Training Log Archive: Jon X

To the start. Wet, mist not too bad but a bit of thunder and lightning going on.....

JK Individual 2, Llangynidr.
M45L, 9.4km, 170m climb.
1st of 106.

That was unexpected!

As a bonus, 2nd place overall.

Today I thought that if I could have the same discipline as yesterday, a couple of others might slip up and I could maybe sneak into the top three overall with a good run.
I knew Ben was starting five minutes ahead and so there was a small chance I might see him - his lead over me from yesterday was four minutes.

Managed not to get caught out by the unexpected initial direction out of the start, but found it very tough climbing up out of #2 as we set off on the 2.5km leg into the wind to #3. Persevered with the running. Compass. Pacing. Tick off features. Compass. Over the rocky hill, past the big big deep deep hole. Down to the not-very-big-at-all boulder.

Heading towards #4 I saw Ben coming back towards #3 - game on!
Went straight to feature at #4 - big hole with pit alongside it - no flag. Decided I was at similar feature to the east, started to go west, stopped. Looked at map. Looked at description again. Control is in the pit not the big hole! Back I went - 40s lost but could have been a lot worse.

Off through the heather to #5, don't dare look back. Seems to take ages to get there but eventually I cross a path which reassures me that I have not yet gone far enough. Into the control, on exit I sneak a look back and Ben is only 15-20s behind.

To #6 I know I am low and right, come round the slope and look for the vague re-entrant the pit is in. Can't see it and here are some unmapped pits. There is re-entrant below, turn uphill, got it. Maybe only 20s lost but Ben sees me get it and suddenly he is right behind.

I lead us to #7 and we take slightly different lines to #8 (I am of course yet again a bit high and left). Meet up in the yellow on edge of circle, I slow down to check and Ben gets it just in front.
Different routes to #9 and I get there first and am back in front through 9-10-11.
Going to #12 we cross the yellow on the edge of the circle for 8 again, and Ben overtakes me in pretty much the same place as before. The line of stones before the control is obvious though and I get it right behind him.

One more difficult control, down the hill to #13, and then 13-21 is pretty much all straightforward run-in, not much to go wrong. Down towards #13, hestitate at the big hole hidden under the red line, check bearing and carry on, Ben is punching.

From there it is a flat out run to the finish - try as I might, I just can't get back past. Apparently there are two others close behind the two of us - Ben saw them behind me at #5 and they are there to the finish - I never noticed either of them!

Max Cole second again today in 61:31 and won overall - running much faster but with some errors too, took 2.5mins (!) out of me on the long leg.

Very satisfied with my run today - ran pretty much flat out all the way with maybe 1minute lost, most of that being failure of description-reading. Couldn't really have hoped for much more.

C • Great stuff, Jon! 3

To the start and then some drills etc. Feeling okay after yesterday.

JK Individual, Merthyr Common.
M45L, 9.6km, 205m climb.
5th of 118.
Winner Ben Stansfield 56:29.

Filled with caution for this race, very aware of need to use compass a lot more than normal.

Kept it all under control pretty well, took the time to sort things out when I was unsure rather than turning uncertainty into a big error - big errors being all too possible in that terrain!

A little bit high and left enroute to #3 and again to #4 - extra distance costing a few secs each time.

Longish leg into the wind to #8 - high and left again, unsure of position crossing rocky ground before the control, but pace counting so knew distance was right. Stopped, checked, saw the big hole and marsh ahead, turned down the hill to the control (-1min). Should have run lower and round the bottom of the rocks for faster going.

Long leg into the wind again to #10 - high and left again and all very vague crossing the stony ground. Again distance was right, turned downhill, saw the marsh and then into the flag (maybe -30s this time).

Put the boot in a bit more after that, a little high and left (theme developing here...) to #12 but knew where I was. Control pick from there all went well.

Into the finish happy with my run and relieved to avoid any major clangers. Pleased to be so high on the results and not sure I could have run Ben's time.

Event: JK 2014
 

Warm up along the sea front and then at the start.

JK Sprint, Swansea University and Singleton Park.
M45, tied 13th of 138.

Despite the giveaway control description, failed to identify location of #1 in the start lane and so didn't take best/simplest route. Then inexplicably tried to cut through to #2 instead of along the obvious path, ran to wrong control, 20s lost. Exit in wrong direction, another 5s lost.
Course pretty straightforward, going okay after that, then came back into the woodland in the wrong place and stupidly lost another 20s at #15.
Topped it all off by getting confused on the way to #20 and hesitating away another 10s.

So not good, 1:15 down on Martin's winning time of 14:21.
Couldn't have challenged the top 5 even with a clean run.
But on the plus side some of my splits were pretty competitive and so maybe in better shape than I had feared - a positive to take into the rest of the weekend.

Along the sea front again with Rog.

Not the easy light floaty run I was hoping for two days pre-JK! Felt pretty bad.
Putting it down to running too late on in the day...

None of that sitting back on the ankles exercise this week - it has taken my ankles all week to recover from doing it last Monday!

Taking it quite easy.

Easy jog through Minewoods, up Coppermine Path then along the top and back past the quarry.