Training Log Archive: Jon X

LOK event on Hampstead Heath, Brown Course. Really sunny and warm.

Thought this would be a good warm-up for Sutton Park next week, a similar type of orienteering. After yesterday's fiasco was determined to concentrate properly today and also to run hard.

Did it all pretty competently, reasonably happy with my time (3 mins down on Pete Forester and 2 mins down on Ben Stevens). Caught Duncan Grassie 3 mins at #15 and got ahead with a better route to #18, he returned the favour with a better route to the last control (#21) and so finished just ahead.

Could have shaved off a couple of minutes or so (at #13 in particular when I could have climbed the fence but dithered a bit then went round once I got there, probably added a minute). Pushed pretty hard and had a pleasant run round - actual distance run was 9.92km. The only disappointment was the absence of an ice-cream van from the car park!

jogging/stretching

Event: City of London Orienteering Race
 

City of London urban race, great job by Ollie O'Brien, amazing to think that he had this idea last year, went away and worked on the map and permissions and everything - today there were more than 400 people having a fantastic day out in blazing sunshine thanks to his great idea and all the effort to follow through on it.

I was one of them, and I did really enjoy it even if somehow I never managed to turn my brain on. Everyone was saying it was pretty mind-blowingly tricky in the Barbican, but I had made an amazing collection of mistakes in the straighforward stuff beforehand, costing maybe 9 mins before I even got there. This did at least make me wake up a bit and do a relatively decent job of the Barbican to prevent things getting even worse!

Over 20 mins down on Nick B who won by a minute from Murray Strain in a time of just over 40mins. Should have run about 11km, with some of my wanderings probably ran well over 12km. But as one of my many errors was failing to start my Garmin then I don't actually know. Beaten by Culbin for possibly the first time ever. Almost beaten for the first time ever by my brother. Who hardly ever even orienteers.

Felt rubbish afterwards, don't know if it was the heat and sun or what, but had to head back to the flat and go to sleep for two hours even though I could have been watching the England game. (NB this is different from watching Scotland games - with those it is the act of watching in the first place that sends people to sleep).

C • Liverpool Street Station 7

jogging and drills

Only chance to run today would have been to get up early and run before work.

Hmmm, tricky decision.
.

Home earlier than yesterday, about 9pm. Feeling pretty stiff after 48hrs of doing nothing since hard intervals session on Tuesday. And starving. And it was raining and dark and pretty windy. But I had just spoken to my brother who was just home from work and off out for a run.....

So I decided it was perfect OMM training weather, spurned the turbo trainer/telly combo, and headed off up the hill.

Took it nice and gentle but felt quite leg weary on the climb and it was pretty much straight into the wind most of the way - went quarry/cairn by the huts/zigzag path/back across to quarry track and down.

Enjoyed it out in the wild and wet on the hill, plus good to be out with a headtorch for the first time in months. Feel like I have done a fair amount lately, must be almost time to rest up for CST final and then the OMM!

Up at 4.30am to go to Reading.
Home at 11.50pm.
Far too much travel and traffic and carelessly leaving my house/car keys in Reading and delayed flights and really yes it was all a bit much.

C • oops 1

FVO intervals round the loch at uni, splashing through some big puddles! At least it stopped raining for the session....for the first time in about two days. Raining again later in the evening of course....

We did 3 sets of 6x30/30 with 2 mins between sets. Even resting up for EYOC, Jamie Jumpstart was still off the front for the two sets he did, with the rest of us battling it out behind him. Lots of people working hard which was good to see, including Elle who seemed extra motivated this week.

Fet tired even beforehand but pushed pretty hard for the most part, felt like I was going okay but feeling it afterwards!

Warm up to catch up the others, then drills beforehand and a warm down round the loch after.

Back at the FVO session, hoping I don't feel the effects of missing last week too badly tomorrow....

Lost my status as FVO's heaviest man, the new holder of the post demanded a recount....which confirmed his position!

C • Who? 3

FVO circuits, huge turnout again. Lard starting to increase exercise time and decrease rest time...