Training Log Archive: Jon XIn the 7 days ending Jun 30, 2013:
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Sunday Jun 30, 2013 #
1 AM
Orienteering race 58:07 [5] 9.0 km (6:27 / km) +170m 5:54 / km
(injured) shoes: VJ Falcon 2013
Harvester 2013, Longmoor. Second leg, 6.7km.
8th to 2nd on leg, team finished 5th.
Ben on first leg did what we wanted and came back together with Chris Smithard for DEE. We just hadn't expected that to mean they would be down in 7th and 8th, and 6-7mins behind the lead!
Of other teams expected to contend with us/DEE, I knew SLOW and SYO were 6mins ahead and BOK were at the 1km-to-go warning ahead of Ben so must be close behind.
My calf felt not too bad when gently warming up but the effort of a race was different and I felt it go after about 200m just as I was getting to the start triangle (!). Pretty painful and I was a bit worried about my ability to get round.
Got the first three okay despite the head high bracken around #1, took safe path routes although also some strange lopsided running on the climbs. Leg started to settle down a bit after ten minutes and I had seen and passed a couple of lights on different routes, so tried to press on.
#4 was a joke in a big depression in high bracken, saw Ian Webb leaving for SLOW and managed to contain my time loss to about a minute. Short leg to #5 where I caught Ian and the other SLOW team. Got a bit excited trying to drop Ian and made a big mistake to #6, cut across without enough compass or care or path counting or pacing, turned right on the wrong track. Realised something was wrong but for certainty stayed on the track until a definite junction. In the end ran for 300m in the wrong direction, then had to make a left turn, another left turn, and back for 300m on the next track. Dragged Ian with me in my folly! Did it quickly throughout and pushed aggressively through the terrain from the last track junction, spiked the control on a thicket well. Only lost a minute relative to others!
Tracks to #7 but too aggressive to #8, set off without a full plan for the leg, got a bit confused then got very confused. A bit of mis-relocation in all the path junctions and at one point I was west of the circle but heading further west..... Got a grip and headed east towards the forest road, relocated on the way but bad bad mistake and 3-4mins lost. Still all alone out there since #6, hopes of catching Dave Peel for SYO not high though!
Good from #8 through to the radio at #13 and then through to the finish, pushing pretty hard and leg much better once it got largely flat from #9 onwards. Back in 2nd place but dropped 1.5mins to Dave for SYO. Close behind were BOK on the other gaffle.
Frustrated by my lack of discipline with routes to #6 and #8 as I ran pretty well apart from that, was careful attacking where there was high vegetation and found the controls well.
Nonetheless, coming back second meant we were well in the race - and even more so when Marcus came back in the lead after leg three! In the end it was a decent defence of the trophy but it wasn't to be - the lead swapped hands multiple times but in the end Nick B came through to win it for SYO on the last leg. DEE outsprinted SLOW for second three minutes later, with a gap to BOK (who themselves had a fifteen minute lead at one point), and another gap to us in fifth.
Very enjoyable and well staged race - good terrain, great facilities with hot showers and bacon butties available in the morning, glorious sunshine. All that was lacking was a teleport machine to help with our sleep-deprived travel back to Scotland.....
8th to 2nd on leg, team finished 5th.
Ben on first leg did what we wanted and came back together with Chris Smithard for DEE. We just hadn't expected that to mean they would be down in 7th and 8th, and 6-7mins behind the lead!
Of other teams expected to contend with us/DEE, I knew SLOW and SYO were 6mins ahead and BOK were at the 1km-to-go warning ahead of Ben so must be close behind.
My calf felt not too bad when gently warming up but the effort of a race was different and I felt it go after about 200m just as I was getting to the start triangle (!). Pretty painful and I was a bit worried about my ability to get round.
Got the first three okay despite the head high bracken around #1, took safe path routes although also some strange lopsided running on the climbs. Leg started to settle down a bit after ten minutes and I had seen and passed a couple of lights on different routes, so tried to press on.
#4 was a joke in a big depression in high bracken, saw Ian Webb leaving for SLOW and managed to contain my time loss to about a minute. Short leg to #5 where I caught Ian and the other SLOW team. Got a bit excited trying to drop Ian and made a big mistake to #6, cut across without enough compass or care or path counting or pacing, turned right on the wrong track. Realised something was wrong but for certainty stayed on the track until a definite junction. In the end ran for 300m in the wrong direction, then had to make a left turn, another left turn, and back for 300m on the next track. Dragged Ian with me in my folly! Did it quickly throughout and pushed aggressively through the terrain from the last track junction, spiked the control on a thicket well. Only lost a minute relative to others!
Tracks to #7 but too aggressive to #8, set off without a full plan for the leg, got a bit confused then got very confused. A bit of mis-relocation in all the path junctions and at one point I was west of the circle but heading further west..... Got a grip and headed east towards the forest road, relocated on the way but bad bad mistake and 3-4mins lost. Still all alone out there since #6, hopes of catching Dave Peel for SYO not high though!
Good from #8 through to the radio at #13 and then through to the finish, pushing pretty hard and leg much better once it got largely flat from #9 onwards. Back in 2nd place but dropped 1.5mins to Dave for SYO. Close behind were BOK on the other gaffle.
Frustrated by my lack of discipline with routes to #6 and #8 as I ran pretty well apart from that, was careful attacking where there was high vegetation and found the controls well.
Nonetheless, coming back second meant we were well in the race - and even more so when Marcus came back in the lead after leg three! In the end it was a decent defence of the trophy but it wasn't to be - the lead swapped hands multiple times but in the end Nick B came through to win it for SYO on the last leg. DEE outsprinted SLOW for second three minutes later, with a gap to BOK (who themselves had a fifteen minute lead at one point), and another gap to us in fifth.
Very enjoyable and well staged race - good terrain, great facilities with hot showers and bacon butties available in the morning, glorious sunshine. All that was lacking was a teleport machine to help with our sleep-deprived travel back to Scotland.....
Saturday Jun 29, 2013 #
Note
(injured) (rest day)
Long but fairly uneventful drive south. Team running order discussions. Pub meal. Jog outside pub quickly confirmed my calf meant I should do shortest leg. More team running order discussions. short doze....
Friday Jun 28, 2013 #
Note
(injured) (rest day)
Roger too ill for Harvester. Looks like I am doing it then.
Thursday Jun 27, 2013 #
Note
(injured) (rest day)
Physio. "You will probably get away with it if you decide to run this weekend. The shorter the run the better. And book an appointment now for Monday if you plan to run. Although rest this weekend would of course be much better."
Hmmm again.
Hmmm again.
Wednesday Jun 26, 2013 #
Note
(injured) (rest day)
Hmm. Not hobbling like last night but definitely an injury not a niggle.
Tuesday Jun 25, 2013 #
Event: Trail Challenge 2: Ham Lands
7 PM
Running warm up/down 5:00 [2] 0.75 km (6:40 / km)
shoes: Brooks Ghost 5 2013
Not enough it would seem...
Running race 22:00 [5] 5.33 km (4:08 / km) +3m 4:07 / km
max:159 (injured) shoes: Brooks Ghost 5 2013
...as in the space of 30secs mid race I went from running well to calf niggle to stop-right-now-and-hope-it-isn't-too-bad.
Disconsolate walk back. Calf has stiffened up badly this evening, hobbling on journey back.
A shame as the format of mass start race with few and easy controls is a good one and gutted to stop as I was enjoying the race, still in sight of the leader (five of us were away clear from the start) and with my routes all sorted.
Made a quick recovery when this happened at Colzium night race earlier in the year, but this time feels a bit worse. Fingers crossed though....
Disconsolate walk back. Calf has stiffened up badly this evening, hobbling on journey back.
A shame as the format of mass start race with few and easy controls is a good one and gutted to stop as I was enjoying the race, still in sight of the leader (five of us were away clear from the start) and with my routes all sorted.
Made a quick recovery when this happened at Colzium night race earlier in the year, but this time feels a bit worse. Fingers crossed though....