Training Log Archive: SarahD

With J from Keiloch cp round Craig Leek on tracks in an a/c direction. Feeling awful when we set off. Knew it had to improve and it did, although still not very bright on the hill. Fortunately there were lots of nice flowers, butterflies etc. that needed closer inspection. From the main Cullardoch track came back round the high track to the spur off the south side past a lovely wee old wooden summer house I've never seen before.
Great route and such a lovely spot, as always.

A blast round my own course at Torphins. Still had 1 hesitation when I thought I'd overshot a junction. Woosed the nettly fields too.
Quality session.

Late night boogying to the band in Kinker. Hoped this might make up for lack of stretching, but if it did other factors overrode its effect.

From Dinnet a/c round LK, visitor centre, path up the hill, right on top track over shoulder, back to Muir and continue a/c round LK taking in the DF bog loop. A few stops for photos (water lillies looking lovely) and chanterelles. Not feeling great, but good to get back to my Friday long run.

Wander round T'phins checking control sites.

Recovery run round short H'head loop. Tired from intervals but knees still holding up ;-)

7 x 2' + 1' round the 2 bridges. Yay - first interval session in a looong time. Body holding up well. Knee pain has vanished. Just lacking aerobic fitness and any speed.

To start of intervals and back from end

Even this feels to be improving - quads not as tight as they have been.

Lossie SOL short brown. There was nothing short about this. Messed up no 3 by ~3', but otherwise just a wobble at 17 and left 27 thinking I was at 28, but corrected when I realised the map didn't fit. So, pretty happy with the navigation. Struggled physically with the length of the course, but all good training and what I need.

Really sore and stiff.

On a bit of a mission today - E tennis tournament in A'deen - Dufftown - back to Aboyne in time for tennis training. Just time for a 5' out and back w-u, before call-up.

Dufftown SOUL. Very scrappy race. Well planned, but found the map detail difficult to read in the important bits and lost time on several legs as a result. Guess I wasn't alone here, but was a bit frustrating when trying carefully to plan. Running didn't feel great, but all good training.
Knee pain seems to have migrated from the left leg to right - not sure if that's good news or not?
Back to Aboyne in time for tennis. One very tired wee boy now.

Parked at bottom of big Birse track. Headed up track by Gamie's cottage through B'more to join the Fungle below C'ferg. Plan had been to head over to Birse Castle, but felt really tired on the climb, so changed plans and headed round the back of C'ferg instead. Yonks since I've been this way, but the track is still there and was rideable pretty much all the way - just a bit of gorse getting in the way. Joined new track at the top of Balfour woods, then turned right at main track junction - was interested to see what they had been doing with their path construction. Turned out only to be a bit of work joining up the old track to Birse kirk, so took this and dropped to Balfour house, then back along the road.
Nice route with single track most of the way back from the Fungle, but nothing too technical.
Knees ok on the bike.

Lap of H'head. It's been a looong time - just about sums up the last few months. Felt heaps better than on Tues night. Just a slight niggle in my knee that's easy to ignore. Still felt like harder work than it should, but not feeling quite as depressed any more ;-)

No time - busy day.
So many aches after last night may be as well to run day about until things improve.

Need lots of this

Glen T 2 bridges steady. Felt awful. Not so much tiredness as just lots of niggles and awkwardness in running. Didn't log time, but it certainly wasn't quick.
Need to get back to regular steady trail running before I can hope to start training properly. No immediate race plans, so time to build back gradually.

Travelling home. Tired - very.

Jukola 3rd leg for Maroc 2nd team. So happy just to be here and runnng after the last 6 weeks.
Made a possibly foolish decision to dump my big head torch by handing it to Ali at the handover. Had seen a few folk going out without torches, so just strapped the mini one to my wrist to read the map, but as soon as I set off and saw the lights in the forest I realised this was probably a mistake. No point in worrying though - it would soon get light. Had to slow down a bit more than normal to try and read the detail on the map, but that was probably no bad thing. Got away with a lot of simplification due to the elephant tracks everywhere. Race actually went really well technically, with my biggest mistake being ~1' and only a couple of other hesitations. Was very aware that everyone was moving faster than me, but by the end of the leg I'd only dropped a few places, so they must have been coming past me multiple times. Pleased with the way I used the tracks but still managed to do my own thing a few times when the tracks weren't going the right way. Was flagging by the last wee loop, but managed to hold it together.
Dead chuffed with 2nd team performance at 503/1600, but disappointed for the 1st team after a really impressive team effort that should have seen them finish ~255.
Awesome!

Chilling out before the big race and watching Venla live.

Another session at Laitilanniemi on the southern half of the map. Some even lovelier rocky moss-covered ridges. Still clicking well with technique.

Training on southern part of event area - Kielletty Allue. Too soon after lunch, everything seized up after the morning session and knee giving me some gyp. Hence didn't enjoy it as much, and didn't feel I clicked so well with the map. kept it short.

Stretch out in the army tent. Bit space limited!

Jukola training at Laitilanniemi. Tough forest but really lovely. Navigating well and feeling well tuned in to the map.

Travelling to Helsinki for Jukola 2014

Busy. Good to give knee a couple of days recovery.

Knee sore this morning and should have been giving it a complete rest today, but it was a lovely morning and I'd taken the day off because of the school holiday, so seemed criminal not to go out and play on my new toy. With E, from T of Ess up the track to the high point above the Guard, then along the side of the hill above Glen T to junction above ospreys. Carried straight on, then turned down the diagonal track through the plantation, then back along the bottom past Faerie Loch.
Great morning and a fab ride. Had a few wee rests on the climbs but we both managed to ride just about all of it. Cool.

Brown course at Glen Fearder. Wanted to let my body get an inkling of what it will be in for next weekend. Ankle was fine taped up and didn't really notice knee either (with the help of a couple of pain-killers!).
Bad miss on no 3 then clean until 14 where faffed in the circle. Just very slow - feeling unfit, but also being pretty cautious.
Feeling good and confident about Jukola now.

Control collecting. Tired and slow and struggling to carry everything back. Hadn't bargained on the plastic boxes at the fence crossing, but found eventually I could manage with them upside down on my head. Out for ~70'.
Good days effort.

Had to take the new toy for a wee test run - round the woods with E.

Group "walk" round a course at Inchmarnoch coaching E, G and J.

Ran a wee loop at Cambus. Found it rough going and was struggling to move very quickly. Knee still complaining as well as foot feeling weak.

Somewhat tedious day driving E down to weegie land for the Scottish Schools for a 7' race. Then went into toon to pick up my new MTB.
Knee still niggling so maybe no harm in a day off.

Lap of Bellwood on the tracks. Knee still sore from last night so tried to maintain good running form.

From lay-by at Aboyne Loch to golf course corner and back at the end.

Ran part of the blue course from the event at Coull a few weeks ago. Kept really good map contact (gps'd it to keep me honest). Going ok in the terrain, but noticed my left knee sore on the inside by the end. Also left calf a bit tight - both caused by protective responses for my ankle I think. Great wee session.

First session back at DR. Knew it would be tough and sure enough felt really unfit. Survived the hill session as far as the track junction beyond the edge of the forest, before ducking out. 10 x 1' + 1'.

Warm-up to the bridge, then after ducking out of the hills turned right back down the steep rough track. Once I got back towards the chapel I made myself carry on for an extra wee loop past the faery loch and down to the river to try and get the total up towards the hour.
Legs aren't appreciating the impact of running after being on the bike for so long. Foot pretty ok, but felt a bit weak at times and slightly achy after.

Took the kids at adventure running club for a run in the terrain - a nice little workout for my ankle!

BOC relays at Cragg Estate. Turned out there was a spare place on the middle length leg of one of our AdHoc teams, which was just ideal for me today. Total contrast to yesterday in terms of the terrain - short cropped grassland - and was able to run fine in this. Still being v careful, but went pretty well. Encouraging.