Training Log Archive: Jon X

Warm up lap of the east part of Glasgow Green.
Quads unsurprisingly indicating strongly that they felt they had already done their work for the weekend......

C • BL 2

Glasgow Urban Race
Veteran Men 40+, 7th place
Winner Roger Goddard 39:40

This went better than I had expected after yesterday - tired legs took the edge off any speed but could have been a lot worse.

Interesting course starting and finishing at the People's Palace/Winter Gardens and taking in much of central Glasgow - including a first leg straight through the Barras!

Managed to avoid the map issues that Tessa found in a couple of places, but poor route to #14 along with poor route execution to #15 cost me 1:10 to Rog just on those two, and also let Jon H (2mins behind) get me in sight.

Tried hard to stay ahead of Jon for the remaining quarter of the course but the easy visible run for home across the Green at the end was my downfall, he reeled me in and passed me on the run in.

All quite close: Rog 39:40, Jon H 39:50, Dave R 40:05, Graeme 40:15, Martin 40:48 and Ben 41:39. Tessa did 40:31 on the same course.
Did at least manage to sneak in front of messrs Caban and Walder (nice to see the comeback progressing!).

Another lap of the Green, with Martin this time.

Up and back down first part of the course. Shouted on Sasha who was on his way to 3rd in the U20 race.

Ben Lomond Hill Race
40th, winner Hector 68mins
Ran at maybe intensity 4.5, sun came out rather than the forecast heavy rain, these things meant I was rather overdressed but enjoyed it and had time to look at the views on the way down!
A bit of standing in the loch afterwards in the hope it will help my legs be not too bad tomorrow....

C • Traditional BL cool off 5

Not that keen.
But thought I should after yesterday.
Particularly as some time ago I somehow thought it was a good idea to put in an entry for Saturday's Ben Lomond race....

C • Ben Lomond 1

Seemed to spend most of the warmup stopping to extract thorns from my feet. Fortunately seemed to get them all before the race started!

Dumyat Hill Race.
73rd of 314 (big race for a Wednesday evening!)

Not massively up for it and remembering that 2012 (after a three-day Lakes racing weekend ending with an urban in Kendal) was a pretty bad experience.
Decided to take it steady off the start - even though that means a lot of congestion and queuing on the first part of the climb. As it turned out, not sure I had the pace or energy to start much quicker anyway...

Just about ran all the way to the top, there in 27:50 against 27:07 last year in drier conditions. Fitter last year too of course.
Thanks to Will and Elke and Elsie for the support on the summit!
Thought that looked pretty safe for a time in the 44:xx range with sub-44 an outside possibility with a good descent.

Seemed to be descending okay and largely holding position.
Looking for FVO support at the usual place just before leaving the open hillside but no sign of it this year....
And I always get overtaken in the woodland by an orienteering M50. Usually it is Robin Orr but today it was Hugh Buchanan! Let him get too much of a gap and couldn't get back to him along the last section.

Maybe should have pushed a bit harder on the descent and final stretch back from the road though (or even just looked at my watch) - surprised to see I was over 45mins and that descent was 17:13 against 16:01 last year. I guess I was racing Ben over the last part a year ago, but even so!

Heart rate bizarrely the same on the ascent and descent segments, 148ave with 154max. Max HR suggests unsurprisingly still a bit tired from weekend!

Great stuff from Daniel in 3rd (ahead of all the Scottish Students prizewinners!) and a decent but not massive FVO turnout - I count 8 FVOers on the results.

Recent years...
2014 45:03 127.7%
2013 43:08 121.8%
2012 45:59 142.0%
2010 44:27 131.6%
2009 44:21 126.7%
2008 41:20 121.1%
Hmmm.

C • More of man than me... 3

Jog with Rosco and back up to the car.

Feeling it after yesterday and also yesterday's lesson was a proper warmup and a bit of calm time pre-start!
So off I went, across the river and up to Kendal Castle. Very nice too. A lap of the castle and back down. Feeling tired but not too stiff or sore.

UKOL urban race, Kendal.
5th M40+, 2nd M45.
Winner Dave Rollins 41:49. Roger 3rd in 42:33.

Ran solidly with not too much time loss, just lacking a top gear after the past two days, couldn't get HR anywhere near max.

Wrong side of uncrossable wall enroute to #7, had to double back (20s).
Look to have lost time on leg leg to #9, maybe should have gone right?
Slow to #14, took a longer variant leaving #13 but not sure it was 20s slower?

Timed crossing after #16 on 32mins, 6th at that point with 8 others in the 40secs behind.
Ran the final section from there pretty well, just maybe 10-15secs lost through 25-26-27 where a little more calmness in the fiddly stuff would have paid off.

Yet another 2nd place in a UKOL race, that is five this year so far!