Training Log Archive: Bashman

WU 1
Run to assembly from the hotel. Took time to get into it.

WU 2
Run to the start and a few strides. Feeling good.

AOM 2014 - Long - H18A - 9.1km - 140m - 3rd by ~55s, 1st overall!
Very well warmed up and keen to start. I had Will's time in mind on the start line and just went for it from the start.
Number one was a surprise, as it went through the training area. Took a bit a of a poor route through the Spanish hood but it ended up being pretty fast. Approaching the control I was distracted by a playing flute. I was in the middle of the forest now so this was very strange, yet relaxing. Heard a bit later that there was some hippy camp nearby. Nailed it bang on and the motivation kept rising. Off to 2, pretty straightforward. Incredibly straight to 3 although going to 4 the mapping felt a bit off, as it seemed to take a while. By now I had caught up a few people, including one Spanish gentleman. He decided to follow me, step for step, for the next 2 kilometers, without reading his map and only concentrating on following me. This angered me greatly. It was somewhat distracting and I felt like I had to shake him off. So the pace increased although I wasn't even a quarter of the way through.
Hit 5 well and took a safe route to 6. Heading into the model area now... eh? Straight bang on on 7, used the water stop as an attackpoint to 8, easy stuff to 9 and 10, another water stop AP. Slightly shaky to 11 as I was tiring from running away from the arse behind me. I felt light turning round and commanding him to show me where we were, as he would have no idea... Now I had planned 11, and decided straight would be pretty great. Route was near perfect, although I was very worried about hit the pot-luck control, in the middle of vague stuff. Of course, I missed for about 45s but the Spannish guy wondered off and I was free! Gaining lost time heading to 13, bang on, and then 14 is where things fell apart.
I approached the tunnel (which we had 3 of, all less that 1.5m high) and wasn't sure where I was. I got confused when I saw a tunnel 0.5m high and began to panic. I chose the "shit tunnel" as we later referred to it, and it was shit. A good foot of clay/smelly stuff mud and I was convinced I had taken an illegal crossing point. This got me down, as I knew any result wouldn't be deserved. I had however taken the right tunnel though..
So I was faced with this dilemma, I hadn't a clue whether I took the right tunnel or not and since the forest was pretty vague, I wasn't sure what to do. So I headed for the ridge and ended up too far left, a good minute lost overall here. Little miss to 15 and then okay to 16, feeling a bit down. 17 was very frustrating. Everyone made a mistake here, some losing up to 10 minutes, simply because the map wasn't very well drawn before the control site. The ridge was much more detailed so everyone began searching early. After 3 minutes, I found the path and the control. Speeeeed after this catching up lost time.
18 and 19 were fast, through the tunnel again and some pretty straightforward controls to finish off with. Just focussing on speed. A 4:15 for a kilometer here which isn't bad for a 10km terrain orienteering race. Finished a bit annoyed but happy to have beaten Will's 52.
Found out that I went through the right tunnel and was ever more annoyed, but then again glad I retained my lead and overall win, as Anton had a nightmare. Good race!
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxNwLj1b4e...
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map... - Map

C • Well done sir. 1

WD
Run back to the hotel.

Evening training - "Middle"
Basically a cactus farm in a forest. Ran with Will and Florian and had a few battles over route choices and took turns leading otherwise. Felt pretty tired from the start, probably pushed a bit hard. Quite a few stops to discuss routes and remove cactus from our bodies.

WU
Pretty quick to the start at 3:50s but then did some drills.
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AOM 2014 Middle - H18A - 4.2km - 80m - 1st by 2 seconds
Got in the zone at the start and was ready to smash it. I realised that a clean run would give me the win and that the speed wasn't too important (until the end). 3 different parts of the area that were pretty contrasting so needed to flow through each section smoothly. Started quite shaky because it jumped straight into the tricky bit with low veg. Got 1 ok but then got stuck in a bit of green going to 2. A bit nervous approaching 3 and I felt like I was quick lucky hitting the first few controls.
Into the forest to 4, nice and easy. A bit of a banana to 5 and I thought I was looking for a big hill which was actually a depression. A few seconds lost but corrected myself. The whole area was pretty sandy but heading to 6 was pretty sapping. 7 looked like a bingo control in the green but I got a good attackpoint into it. 8 and 9 were easy and then up to 10 into the dark green bits. On the map it looked like it should of been impenetrable but it was the equivalent of Scottish White. Easy stuff as all the controls were line features.
Massive banana to 15 losing 15s but after that it was quite easy. Into the final urban section and it was all running, although I ran past 19 which almost cost me the win.
2 seconds ahead of Anton, who was 2nd yesterday and then a good gap after that. Feel like my strong finish probably got me this. Got a good WU for the sprint later on too, although we're against H20s.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxNwLj1b4e...

WD
Got lost in the town so twice as long as I was hoping.

WU
Easy around quarantine, very crowded, some drills in there too.
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AOM 2014 - Sprint - H20A - 2.4km - joint 5th by 23s
Wasn't expecting this area to be nearly as good as it was. Also running H20 so didn't feel too much under pressure to run well. Picked up the map at the start and straight off to 1, good route. Simple enough to 2 but then as I was planning ahead to 4, I went down the wrong alley and lost 15s having to turn around... I sort of knew at this point that my race was over but I pushed on anyway. No more mistakes and just very quick running. Finished joint fifth behind 3 H20s, and Rafael Dobnik. Joint with Anton, tomorrow would have to settle it. Good to know without that mistake I would be in the mix.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxNwLj1b4e...
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...

WD
Easy with Will back to the hotel. Got a bit lost.

WU
To the model along the coastal road. Feeling fit so almost turned into a tempo.
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Model - 6.8km
Planned by Thierry so it was always going to be good. Started off a bit shaky on the coast but then things got a lot easier and the pace kept increasing and increasing. Not really any mistakes, caught up lots of people and just pushed on. It got a bit boring but then it hit the coast again where I was just getting tired and made a few mistakes bringing the pace down. Happy with that.

WU
With Will, wasn't as long as he claimed.
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AOM 2014 Prologue - H18A - 2.7km - 1st by 7s
Mass start and straight into an 8 control score. Interesting format, and me and Will didn't take much time to plan. Shot off in a bad route choice through the controls, chasing Anton most of the way. We were easing away from the rest thought so running well. Bad score section over and the three of us were alone going into the forest course section. Anton wasn't running too fast and I kept nipping past him but then missing the control and chasing him again. Eventually I got my game straight and started pulling away from him in time for the run in. Finished strongly expecting Will behind but he had been bumped down. Only the Prologue though so it didn't matter. Great relay practice though and really motivated for the rest of the week.
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxNwLj1b4e...
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...

WD
Took a while to do so but after prize giving back to the hotel with Will, Gustav and Yannick. Steady stuff.

Off to Spain, unfortunately can't leave my bags anywhere and go for a run so rest it is.

C • Good luck. O 1

C • Congrats winner! Same again please. 1

Night o with Ravinen men
Ran the M1 School course from WSOC last year. Mostly in the train with Gustav, Emil, Assar and others. Pretty good going, snatched the lead a few times for some pressure experience and we did surprisingly good even in the dark. Jog to and from start and finish included.

WU
Out from school towards Crathes through Hill of Banchory and up to the start of my Dad's DNC course in 2 weeks.
Weather was ridiculous. As soon as I stepped out the front door, heavy winds and heavy freezing rain/hail in my face the whole way (wind was westerly). Really struggled to see at times and everything went numb to a point of pain. Once I got into the trees it was better but I was already completely drenched and chaffing. Wildest weather for a while.
Other than that I felt really good despite yesterday - an obvious sign that I didn't max out yesterday.

Test run Crathes DNC - Long - 4.6km
Won't reveal the GPS track and I'll try and be concise. Due to the weather it was really hard going. Everything was very slippery but I really enjoyed it. Stopped to jump off a crag at one point and my legs just kept going so fell bum first down, a bit queasy after this. Clean clean clean through the next few just not travelling particularly quickly. Got to the top and found a big truck collecting logs from recent thinning. Got in the way a bit and the tracks it left were horrible. Came to a newly felled area, not sure why they did this as it was such a nice bit of woodland with not many trees at all. Finished as I was just beginning to shiver despite my running and was thankful to see Dad in the car waiting. Good bit of training, never experienced Crathes as nice as this, so to all the night-oers - enjoy! Decided not to do Glan Dye tonight but plan on doing the course some day as training.

Phys tests
On the treadmill in the uni at Crewe. Pace gradually got higher every 3 minutes with blood tests and tubes for my exhaled are coming and going. Preliminary results showing quite good lactate capability but I didn't hit my max. Probably chickened out a bit early but training a been taking a toll too.

WU on the treadmill and WD outside with a guy from the uni to make sure I didn't collapse.

Taking things easy before phys tests tomorrow and AOM later this week. Phys tests fit in very well to be my final interval session before the competition. Looking forward to sunny Spain.