Training Log Archive: Jon X

FVO Pilates session plus weigh-in plus warm up/down for circuits. Needed a good stretch after the weekend's race and many hours in a minibus, this was just the ticket.

A shame forest wasn't there this week....

C • weigh in 1

FVO circuits, first set was hard work as I was paired with Lard, he had to miss some of the second set but it was hard work anyway!

Event: Compass Sport Cup Final
 

Compass Sport Trophy Final at Sutton Park.

Felt good running although I tired at the end, but sloppy navigation in the wooded sections at beginning and end of course cost a lot of time, probably around 6 mins or so. Threw away a rare orienteering victory over Lard by going from a minute ahead with four controls remaining to a minute behind at the finish. And in any case it sounds like he was orienteering like me and throwing away time too - it would have been better if we had both orienteered using his normal technique not my normal technique!

But never mind - we got the points we needed to back up some really good runs by others in FVO, particularly the juniors and vets, and brought the Trophy home again!

#2 - thought it was so simple, it would have been if I had used either map or compass, both would have been a bonus, headed for wrong block of white in first part of leg (-30s)
#4 - thought the veg and spur would be more obvious, should have known better. Still don't know how I didn't see it but had to climb, see #5 and then drop back down to find it (-2m 30s)
#6 - took the left route, not sure if it was best. Nick B must have gone the other way and got to control a few secs before me.
Chased Nick for a while although obviously he was running quicker, seeing him ahead was helpful in keeping me running hard though. Had the nav pretty well under control in this section and so kept him in sight for quite a while, last saw him (I thought) going over the hill to #15.
#16 - took the right hand route, crossed the path, round the green and up to the left, everything seemed the right shape but there was no flag! Came out again and went round the next bit of green and there it was - not sure in retrospect whether there really was something wrong or whether I only crossed one track before I started looking for it. There was Nick again just coming in to the flag as I came out....
#17 - nearly headed off way too far right (still confused from #16?) but corrected (-15s)
Pushed very hard through the open section, still pushing hard but starting to get a bit tired and not so definite on the navigation
#19 - almost ran past (-10s)
#20 - almost took wromg track near flag then ran slightly past (-15s)
Came back into wood and slowed down slightly, allegedly to be careful (ho hum)
#22 - description had changed from depression to re-entrant, so (FFS) stood looking at flag thinking 'that is a re-entrant and I want the depression' (-15s)
#24 - went all the way through the walk green instead of the white, then stopped short (-20s)
#27 - got confused leaving #26 and took wrong track, hesitated a bit, ended up running a bit far (-30s)
#28 - drifted right, corrected, then saw control on a bench to my left and knew I wanted the only black X anywhere near. It was a kiddies control on path junction and bench wasn't on the map - to be fair it wasn't that big (-30s)
#29 - annoyed by previous miss so near the end and dashed off into the green, lost almost immediately (will I ever learn), Was way left and found another control first (-1 min)

Warm up including a few drills etc. Tried to warm down but my left ankle was too sore, gave it five mins and tried again, still too sore so gave up!

Hanging and collecting controls at Williamson Park for FVO training on the way to the Compass Sport Trophy final.

Slept most of the way there (thanks Trevor for being the only driver in a fit state) but actually felt okay when I came to run round.

Great fun in there despite being very steep and slippery - and having the finish at a cafe is always good!

C • Trevor's not on attackpoint.... 2

Alloa Beer Festival team event, all ales to be sampled by at least one member of the team....mission "safely" accomplished....

Was thinking of a rest day but a pleasant clear night so headed off round the Leckie loop to try and escape all the nasty admin tasks at home, some of them got me before I escaped so didn't get out until about 9pm.

Felt good except for slightly stiff quads left over from several hard days in a row Sat-Tue, however maybe I felt good because I was going so slowly!

C • good luck... 1

FVO headtorch run from Fraser and Peggy's place in Menstrie - except I was held up at work so set out 15mins after the others to try and track them down.

Going at an okay pace up the hill to start with but took it leisurely after that, plus wasn't really sure where I was going so it took a while to meet up with the others. By the time we did meet up then I think they had experienced a rather tougher run than me to that point, pace for the last section was nice and gentle which was fine with me as my ankle was sore. Definitely a recovery run, heart rate avg says it all!

C • Recovery Run ! 4

FVO intervals round the loch at the Uni. 2 sets of 5 x 60/60 with 3 mins in between. No Jamie this week to set the pace, Brad's turn this week - he was looking strong.

Ran them all between 288m and 308m, some of the variation will be down to the variation in track surface and undulations, definitely felt like I was running better on some of them than others though (including the penultimate which was the longest). Worrying to think that the speed I was running my reps at is pretty much the speed Rob Baker was running at in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday!

First set (pulse before/max during)
(120/146, 131/154, 135/155, 139/159, 144/161)
Second set
(124/155, 141/158, 143/160, 148/160, 146/162)
Interesting that I never got my pulse as high as I did at the end of the race on Hampstead Heath on Sunday, must have been pushing quite hard then!

Enjoyed the session, just about got it done before dark too. On the track from next week, looking forward to it.

some round the loch preamble and post-rep-amble, plus drills beforehand.