Training Log Archive: olsoranIn the 7 days ending Mar 19, 2016:
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Friday Mar 18, 2016 #
Trail / Terrain Run 30:00 [3]
shoes: Mudclaw 300 b/r
Loop up Craigmore, including a bit of terrain then back via Torqu. Still weary so not up for more.
Thursday Mar 17, 2016 #
Trail / Terrain Run 1:00:00 [3]
shoes: Mudclaw 300 b/r
Loop up via Torqu, Craigmore and back. Glorious afternoon. Legs heavy.
Wednesday Mar 16, 2016 #
Note
(rest day)
Still wiped out
Tuesday Mar 15, 2016 #
Note
(rest day)
Wiped out.
Monday Mar 14, 2016 #
Note
Travelling...a lot of Gatwick time with nothing else to do:
Sunday's effort:
Packed train at 0630 from Zenez to Saint Moritz; dash through the San Moritz station ticket hall to circumvent vast queueing system for race buses. Great plan that worked a treat. Transfer to start area at Maloja.
Scheduled for last start wave (not surprisingly) at 0923. Similar organisation to big running races: bag drops in Swiss army lorries, loos and drinks places. Emergency waxing stations and last minute repair stops and equipment shops. Cold standing about. Bin liners and hot isostar to keep warm. Just sugary snow in assembly area. Helicopters overhead; Europop music. Different coloured bibs for the different categories.
Watch the elite starts. Phenomenal. Overcast with patches of blue sky and the sun breaking through over snow covered mountains lining the valley. Warmer than its been all week but still very nippy in race clothes.
Go into the pen at roughly 0910 with C and J. Five huge pens for our start time; let out finally after 0940. Stumble through rutted snow to near start line. Scrabble to put skis on and cross the line. Skiers all over the shop with skaters on the left and 5 lanes for classic on the right. Heavy congestion.
Head across the flats of the frozen Lej da Segl into a slight headwind. A trail of skiers stretching way into the distance up ahead. Soon start warming up. Constantly switch tracks to avoid slower skiers but almost all skaters pressing well ahead. Overtake R somewhere before Sils Maria. Exchange a few words. Didn't like this flat straight section during the recce but the multitude of skiers makes it much more interesting this time. A good number in fancy dress. Slipstream for a while behind a girl who seems to be going my speed. ..until she skis straight into the back of an older guy when she was obviously more interested in looking at her ski tips. Can't say I blame him for using loud german expletives as he hits the ground in chaotic fashion. Fortunately I'd switched tracks slightly earlier.
Little protection from the headwind and already the snow was seeming tough but 10k done and off the second lake, Lej da Silvaplauna, round the back of the castle Crap da Sass and up to the first feed station. Warm isostar and a few chunks of energy bar. An official sticks a lump of banana in my mouth for good measure. Now well into the swing of things but glad the flat lakes are over.
Into the forest and hear a loud hi from C...from the skating tracks. The tracks diverge for a bit and i don't see her again. We are now down to just two or sometimes just one classic track. The first steep hill - take the steeper but shorter right hand fork option and gain a whole heap of places overtaking those herring boning up it. Sugary snow and tracks seriously trashed. Now passing Champfer and then San Moritz. Keep up the momentum through the Stax forest picking off folk. Not sure how I'll feel later on but got to go for it. Enjoy the nice sweep of track round to the hotel at Alp da Stax (I think) then head on to 'Mattress Alley'. Its bedlam down there with fallen skiers all over the place who've failed to negotiate the steep twisting and uneven downhill. Stay upright and avoid them all and double pole past the half-marathon finish into Pontresina.
Plenty of crowds with the names on bibs providing the prompts for personalised encouragement. Stop for 30s or so at the feed station and grab a bit more sustenance before heading under the bridge for the second half. The toughest half is done but now into new territory in terms of distance done - haven't done more than about 25k max for a year or two. Going ok but will it last? Aiming for about 2.10 for the first half and was there bang on. Tracks less congested now having lost the 'half' racers. Grab a tow from a Swiss guy..get a mini peloton going for a few k along the flat tracks near Engadin airport...then Eduard the Swiss leaves me behind.
Hit 30k and start to feel the quads. Keep it going. Grind up the small hills. Starting to pass a lot of tired skaters struggling with the difficult snow on the cambered piste. Classic tracks in poor nick not helped by flat light. Do a head plant in the middle of 'disco village' because couldn't make out the ground shape. Provides plenty of amusement for the onlookers. First (and only) time over today. Pass five 'mexicans' in sombreros skiing together. Through the village with dire sugary snow in the narrow streets, and head for Zuoz and the last steep hill. Couldn't manage to 'run' all the way up this one but still relatively quick and am on the home stretch now.
Into the last 5k and feeling less tired than at this point on a running marathon but vision is a bit blurred under the glasses. Grind out the undulations of the last few kms..passing folk all the time. Down the last two steep hills into the arena, passing more fallers, the last 500m seems a long way as I chase after two dressed as convicts. Under the banner; groped by an official retrieving the timing chip, young child does the medal honours and the race is over.
Chat to others and find they are well down on predicted times due to the conditions. The sun is well out now.
Sort the bag retrieval;grab a bratwurst and a bun; and share a celebratory beer bought by J.
Well pleased to hold up really well although lack of ski time this year didnt help. My classic technique isn't bad at all but I really need to crack skating for next time...or do another Classic only race.
4.18.45 for the distance
6990th overall
7/20 in age group of those doing classic
104/279 of all men classic skiers
Splits:
66.16 to Silvaplana
64.44 to Pontresina (Half-M)
71.59 to La Punt
55.45 to Finish
Only 2.30 behind the skating winner :-)
Sunday's effort:
Packed train at 0630 from Zenez to Saint Moritz; dash through the San Moritz station ticket hall to circumvent vast queueing system for race buses. Great plan that worked a treat. Transfer to start area at Maloja.
Scheduled for last start wave (not surprisingly) at 0923. Similar organisation to big running races: bag drops in Swiss army lorries, loos and drinks places. Emergency waxing stations and last minute repair stops and equipment shops. Cold standing about. Bin liners and hot isostar to keep warm. Just sugary snow in assembly area. Helicopters overhead; Europop music. Different coloured bibs for the different categories.
Watch the elite starts. Phenomenal. Overcast with patches of blue sky and the sun breaking through over snow covered mountains lining the valley. Warmer than its been all week but still very nippy in race clothes.
Go into the pen at roughly 0910 with C and J. Five huge pens for our start time; let out finally after 0940. Stumble through rutted snow to near start line. Scrabble to put skis on and cross the line. Skiers all over the shop with skaters on the left and 5 lanes for classic on the right. Heavy congestion.
Head across the flats of the frozen Lej da Segl into a slight headwind. A trail of skiers stretching way into the distance up ahead. Soon start warming up. Constantly switch tracks to avoid slower skiers but almost all skaters pressing well ahead. Overtake R somewhere before Sils Maria. Exchange a few words. Didn't like this flat straight section during the recce but the multitude of skiers makes it much more interesting this time. A good number in fancy dress. Slipstream for a while behind a girl who seems to be going my speed. ..until she skis straight into the back of an older guy when she was obviously more interested in looking at her ski tips. Can't say I blame him for using loud german expletives as he hits the ground in chaotic fashion. Fortunately I'd switched tracks slightly earlier.
Little protection from the headwind and already the snow was seeming tough but 10k done and off the second lake, Lej da Silvaplauna, round the back of the castle Crap da Sass and up to the first feed station. Warm isostar and a few chunks of energy bar. An official sticks a lump of banana in my mouth for good measure. Now well into the swing of things but glad the flat lakes are over.
Into the forest and hear a loud hi from C...from the skating tracks. The tracks diverge for a bit and i don't see her again. We are now down to just two or sometimes just one classic track. The first steep hill - take the steeper but shorter right hand fork option and gain a whole heap of places overtaking those herring boning up it. Sugary snow and tracks seriously trashed. Now passing Champfer and then San Moritz. Keep up the momentum through the Stax forest picking off folk. Not sure how I'll feel later on but got to go for it. Enjoy the nice sweep of track round to the hotel at Alp da Stax (I think) then head on to 'Mattress Alley'. Its bedlam down there with fallen skiers all over the place who've failed to negotiate the steep twisting and uneven downhill. Stay upright and avoid them all and double pole past the half-marathon finish into Pontresina.
Plenty of crowds with the names on bibs providing the prompts for personalised encouragement. Stop for 30s or so at the feed station and grab a bit more sustenance before heading under the bridge for the second half. The toughest half is done but now into new territory in terms of distance done - haven't done more than about 25k max for a year or two. Going ok but will it last? Aiming for about 2.10 for the first half and was there bang on. Tracks less congested now having lost the 'half' racers. Grab a tow from a Swiss guy..get a mini peloton going for a few k along the flat tracks near Engadin airport...then Eduard the Swiss leaves me behind.
Hit 30k and start to feel the quads. Keep it going. Grind up the small hills. Starting to pass a lot of tired skaters struggling with the difficult snow on the cambered piste. Classic tracks in poor nick not helped by flat light. Do a head plant in the middle of 'disco village' because couldn't make out the ground shape. Provides plenty of amusement for the onlookers. First (and only) time over today. Pass five 'mexicans' in sombreros skiing together. Through the village with dire sugary snow in the narrow streets, and head for Zuoz and the last steep hill. Couldn't manage to 'run' all the way up this one but still relatively quick and am on the home stretch now.
Into the last 5k and feeling less tired than at this point on a running marathon but vision is a bit blurred under the glasses. Grind out the undulations of the last few kms..passing folk all the time. Down the last two steep hills into the arena, passing more fallers, the last 500m seems a long way as I chase after two dressed as convicts. Under the banner; groped by an official retrieving the timing chip, young child does the medal honours and the race is over.
Chat to others and find they are well down on predicted times due to the conditions. The sun is well out now.
Sort the bag retrieval;grab a bratwurst and a bun; and share a celebratory beer bought by J.
Well pleased to hold up really well although lack of ski time this year didnt help. My classic technique isn't bad at all but I really need to crack skating for next time...or do another Classic only race.
4.18.45 for the distance
6990th overall
7/20 in age group of those doing classic
104/279 of all men classic skiers
Splits:
66.16 to Silvaplana
64.44 to Pontresina (Half-M)
71.59 to La Punt
55.45 to Finish
Only 2.30 behind the skating winner :-)
Sunday Mar 13, 2016 #
XC Skiing race (Engadin Ski Marathon) 4:19:03 [5] 43.1 km (6:01 / km) +359m 5:46 / km
Tough conditions and weary now...more to follow when I've had a lie down.
Starting close to the back of a ski marathon with 13000 competitors when 90%+ of them are skating puts you at somewhat of a disadvantage. However it's good if you can pick a year when the conditions favour the skaters even less than the classics.
A headwind, tough snow and plenty trashed tracks but whilst losing out on the flat I could waste plenty of skaters up the hills and on the undulations towards the end. That was fun.
The prediction/target was 4.15 with 4.00 as a stretch. Given that for skaters the times for many were 30mins slower than previous years and a good proportion of that for classic folk as well, 4.00 was never going to happen but delighted with an official 4.18.
Impeccable Swiss organisation again; brilliant views: some of the straight flats were somewhat tedious but the atmosphere etc more than made up for it.
Starting close to the back of a ski marathon with 13000 competitors when 90%+ of them are skating puts you at somewhat of a disadvantage. However it's good if you can pick a year when the conditions favour the skaters even less than the classics.
A headwind, tough snow and plenty trashed tracks but whilst losing out on the flat I could waste plenty of skaters up the hills and on the undulations towards the end. That was fun.
The prediction/target was 4.15 with 4.00 as a stretch. Given that for skaters the times for many were 30mins slower than previous years and a good proportion of that for classic folk as well, 4.00 was never going to happen but delighted with an official 4.18.
Impeccable Swiss organisation again; brilliant views: some of the straight flats were somewhat tedious but the atmosphere etc more than made up for it.