Training Log Archive: Jon X

Event: JK 2013
 

Jog back to car parking and back, with some stretching and drills. Took a sprint map of somewhere else (another campus and at same scale) to warm up my brain too.

JK2013 Sprint, Reading University Whiteknights Campus
M45, 5th place. Only 5secs from 2nd place (Jan Olm) but 43secs behind James Logue who won in 12:45.

Pretty straightforward course, both routes and control locations. Ran well but not perfect….
#3 – think left is better plus hesitated, (10-15s)
#13 – left is better but I never saw the gap (in fact I looked and thought there wasn’t a gap, not sure it was the clearest cartography (no need to show a thin pavement line across where the paved path goes through tiny gap in the hedge onto paved car park). Also faffed in circle in amongst the low walls. (-15s)
#16 – planned to go right but changed to go left. Think right was quicker and that was enough for me to go from 3rd to 5th on the leg to the final control :(

Satisfied when I finished, felt like a decent start to the weekend.

Trot round the lake to warm down.

Day 1, Course 04 - Splits

Drive down to Stafford via Glasgow. Wanted to do a short run today but couldn't fit it in. My JK will probably benefit from the day off anyway!

Gentle trot from the Uni - up into Hermitage Woods just before dark which were looking fantastic higher up, widely spaced trees and virtually clean underfoot. Just like Saturday will be!

Feeling pretty good at that stage but once I headed into Bridge of Allan mostly I just felt starving, cut things a bit short and headed home for dinner!

Warmup lap of the loch with the recuperating Rosco.
Then two short courses on south part of Stirling Uni map to get some campus sprint prep in for the weekend - getting a bit dark for the second one which made it hard to see the map let alone be disciplined on planning ahead. I do know the area rather well too!
Then jog down to track for 1x800 then 2x400. Was planning on finishing with 4x200 but left foot still not quite right after Sunday and started protesting, so was cautious and called a halt there. Other than that, feeling good.

First full session for weeks. Not too stiff following yesterday either.

Easy round Dunblane with Rog, then off to the end-of-pilates-term meal at Village Inn - and a very tasty home made burger mmm.

C • Horse or beef? 3

Had this down as a key session - have been feeling my training has been a bit lacking in the long runs, and in particular long runs in road shoes on flat tarmac as opposed to moorland in minging weather!

Despite the state of other parts of the country, lucky to have no snow below about 150m height around here, so the Carse was ideal. Even if the road is quite exposed and the wind was strong and very cold...so yet again it was jacket, gloves and hat, think I may have had to wear them for every long run.

Stashed lucozade and gels at the A84 crossing and came through there at 4.6, 8.5 and 17.7 miles, taking the gels after the latter two. Wind more relentless than gusting, and from the east - which meant an awful lot of the last 13miles was into it.

Pleased with how it went, legs feeling it a bit in various places towards the end but no drop off in pace (splits 4&6 virtually the same).

Easier few days now before the JK.

C • A big tick in the box. 7

Easy round Leckie. Weather actually not too bad although very windy. Hope it wasn't a tactical error to leave the weekend's long run until tomorrow......