Training Log Archive: Cruachan

Event: Park Race 11: Battersea Park
 

Really struggled this morning - felt sleepy and leg tired which is undoubtedly the effects of the 6 Day and long drive back. Around town and then back from Tesco.

Mile beforehand (with sharp strides) and then a couple easy afters including a swift trot back to Sloane Sq.

Battersea Park-race: really good course on an area that punishes sloppy O-ing at speed - and I was guilty of that tonight. Real hesitation at start as struggled to orientate self sufficiently do slow to #1 and then had to tie shoe laces (idiot!) on way to #2. Made real mess of #4 as was too high in the trees and lost over 40 secs on a 50 metre leg! Did complete circuit of building at #8 as hadn't read contl description. Another 10 secs. Picked up and passed Karen Poole but then went into the vegetation too early for #14 and she passed me again (another 10 secs). Was coming out of 14 when took a bad tumble and bashed forearm on a log. Winded me and was slow and hesitant to both 15 & 16 as a result (more time - 25 secs or so?). Went to wrong thicket for #18 and then chose wrong route to #20 (25 secs). Slight miss to #21 before finally getting clear of Karen. Think my route to #23 was also slightly slower than Dylan's. Another slight miss at #25 (wrong tree)- 5 secs. Overall I reckon to have made 2'30 worth of mistakes - not clever and was also struggling with my running tonight. Finished 11th and prob should have been 4th. Need both recovery and hard training!

Long - Splits

Had been in bed at 9.30 so was awake early and got out for a nice trot around town - too humid and too flat down south!

Hardly a resty - awake at 2.30sh and on road south by 4.20am. Did the run from Aviemore to Ely in 7.50 with a one-stop strategy. Cool.

So what do I make of Moray 2013? Was 15th in 2011 and only 23rd this year. I think the class has got tougher, but I also know I was off the pace and navigation on too many days. I should have done more terrain specific work and training. Simples. You don't prepare for Rally by driving a formula one car around a Tarmac race surface - so why do th same with orienteering? I need to take this on th chin and respond accordingly.

Easy jogging to the start...

Day 6 at Coulmony: what a finale! Tough & rough. Took it safe to #1 (path) but could have crossed the marsh. Going well early on - though lost a few secs at #5 as didn't believe the control I could see was mine! All well and good until the long leg to #17 - indeed I was 13th overall at 16th. The area went from lovely to vile - vague, tough terrain that was difficult to determine where you exactly were and where my confidence and running speed decreased signficantly. Lost time to #17. Slow to #19 and #20 through increasing grot. Fluked #21 as really lost sense and was about to descend to the valley when spotted control. Lost time at #24 which was truly buried and then binned 3mins on #25 by staying too high and ended up on road. Control was also nicely hidden. Route to #26 was cruel and then I was slow to pick up be right reentrant. Generally pleased with run, but it was clear this was an area that really favoured anyone on late starts. Unfair!

Easy jog along long route to start...

Day 4 - Roseisle: or called 'Boy, O Boy'! Started well enough with clean through many of the early controls and feeling decent. Caught an INT guy and we started trading controls. Was 22.04 at #13 and in 12th place. Made first error to #14 when I misread the hill and passed the control before returning, losing 1.5 mins. Bigger miss was next control where I crossed the track (should have spotted this but thought it wasn't mapped) and ended up relocating from another control in a reentrant 100m south. Prob lost 3.5 mins. From then on I started to flag, with 18-21 taking longer than would be expected. By the map exchange, I was spent- legs dead and feeling exhausted. I lost time at 22, 24 and 27 but in reality I was limping along. Took me 22.10 for the 'easy' 2.8K from 21 to the finish. Never been as relieved to see a finish as this one.

Jog to the start and then easy in the rain afters...

Day 4 - Loch of Boath: started hard and took the path route to #1; felt good and was running strong & clean. First hesitation was en route to #9 when gravitated towards another control way too early. Going well until #10 when I drifted left and onto a parallel hill about 150m to the east. Blew 2.5 mins. Picked up afters but then wimped the direct route to #15 by going on the paths. Think I lost another minute there. Clean & direct from there on in. Reasonably pleased and closer to Logue than at any point in the week so far. Enjoyed it and felt more at ease in the trad Scottish forest than the dunes!

Lovely recovery run from the Lodge up to and around Loch an Eilein. A great area and place to run - would make awesome classic area!