Training Log Archive: Jon X

JK Day 3, M40L. Just for a change I was 16th today although that seemed to bring me up to 13th overall. Not sure what everyone else can have been doing out there as I was total rubbish today.

#1 - set the tone for the day, didn't know where I was for the first two mins and went wrong twice on the way there, 1min 15sec lost
#5 - headed in the right direction but didn't take care to navigate round the patches of stripey stuff, found myself in horrendous windblow that could have been avoided (- 1min)
#6 - same again, headed in the vague direction of the right hand route but a bit too far right, should have picked a more careful route through the vegetation (-1min 45sec)
#12 - heading for the right crag above me until I saw someone else go there and then just look confused rather than punch a control, stupid as there was indeed a flag there and it was mine (- 1 min)
#15 - didn't really switch on again after the tough marshy dead run, went too far right and then further right to the wrong control (-1 min)
#16 - oh dear. Did most of the leg well, cut through the dark green and found a good line. Cut across to the ridge with the line of crags and thought I just needed to run along them. Did that and then when I got to the end thought I was at the col where the control would be. Instead got caught in green and had to relocate off the stream and road - had run straight past the control within 3 or 4 metres as i thought it was on the big south crag not the small north one. (- 4 min 30sec).
#18 - oh dear again. Maybe tired. Cut through the green to avoid the stripey stuff, came out by some open and a veg change the same shape as the bit by the control. It wasn't and I couldn't relocate even though in retrospect I could only have been too far right rather than (as I thought) beyond the control. (-4min 15sec).

So only around 15mins thrown away today. Still didn't feel too lively running but kept going okay which was maybe the main thing for this terrain. Winner James Logue 67mins, however second was a long way back (Andy Dale in 72:44) - a high finish was there for anyone who could keep their head today.....

warmed up better today although my back was still giving me a bit of trouble on the course. warmed down better too!

JK Individual Day 1, M40L 15th.

Maybe not such a bright idea to run the sprint, tired legs from the start today. Not the best run either.
#6 - missed a minute as did many others, odd choice of control site in amongst vague veg changes
#7 - missed another minute, seemed a long way there so hesitant and then when I got five yards away I couldn't tell whether the open it was allegedly in was above me or below me.
#14 - cut in a bit early, fell full length, gave myself a dead leg - ouch. came back to the track a bit to try and hobble it off. Got running again but slowed down even more, plus lost a minute on this leg.
#20 - went a ridiculous long way round rather than up and over in the green, made the control very easy and even at my slow speed gave me a good split, maybe not such a ridiculous route after all!
#21 - disaster, knew it was the final hill, tried to push up it and drifted right, crossed the ridge too far east and made a big parallel error, made it fit even when I tried to relocate. 4 mins lost.

Winner James Logue 66mins. Well cuffed by Ben S who ran 76:33.

Just about enough warm up, legs feeling heavy. Bits and bobs of warming down including a couple of laps of finish field late on, legs feeling even heavier.

Event: JK 2009
 

JK sprint M40, Newcastle.

Wasn't sure how my legs would feel for this, they were quite heavy warming up (in the nice complex area that the event lost permission for two weeks before the event), but then once the adrenaline kicked in off the start I felt pretty good.........for about 3 or 4 controls......then I realised that actually I just had no zip in them at all.

Tried hard (got pulse above 161 for once!) and felt I had run okay apart from a big dither on the second long leg where I got my angles all wrong and was staring at an underpass wondering where it was on my map - then eventually worked out that it was the one I wanted! Lost about 25secs here plus probably three lots of 10secs with wrong routes at 2, 16 and 23. So not so okay after all...

Finished 15th (winner John Owens 17:44) , would have been 5th on M35 but 16th on M45, Lard needs to look out next year when he moves into a more difficult class!!! My shoes finished in the top 15 twice as Chappers had forgotten his, then having borrowed my shoes he had the nerve to beat me by a small number of seconds!

Around and about Newcastle Uni. No warm down. Error.

It's raining.

C • Running in the rain... 2

FVO run through some lovely stuff north and west of Doune (at least I think that's where we went!).

Can't decide whether I need a day's rest next or more jogging to help the legs carry on recovering - they still have some way to go if I am going to race on Friday.....

C • How about... 1

C • Which way did you go? 1

FVO intervals on rugby pitches at the Uni. Strangely not really feeling up for these tonight!

Did the session just as strides/tempo - it was two sets of 30/45/60/45/30 with 60secs in between each and two mins between the two sets. Ran the reps at about 3:35/3:40 km pace.

Got my pulse all the way up to 141 in 60sec interval the first time and 145 the second time - down below 100 in eevery recovery and to 62 between sets so not really that strenuous!

including drills etc. need some more of this nice gentle running to try and sort my legs out before the w/e...

Headed out at lunchtime for a recovery run (from the half-marathon and from the drinks last night!) - needed to pick up my car from Stirling anyway.

Not too bad once I had loosened off, sore quads on the downhills though!

ouch

One round and then some fun relay races - hopping, crab, wheelbarrow, etc. One or two of the exercises were very ouch - wall squat one in particular!

Then off to overindulge in delicious curry...