Training Log Archive: Jon X

down to Sheffield after work

through to Edinburgh for http://www.speedoflight2012.org.uk

back from London after work

to/from Southampton from London for the one-day international. England started the day as #1 ranked in the world. They did not end the day there.

C • Ageas Bowl 2

travel to London after work

Steady, feeling not sore but tired after yesterday. Warm down yesterday may have helped....

Drymen 10k, 10th place.
Mix of road, forest road, and footpath. Route changed in the morning to less tarmac and more muddy path as Forestry Commission had not after all cleared their felling from blocking the planned track, so a longer route needed in the woodland to get round it. Plenty of climb.

Heavy legs after a first week or so back in training - started steady and kept at similar intensity the whole way, could have run the pace a while longer but struggling to go any quicker at any point. Watched the lead group of three gradually disappear ahead, including Rosco on his way to second place.

Dashed off to the uni afterwards to watch Roger at the end of the Ochil 2000s but too slow to beat him to the finish.....

Stopped off on way home to take advantage of last day of sale at The Running Company in BofA before it is taken over - all my running trainers well overdue for replacement so I now have two spangly new pairs :)

Warm up with Rosco checking out the last section of the course. No warm down except to dash to the car when the rain started.....

Calf soreness from Sunday morning's race almost gone now.
But not quite.

FVO evening event, Doune.
Good course on a map updated with the windblow - thanks Trevor!

Found the flags okay but still feeling a bit sore and weary, and was pretty incompetent at picking a route through the windblow on the way to #6. Also picked a bad route near the end by choosing to go a different way from Rosco who had just passed me - it did at least mean I bumped into a lost Elke so was able to help her!

Fine food and chat at the Woodside after - which was surprisingly busy including one guy with the hugest afro I have seen for many a year!

From the uni with Ross and Adam, up onto Abbey Craig to check out the scene of Adam's mtb battle with Fraser on Sunday....

Still suffering, grateful the others were kind to me with a nice gentle pace!

Short shuffle before dinner. DOMS-tastic.

C • Not very DOM Jolly 1

Sheriffmuir 11 mile road race. About 15th/16th place. Will was 5th in 72mins.

Always felt I should do this race - perhaps more influenced by the fact it starts and finishes at the Sheriffmuir Inn than by the course...

...the course is out along the road north from the Inn for 5.5miles (0.5miles uphill, 5miles downhill) and then a turn point to run back the same way (which is therefore 5miles uphill with 0.5miles downhill to finish).

Add in a pretty warm sunny day and you have quite a brutal race!

Kept it calm on the first half which meant I was able to keep it going in the second half rather than falling apart on the ascent. Tough lark this racing without training business!

Adidas Terrex Adventure Race Prologue, start/finish at Stirling Castle Esplanade.

Format was run-orienteer-mtb-mtb. Free to enter for local teams wanting to do prologue only so rude not to enter some FVO teams!

37 teams entered for the full week-long extravaganza, with another 7 prologue-only teams.
FVO teams of
Ross-Fi-Will-Fraser
Daniel S-me-Alison-Adam

Orienteering turned out to be on an 1898 street map of Old Stirling! Six controls to be collected in any order.

Good effort by Rosco to own his home turf and win the first leg - equally good work by Daniel to be back 4th, maybe 45secs down.

Set off just behind Bruce Duncan and Gary Tompsett and it quickly became clear they were running much quicker than me, as were the people who had started close behind! All chose the same order for controls as Fi in the lead - however Fi and I both with a big local knowledge fail where we each decided to go straight on the leg to Gowanhill whilst everyone else went round. Might be quicker in winter vegetation with studs on, turns out it is not quicker in summer vegetation with trainers after heavy rainfall, fell over four times on this bit and lost loads of places and maybe 45-60secs, d'oh!

Didn't lose any places after there but very very heavy-legged after this morning. Could still see the leaders ahead until near the end and was gradually getting closer to Fi after Gowanhill - but only very gradually, couldn't catch her - so Alison was off shortly after Will for the first bike leg.

Alison passed Will (less-than-optimal bike tinkering from Will beforehand maybe helped....) but then Fraser passed Adam on the descent in Abbey Craig....but then Adam passed him again coming off the hill and held the gap on the road and final climb.....quality FVO battle and our teams in 17th amd 18th - very respectable!

Team times 75:20 and 75:45, winners 65:52. Great fun. Almost wished I was doing the whole 630km experience this week......

C • Results 2

Event: Adidas Terrex Sting in Stirling (Adventure Racing World Series)
 

Broadwood 5km.
Felt like I hadn't tried to run fast for a long time.
There is a reason for that....
Quite enjoyed it. I think.

C • Nice route 1

Before and after race. A bit of company from late-arriving Rosco for part of the warmdown...

From the uni with Rosco. Sunny evening. Decent pace. Good times.

Last-minute purchase Olympic tickets to collect from ticket office at The Mall.

Squeezed in a tiny run. Busy work this Olympics spectating!