Training Log Archive: Jon X

Going up the Wallace Monument (or in particular, coming back down it!) earlier today made it clear that my quads were in need of a post-race easy run - didn't make it out until it was dark but it was a lovely clear night so still a pleasure to be out running.

Felt pretty okay once I got going (went round Leckie woods), quads a bit stiff on the descent but ran up the hill easily enough.

Warm up for Carnethy. Normally I get there too late and do a little bit of flat jogging before setting off too quickly up the first hill and totally dying half way up. Today I got there in good time and warmed up properly including some uphill stuff up the track towards the col....

....and warming up properly did seem to make a difference, still went off at a good speed but not wrecked by the top of Scald Law for once. Also helped of course that I have also actually done some training this year, and that conditions were really good, nice sunny day and pretty firm underfoot. Bits of frozen ground including on the first ascent but not too slippery.

Climbing quite well and gained a few places on the way up Carnethy, ran a fair amount of it until I got to the stage where it was quicker to walk! Nice to get some support from the EUOC posse at the crucial point on the climb too!

Was a little bit weak on the descents, lost some places going down to the Howe (although got them all back on the next climb), and then lost a few places again at the start of the final descent - kept passing Jill Mykura on the climbs and getting overtaken on the descents, she finished 30 secs in front of me in the end.

Felt like I had paced it quite well and happy with my time - have done this race five times before and never broken 70mins, would have been disappointed not to get down near 65mins this year but very pleased to get well below that!

Ross did 57:15 and Caspian 60:10, big disappointment for Brad though, he woke up ill and couldn't run.
My splits were
Scald Law 17:25
over South Black Hill to East Kip 9:09
West Kip 4:06
Carnethy 24:41
Finish 7:02

C • That's quick 6

Warm down after Carnethy with Caspian, Ross and MC - good plan from Caspian to run back to the school instead of getting the bus, found nice paths etc most of the way rather than just having to run round the roads.
Found it a bit tricky keeping up with Caspian, humiliating struggling to keep up with someone who is wearing walking trousers and shades, and carrying a rucksack..

Unheard-of ten days training in a row....Carnethy tomorrow.....

ultra cruisy FVO run - only the returning Ewan was up for hill reps, so fair play to him for going off to do them anyway instead of joining the rest of us.

Was only supposed to be 40mins or so but my choice of route was maybe a wee bit ambitious. And maybe also we really weren't going very quickly.....

Day off tomorrow, just as well as it definitely feels like one is due!

C • 40 min run 2

FVO headtorch run through University, Bridge of Allan, Minewoods, Hermitage and back through Uni. Good group of around 10 people tonight, nice to have lots of company, and kept together pretty well with a bit of looping back here and there.

Pleased to have an easy run, felt okay but still looking forward to another couple of easy days before Saturday's beast of a race...

Seemed like a good idea to log how many controls I visited during the training weekend - not so sure about that now that it shows me that I failed to spike nearly 30 controls during the past seven days!!

C • Failing to spike! 2

Lard's masterplan has us leaving the track sessions for a while and doing some hill/terrain intervals for a while, starting today - ideal with everyone worn out from the weekend! Depleted turnout as a result but three Stevensons plus Rosco, me and guest Mark from Deeside were all there.

Jogged out to Abbey Craig to do reps up to the monument, Ochils were there too planning on doing ten reps, we were keen to do fewer! Then after reps did a loop round Abbey Craig and back via Innovation Park.

Having done the first reps gently as a warm up I did the next five - forgot to time the first but the others were 3:05, 3:06, 3:04, 3:00. Trying not to go off too fast and maybe had a bit left to give as a result - not too sure though! Doing a staggered start, slowest first, with the Ochils made it a slightly strange session, nearly 5 mins recovery between reps which was a bit long.

Rosco had the moral high ground as he was already warmed up so did six reps not five. Even higher ground for the three hardy Ochils who were still at it when we finished our warm down loop, was glad not to be doing ten reps myself with Carnethy on Saturday....

Warmup plus shadowing Abi round at Carse - no flags out so an exercise in confidence to be sure that 'it would be here'. Forest had quite a lot of brashing etc in places so some physical sections but she was pretty good, got more confident as it went on and was running well through the terrain too.

Fun relay at Loch Vaa to finish off the few days training - teams of three each running three times. There were three loops of approx 0.9k-1.0k and everyone ran all of them.

Seemed to work pretty well - the last two controls on each loop were common with the final one in sight of the finish - the sites were quite tricky and caused quite a few problems including for people who had already done them successfully the previous time!

I was with Jack and Abi and we held off the others - Ross/Louise/Brian were second and then Beccy/Gary/Brad after Gary went walkabout on the first loop - not helped by smashing his magnifier....

Final run-in split of the weekend was a descent down a slightly stony re-entrant. Rosco put in a good effort but a speedy 23 seconds for Abi means she starts in the yellow jersey next time....next Wed eve night event maybe?

A good end to the four days under clear blue skies - then we got onto the A9 and found it shrouded in increasingly thick fog all the way back to Stirling. Luckily the Ballinluig Motor Grill came to the rescue halfway home to recharge batteries with lots of chips and beans and stuff washed down with mug after mug of tea. Absolutely fantastic!

Hanging ready for the relay at Loch Vaa , took me a while to place the first two correctly....

Knackered by now so grateful for the help from Rosco and Gary with control hanging and Rosco and Elle with collecting - although unfortunately managed to show appreciation for Elle's assistance by leaving her behind in the terrain when we all headed back to the cars. Luckily, like some chivalrous knight, her husband headed back out with a headtorch to rescue her (in fact, does thie fact it was getting dark make her a night errant??)