 #
Note
(sick)
Well, this is just getting bl**dy boring. >:-(
Friday May 20, 2011 #
5 PM
Running (Trail) 46:16 8.79 km (5:16 / km) +196m 4:44 / km
ahr:148 max:168 (sick) shoes: Walsh Spirit Peak
Since it's been a week, surely it's OK to go for a run again by now? Wrong... in one loop of Beecraigs I had to have three stops and was much lighter by the end. Sigh.
Wednesday May 18, 2011 #
1 PM
Gym (Cross-trainer) 45:01 9.83 km (4:35 / km)
ahr:153 max:167 (sick)
Still not safe to venture too far from the WC, nor do too much bouncing around, but I felt well enough to do some exercise - cross-trainer it is, then. Pushed reasonably hard, good sesh.
Gym (Cardio) 5:03 1.15 km (4:23 / km)
ahr:128 max:134 (sick)
Wee warm up for the arm and back muscles on the Concept 2... just very easy/steady.
Gym (Strength Training) 15:00 [2]
(sick)
Some upper body stuff on the machines.
Sunday May 15, 2011 #
Note
(sick) (rest day)
Hmm. Dodgy guts. Me no run.
Saturday May 14, 2011 #
Note
(rest day)
Up all night with Eilidh - dead on my feet.
Friday May 13, 2011 #
2 PM
Running (Trail) 38:02 8.21 km (4:38 / km) +37m 4:32 / km
ahr:150 max:162 shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus 12
Late lunchtime jaunt from the Alba Centre, around the Easter Breich circuit. Easy/steady - still building up before I try any speed work.
Great day for a run - breezy, but still nice and warm in the sunshine.
Great day for a run - breezy, but still nice and warm in the sunshine.
Thursday May 12, 2011 #
4 PM
Running (Trail) 37:39 7.7 km (4:53 / km) +200m 4:20 / km
ahr:150 max:162 shoes: Walsh Spirit Peak
Stane loop. The mud has returned. Feeling rather sprightlier today; less plodding, more running.
Wednesday May 11, 2011 #
6 PM
Orienteering race 50:58 6.65 km (7:40 / km) +151m 6:53 / km
ahr:147 max:163 shoes: Adidas Swoop 2
WEE Barr Wood - Long, 5.3km. Soggy! But Barr Wood is lovely in any weather and at any time the bracken isn't up. I was tootling along OK and enjoying myself until I summarily failed to find #9, and threw away about 5 minutes. I was a bit dispirited after that, but soldiered on. Made a couple more fluffs and was fairly hopeless on compass, then dodgy guts started to be a factor for the last few controls. Glad that Fraser was able to find alternate troops to go collect :-).
Tuesday May 10, 2011 #
8 PM
Running (Trail) 37:37 7.32 km (5:08 / km) +101m 4:49 / km
ahr:142 max:155 shoes: Walsh Spirit Peak
Felt crap, ran crap. Crap.
Sunday May 8, 2011 #
Event: SOL3
10 AM
Running warm up/down 9:02 1.34 km (6:44 / km) +54m 5:37 / km
ahr:133 max:143 shoes: Inov8 O-Roc 350
Jog to the start.
Orienteering race 1:34:31 10.21 km (9:15 / km) +189m 8:28 / km
ahr:145 max:160 shoes: Inov8 O-Roc 350
SOL3 Dallaschyle, M40L: 8.1km. To steal Gary's turn of phrase: not my best run...
Decided to go steady due to still not feeling great and it being forest orienteering (I don't "do" trees, after all). Was OK to #1, but made a complete hash of #2 - blew 5 mins. After that I was steadily and consistently shoddy. Plodding along and being rubbish in the control circle. Struggled with the map, glad to hear that it wasn't just me... I'm just not good enough to be able to adapt to it. Far too much fannying around hunting in the vicinity of the controls. Still, I actually quite enjoyed it, and didn't find it too madly rough and tough. With a decent map it could have been brill.
Looking at the HR data I rather gave up at about the 60 minute mark - too many mistakes to be competitive! - and just pootled in from there. Tsk.
Decided to go steady due to still not feeling great and it being forest orienteering (I don't "do" trees, after all). Was OK to #1, but made a complete hash of #2 - blew 5 mins. After that I was steadily and consistently shoddy. Plodding along and being rubbish in the control circle. Struggled with the map, glad to hear that it wasn't just me... I'm just not good enough to be able to adapt to it. Far too much fannying around hunting in the vicinity of the controls. Still, I actually quite enjoyed it, and didn't find it too madly rough and tough. With a decent map it could have been brill.
Looking at the HR data I rather gave up at about the 60 minute mark - too many mistakes to be competitive! - and just pootled in from there. Tsk.
Running warm up/down 3:32 0.58 km (6:06 / km)
ahr:135 max:145 shoes: Inov8 O-Roc 350
Jog back from the finish.
Saturday May 7, 2011 #
Note
(rest day)
More of the same.
Friday May 6, 2011 #
Note
(rest day)
Feeling pretty ropey today - sore throat and washed out. Not sure it merits an "Illness" tickbox yet... but I certainly don't feel like running.
Thursday May 5, 2011 #
7 PM
Running (Trail) 55:31 9.57 km (5:48 / km) +268m 5:05 / km
ahr:144 max:160 shoes: Asics Gel Cumulus 11
Stopped off at the uni for a run, on the way home; pretty dead beat after a long day and swithering about bothering at all. Took 10 mins to work up some enthusiasm before starting to change, when, lucky me, Fi turned up, having arranged to go for a run with Ross (who duly arrived 5 mins later). Hooray, company! And very pleasant company at that. It was a bit damp but it was warm, and our easy wee jaunt around Hermitage Woods, up the road to Mine Woods and back through BrOfA passed by without really noticing the rain at all. Still a bit under the weather (oops) and with a sore throat (probably because of my non-stop blethering!) so this was just what was needed. Thanks, both!
Wednesday May 4, 2011 #
5 PM
Running (Road) 11:43 2.69 km (4:21 / km) +19m 4:13 / km
ahr:139 max:153 shoes: Newton Gravitas 2010
Fantastic night for the Dumyat hill race. So where am I? In the office - fixing Beccy's company's broken file server backups. Before heading home to spend 4 hours preparing the VAT return. Great.
Ran there.
Ran there.
Running (Road) 8:32 1.77 km (4:49 / km) +62m 4:06 / km
ahr:143 max:158 shoes: Newton Gravitas 2010
Ran back.
Tuesday May 3, 2011 #
5 PM
Running (Trail) 37:46 7.49 km (5:03 / km) +172m 4:31 / km
ahr:146 max:159
Post-work pre-dinner Gathering Stane jaunt. Decided to try out the Mudclaw 330s that I'd acquired from young Mr Marsden, who'd wanted to rid himself of them after they'd given him blisters. Given that my last pairs of Inov8 shoes have been very comfortable, hopes were high. Sadly within 4k my right heel was sore, by 5km it was very sore, by 6km I was limping, and on return I peeled off the shoe to find a 2p-sized burst blister on my heel. Bah.
Had to stop twice due to being jumped on by large dogs whilst their owners frantically called them back. Time to invest in a tazer.
Had to stop twice due to being jumped on by large dogs whilst their owners frantically called them back. Time to invest in a tazer.
Monday May 2, 2011 #
8 AM
Cycling (Road) 51:49 21.09 km (24.4 kph) +177m
ahr:134 max:159
If I have to go back to work, I might as well enjoy the commute... so I chucked Bertha in the back of the chariot and drove to Linlithgow. Took the longer route around Torphichen to delay the onset of the drudgery for as long as possible. Very pleasant to be out - roads quiet, cool but clear. We like.
5 PM
Cycling (Road) 44:16 18.61 km (25.2 kph) +234m
ahr:133 max:163
So, after a very frustrating day at the office (automatic Windows update completely fries PC whilst I'm away, spend several hours trying to save myself 3 days of reinstallations - no joy) it was time to head out into the by now very sunny but rather breezy Livingscum afternoon. Straight over the hill. Yum yum. Fabbo clear views from the top, as far as the Bass Rock.