Training Log Archive: Jon X

To work. Moving time excluding ten minute or so wait for road reopening midway - multiple police cars and ambulances for a crashed motorcyclist (thankfully not too badly hurt apparently).

After that still encountered two more instances of stationary vehicles blocking the whole road (a lorry then a porsche). So much for the quiet back roads!

Home from work. Late. Into a brutal headwind :(

To work.

Another RideLondon posse ride, loop at the beginning to gather people, then back home at the end. This meant I saw a lot of Chalmerston Road this evening!

London again. Third day off in a row. Hmm.

London. Could maybe have squeezed in 30mins. Didn't.

Visitors. Pouring with rain. No.

Event: Scottish Orienteering Relay Championships
 

Scottish Relay Championships, Men Open.
Leg one for FVO2 with Tom and Rosco.
Back in 5th on leg 1, team finished 6th (of 8!)

High-intensity fun race today!

Mass start for all handicap courses and men/women open all as one - steep climb off the start. Open early on which gave me a chance to watch the leading three men's teams disappear into the distance with Daniel for FVO1 in hot pursuit.

The longer handicap courses have the same first leg as the open and we soon settled into a close race between the first four from M45L yesterday - me, Ben, Dave R and Andy D. Dave was travelling quickest but made an error at #12 which let me sneak past. Last few conmtrols largely uphill and worked hard - thought I had a small-but-safe gap over the rest at the last control but was too complacent on the uphill run-in - Dave appeared out of nowhere to nip past 10m before the changeover!

FVO men were a tantalising second less than 30secs behind SHUOC - FVO women were third with both a W45 and W50 in the team!

Event: Scottish Orienteering Championships
 

Scottish Championships 2013, M45L, 4th place.

Hmm.
Got there not that long before my start and despite uphill km to the start didn’t feel that well warmed up round the first bit (although splits say actually moving okay).
Caught an ailing Graeme at #4 and somehow thought that meant I should increase speed and reduce use of compass and map……entirely predictable outcome of nearly two mins shelled at each of #5 and #7.
Got running better after the long leg and passed Graeme again on the uphill leg to #10.

A bit uncertain on the short downhill leg to #13 where the hill before it seemed the wrong shape, but dropped into a flag in a re-entrant as needed. Except not as needed – number 123 when I wanted 200.
Check code on descriptions….no, definitely 200 is what I need.
Okay, I guess I was only 90% sure it was the right place, must be one spur over…..off to the next spur, another re-entrant, another flag, another wrong code.
A little bit of calm looking about me and now I am sure the first flag was right – must have the wrong code on it….head back there and now I approach from the wrong direction I can see it has number 200?!
Get there and sure enough the number on the SI box (the only number visible from correct direction of approach) is 123.
Utter a few expletives, punch and carry on, less than impressed…..

A bit distracted and hesitant over the next couple as I wonder whether the course will be void and whether I should protest, but then put it out of my mind and run the rest fine.
Finished in 71mins with about 6mins lost and well down on Dave Robertson (66mins) and Andy Dale (68mins).
Not to mention the final two min time loss also putting me behind four of the M50Ls, not good!

Afterwards I spoke to the planner (as had a number of others) but the event officials did not want to make a decision so I put in a protest.
This was for the principle about acceptable standards for a Championship event – I wasn’t bothered about any impact on my position (I had already blown that at #5 and #7) and wouldn’t have bothered for a lesser event– but for the Scottish Champs the organisation should be better than that.

I see from the splits that most people seem to have worked it out without major time loss – unlike me with almost exactly two mins lost.
Although I also see that M50L (same course) was won by 6 seconds with the winner taking 1:08 for the leg and second taking 1:20, don’t know whether the code had any effect there.
And I also see that some poor soul on one of the other courses took over 10mins on 2min leg to that control.

In any case the jury on Sunday decided not to uphold the protest…..
..….as far as I can make out this was on the grounds that the code on the trestle was correct and it is the competitor’s responsibility to look at that in preference to any other number the event may choose to display elsewhere on the control unit as a whole….

Am taking it as an interesting controller’s conundrum – I guess there is no perfectly satisfactory answer once something like that happens.
The event had reserved the right to remove legs from courses if necessary – but equally doing so would have had a significant impact as it would have changed the overall winner of M50L.
It would be easy to say that I should have known I was in the right place and punched regardless of seeing the wrong code – but equally had I mispunched then the message would be that the controls have codes on them so that you know whether you are in the right place or not…..

In the end I probably view the code problem as just one of several sloppy aspects (e.g. check out the variations between different people’s run-in splits….) where a championship race/event should do better. And that was a shame as it is a decent area, the sun shone, most aspects were very well set up, and - expletives at 13 aside - I did really enjoy my course and day at the event. Ho hum.

C • don't the rules say 23

C • river, do not cross 15

To work

Post work with some of the RideLondon posse.
Started off well with a comedy clipped-in fall right next to the post 5pm queue of cars waiting to exit the site....
Pretty easy pace particularly for the first half - pushed a bit up and over mini braes just to liven things up a bit!

FVO evening event at Tulliallan.
Set off wanting to run fairly hard but aware of the danger of running this with the mindset of 'after planning here I know where everything is'. Obviously not aware enough of it, as that was exactly why I dropped time at 5 and 6 and on the route to 7!

Had set off a couple of minutes ahead of Tessa but she passed and was gone through that section. Caught up again at #9 and behind for the next few but struggling to keep up tbh. Decided in advance to go whichever way she didn't on the long leg - sounds like I got luckier cutting through brashing and felling on the southern route than she did on the northern route so I ended up marginally ahead at the finish. Good to have someone around though - made me sort myself out to run at a decent speed and start orienteering properly!

Good course from Steve N with some good routechoice - disappointing amount of forestry work going on though :(

Decided on this event rather than the Knock of Crieff hil race - a bit of a shame to miss Will's fine victory there though - congrats!

C • Congrats 2

Into work.

With Doug, scenic sunny ride round Loch Earn from St Fillans. Then back to get soundly cuffed in the Comrie quiz :(

Back from BoA via Deanston Road and Port of Menteith. Unexpected and unwelcome headwind all the way back from Arnprior made me realise I was a bit weary.

Bike to work along the Carse Road.
Legs feeling better this morning than they did BEFORE the race yesterday!

Home via Blair Drummond and Kippen Station.

Down to registration, back up, then a loop up into the wood along the final part of the course.
Legs still not lively. Basically I think my quads have still not really forgiven me for pressing them into service at the British weekend when they were telling me very clearly that further recovery time would be preferred.

Kinnoull Hill Race. A new race for me.

Quite a few FVO people..
Tom, Jon, Dixie and Rosco all swapping classic pre-race chat about not being really up to racing hard and taking it steady.
Will looking keen up on the front line.
Fi and Cathy there too.
A bit surprised not to see Jase or Rog at this one.

The race is a big lap of the woodland - so a climb up to the top for the first ten mins or so but then an undulating but mainly downhill run thereafter. Virtually all on nice woodland trails with hardly any mud. And not really that much ascent.

Despite all that, the race was quite similar to Dumyat for me - persevere steadily up the climb feeling that it was harder work than it should be even though I felt like I should be able to go faster. Lose a bit of ground on every little flat bit or descent during that section. Then on the main descent lose ground from a general feeling of heavy quads and lack of leg speed. Probably compounded by not pushing as hard as I would if I was feeling good. Dixie (amongst others) overtook me shortly after the summit and pulled away gradually.

Lack of leg speed not that surprising I guess - need to think about doing some shorter reps between now and the 6-days. Maybe also look to keep a high cadence for some of the bike stuff over the next few weeks.

Anyway, fun little race on an enjoyable route. Won by Hector in 25:42. Will 6th (27:47), Rosco 8th (28:43), Tom 21st (30:11), Dixie 29th (30-:57), me 33rd, Fi 55th in 33:57 and scooping prize for 3rd lady, Cathy 40:40.

And only £2 to enter with a buffet and hot/cold drinks afterwards, bargain. Even more surprising that Jase wasn't there.....

C • Gutted I didn't know the entry fee & buffet deal! 2

Fi made us do a jog

Same loop as last night. Still not too lively.

Embankment and South Bank. Rather shorter than intended after an unplanned little snooze.....
Not feeling too lively.

Didn't plan day properly and so limited on time - just managed to fit in a lap of Hyde Park, mostly at a decent pace.

C • Sore butt yet? 3

Bought a road bike. Collect it tomorrow.

Another day of rest before I start getting down to RideLondon training from tomorrow.
Need to work out how to balance that with keeping enough running going pre the 6-day.

C • What you got?? 4

Legs not sore after Dumyat but very tired - not surprising really with the two BOC races and Dumyat all included in what is supposed to be a recovery period. No leg soreness meant no need for a jog and rest day an easy choice.

Dumyat Hill Race 2013
Decided to give it a go despite tired legs and set target not to crack on the climb. Never going too quickly but managed to 'run' all the way up except for a few steps when someone stopped right in front of me on the steep bank.

Got to the top in 27:07 well behind Roger, Will and Daniel (and presumably Elke although I didn't spot her), but maybe 30secs or so ahead of Ben.
Didn't lose too many places on the descent but hit the road at the bottom only 5-10m ahead of Ben.....
Pushed on well enough up the final track to avoid a rerun of Saturday's sprint finish!

Happy with the time in the circumstances - actually my best time since 2008 when I was spurred on by a race with Brad and Will.
Impressed with Daniel's young legs speeding him past Will and Roger on the descent to take the FVO honours!

Too nice an evening not to - so just a little trot up past the sawmill and along below the crags in the sunshine, descending back through the wood.

Nice recovery jog with Alfie and Lucy. Although we were far too slow for Alfie who eventually disappeared into the distance.....

British Relay Championships 2013, Men Open, Leg 3.
FVO (Daniel, Roger, Jon), 8th place.
Men Open as the M40 team fell apart on Friday - a shame as a top 3 in that was looking very likely. On the other hand not sure I have ever managed top 8 in the Open before.....

Differences in gaffling meant the different leg lengths varied from 6.3km to 6.7km.
I am not sure it was to best advantage of our team that I got 6.7km.
I am sure it was not to best advantage of our team that I shelled 3-4mins in the first 6 controls :(

Lucky to only drop three places in that time from the great 5th place Daniel and Roger had given me to work with. Not what I wanted as had been wondering about my chances to pick up places. Ho hum.
I did run pretty well after #6 and did catch back to Duncan Archer but just couldn't quite get past him round the final loop, spent it all suffering a painful 20-30m or so behind him.

Event: British Orienteering Championships 2013
 

British Championships 2013, M45L, 3rd place.
Decided on Thursday that it was worth at least trying to race, glad I did!

Bit shaky on direction early on (kept drifting right) although with not much associated time loss - maybe because finding the running tough and maybe not quite enough attention to map/compass.

Felt like my running started to pick up once it got flatter but wasn't sure how I was doing in terms of pace or on route selection on the long leg - reassured on both when I got Ben (4 mins) in sight midway along that leg., and spurred to push on and pass him.

I was just ahead through 10-11-12 but we took different routes to 13 and I missed in the circle, lost about 45secs. Pushed hard to get back to Ben and passed him again at 15. Running strongly by now and stayed ahead but more dodgy compass work by me to #16 and #18 (again drifting right each time) meant he was breathing down my neck a few times including on the run-in!

Delighted to hear on the commentary that I had gone into third - pretty much wrote this race off when I signed up for London so it was an unexpected bonus - a very nice one :)

C • Congrats 5

Course 13 - Splits

Another little tester to see if the weekend is a goer.
Feeling a bit more like it although hip flexor still very iffy and legs not too keen on any inclines.
Tightening up a little after 15mins again.
But better than yesterday which was better than the day before.
So Saturday will surely be better too. Fingers crossed....

Thanks to the cunning fact that my employer is sponsoring RideLondon, I now have an entry for the 100miler the day after the 6day finishes.

I last rode a bike in the La Santa triathlon in January 2012. And I didn't exactly ride one much in the months and years before that!

It is good to have a target I believe.....

Barr Wood in the evening sunshine, a delight to be out there!
Jogged the first 16 on the brown only map, met MC there so did a few random controls with her, then jogged the last bit home down the track.
Very pleasant at that pace but no desire to go any quicker or to push through/duck under branches.
New pub after - thumbs up for the Inn at Torbrex!