Training Log Archive: AC

Nationale long distance race. Same type of terrain as yesterday - green and rocky but with a lot more of the lapiaz rock that they have around here and is typical in karst country. The map depicted it by a lot of small dots, with the dots increasing in density with the density of the rock on the ground. This is quite hard to run through and it is wise to try and avoid it - something I failed to do on a few occasions during the race. Also very hot again today!

Got off to a good start this time - much better than yesterday - and spiked the first control quite nicely. This was followed by a challenging 1.5km leg across the map from south to north. I planned a pretty good route, linking up a number of small paths, which I managed to find on the ground (not easy in the high grass), and working from stone wall to stone wall. Executed it very well, and felt strong the whole way, even through the lapiaz areas (which were challenging and green as well). Conscious of my back, I avoided too much bending down under trees and probably ran a good 10% further around trees to try and keep running fairly upright.

Was in the lead quite nicely and feeling good. Then made a complete mess of #3. Good plan but then got myself very confused in an area of broken stone walls and semi open terrain. Mucked around quite a bit before relocating on a stone wall enclosure and finding my way to the control. Six minutes binned there. But I kept the pace up and went through #4-5-6 in good shape with very quick splits. Then another long leg to #7, this time around 1.3km. Found a good route and ran it very well, with the second fastest time for the leg. Felt nice and strong through the forest and lapiaz and navigated nicely.

Then blew it again at #8, dropping some 8 minutes this time. The GPS trace tells a sorry tale of drifting off to the left after a promising start and then not being able to relocate quickly, running around in circles. Eventually managed to re-locate, but even then had trouble finding the control. The rest of the controls were fine and quite quick (even had the fastest split for #11!).

So, 6th place, 9 minutes down on the winner (who didn't seem to have had any major issues). This was a race that got away - was in great shape, running well and had come to grips (so I thought) with the terrain. Dropping 14 minutes on 2 controls was a real shame, but the race overall was quite encouraging. The long legs went very well, but stuffed up the controls after the long legs. Points to relaxing and a lack of concentration after successfully completing long and challenging legs. Another very positive point was fitness and lack of back problems - felt strong the whole way.

Roll on O'Ringen!

C • encouraging 2

Baking hot down in the Dordogne for this middle distance race - 32 degrees when I started at 3pm. Terrain was rocky and green, with huge numbers of stone walls and indistinct paths. was determined to just go easy and find the first control and then progress from there. Failed miserably. Ran like a goose to the first control and promptly got lost in the low visibility and complex network of stone walls.The GPS trace shows me heading off in the right direction but getting sidetracked after a couple of hundred metres and heading off at 45 degrees, then compounding it by going even further in the wrong direction down a track trying to find a landmark to re-orient myself on! Binned 5 minutes on the first control, no problem.

I found the rest of the controls okay, but was very slow and tentative. The constant ducking and weaving through the low oak trees played havoc with my back, which seized up after a few km and forced me to a walk for the last part of the course. Bit of a disaster really. Was staggered to wind up in 10th place, just 10 minutes down on the winner.

Have taken the last few days off to rest my tired legs and my right hamstring, which did not survive Monday's session in the best shape. Lots of stretching and some decent sleep seem to have helped.

Train down to Dordogne after work on Friday was very pleasant.

Despite tired legs, decided to head out for an easy lunchtime run, primarily because I am away in Brussels tomorrow and then at a meeting all day back in Paris on Wednesday, so this will be the last run before the weekend. Will definitely be needing the rest days as legs felt pretty trashed. But still managed a decent workout, focusing on gradually increasing the pace for the first 6km (5.29, 5.10, 4.51, 4.44, 4.39. 4.44 - the last one was up a hill so a hard effort but not at the hoped for 4.35 pace). Jogged back to the office. Glorious day for it.