Training Log Archive: Jon X

Tinto Twin Day, Brown course 8.1km. Not feeling too inspired for today, not least as my calves and ankles seemed to be locked solid after yesterday.

Not helping with any inspiration was that whilst last night's course was great, today's course was pretty disappointing - lots of dead running/easy controls, controls that were on last night's course, controls hung like beacons on top of the feature or on the direction of approach. Having said that, control #1 was good but I missed it by a minute! Also, all things are relative and a disappointing course at Inshriach is still better than what many other areas can offer!

Other than miss at #1 and slow plod straight through terrain rather than taking the long track run to #3, only really lost time at #8 where somehow extreme care still saw me in the wrong block of the checkerboard, relieved to sort it out fairly quickly!

Good fun weekend despite my general incompetence and heavy legs, day rounded off nicely by a successful interception of Fi's Cakes en route to Inshriach Nursery Cakes!

Event: Scottish O League 7 (Tinto Twin)
 

FVO Speyside weekend - training put on by Gareth on a new area for me, Glen Glynack above Kingussie.

Went round with MC with her following the principles from Coach Inman's talk of the morning. Pretty straightforward area but really good to be out in terrain.

Had felt shattered all week post half-marathon and legs still feeling very tired. Very glad that I wasn't planning on doing the hill race - although it transpired in any case that planning to do it and actually doing it are two very different things.....

C • Think I've been on Glen Gynack... 2

Tinto Twin night race on Inshriach North, 5.4km Brown course for M40/45/50 and W20/21. Really looking forward to this and looking forward to the technical challenge (all the horror stories about the last night race here notwithstanding).

Started off pretty well and was second on the course (behind Jase) at #3. Decided to take the safe track route to the right on #4. Except that the way I did it was not so safe as I completely forgot to turn left on the forest road and ended up in the wrong block. Total confusion as I kept thinking I had matched something to the map only for it immediately not to fit again - and of course my relocation attempts weren't even considering the area of the map where I actually was! Eventually after ten mins or so found a large open area, stood still there for a long time working things out, then confirmed where I was by finding #5. Couldn't understand why I was the wrong side of the track from #4 but made sure to compound my error by dashing off, crossing the track, then getting lost in the correct block for a good long while too! Eventually turned my brain back on, went out, relocated, found it.

So - second at #3 by a matter of seconds, last (of 33) at #4 by over 24minutes!! Not feeling quite so inspired now but chugged relatively competently round the rest but losing 1-2 mins in a few places with not enough caution in the circle itself, plus probably a bit slow in the rough terrain for the final couple of legs.

Tonight's course was really good, kept us largely in the complex/vague stuff but with a good variety of skills needed. Quite disappointed to find that my White Course skills of taking the correct forest road junction were more of a problem for me than my ability to run straight and use the contours.....

Working in Edinburgh all day then up to Speyside for a 10pm arrival. Probably should have run yesterday after all...

Feeling tired still.

Setting out in the pouring rain with headtorch into terrain (Devilla) which I struggled to run through in the daylight six weeks ago was definitely one of those 'we are mad' moments! But actually had an awesome session round the JEC training course, seemed to get through the terrain okay tonight.

Ran miles past the first one and got passed by Will and Fraser, caught Gary at #3 and was caught there by Roger, ran near to one or both of them until #11 when I took a different route and then stopped at the control to sort my shoes out. Went awry cutting across the block to #12 so cut from there to #15.

Never going very quickly and not as precise as I would have liked, but keeping going fine and was having much fun out there - it even stopped raining for most of it!

Time includes jog to the start and at the end.

Very wet on the road home, must have been dangerous conditions as the infamous "Tullie's Gullies" blackspot had claimed its latest victim tonight.....

C • that corner 1

Sore tired legs and calf muscles of lead after sunday. Really didn't want to go training today. Particularly didn't want to do intervals. But concerned to make sure no-one turned up to training and found themselves alone. So I went.

And got my reward. No-one else turned up. So I was able to turn the car back on, drive home, and have a beer watching Spooks instead of going for a run :)

FVO Pilates. Sore legs!

Took it "steady" tonight...

Golf course with Dixie. Didn't feel too bad all things considered....