Training Log Archive: GD44

Tongwynlais 4.2mile loop. Legs tired from weekend.

SWEMBO Summer Sleepover Day 2 - Wareham Forest

3hr event

Decided to go anti-clockwise as I thought there would be more bail out options should I run out of time. As it turned out, I cleared the course with about 15mins to spare.

S>3: OK. Stopped one junction too soon to look for rhododendron but knew I was too short so carried on after short look. Caught up with Sion James.
3>17: OK
17>21: Two route options. In hindsight I should have taken the other one to reduce descent/ascent. Overshot the CP and lost 1 minute. Sion was behind me yet got there and departed before I dibbed.
21>16: OK but could easily have shot past it.
16>23: OK - long road section
23>19: Caught up Sion soon after 23 and rode the road like a ITT holding onto the map board stand to stay aero!
19>18: Stopped for 90s to study map and decide next steps.
18>15: Not quite on the the track I had intended as I took a firebreak which was actually a gravel track and ended up in a different place that I intended. However I had overhead power lines to help me re-orientate. Lost 1 minute as I was looking in a different ditch/track crossing to the one they put it on.
15>20: OK but I stopped again soon after 20 to decide on whether I should go for 8 or not. Decided not to which was a good call. Stopped for 90s.
20>14: Took a perfectly legitimate bridleway which not many others did as it was shorter. However it was very overgrown and I ended up faceplanting in deep mud after the ground swallowed my front tyre and the forks! Map was plastered with very dark mud.
14>5: Struggled to find the CP as it was difficult to find at the track junction. Lost 1 minute.
5>6: OK
6>22: Wronf route choice into this as I descended and had to hike-a-bike up a steep sandy steppy climb. Alternative route around the top was far better. Probably lost 60s.
22>10: Went back a different way to the approach but struggled to find the track back down to the valley. Ended up running/hiking across fallen trees. Probably lost 1-2minutes.
10>4: OK
4>11: Stopped to look too early. Description was bridge and I stopped at a handrail next to a pond.
11>9: Ifor dibbed in at 11 just before me so I stuck on his tail from here. It helped me maintain speed and determination!
9>7: I headed off after dibbing CP9 before Ifor but he soon passed me.
7>8: Followed Ifor to the path junction but I found the CP before him. I changed my map and then followed him.
8>2: OK keeping up with Ifor.
2>13: Ditto
13>12: Ditto
12>1: Ifor dived into the Finish as he had finished but I had an in/out to 1.
1>Finish: OK

Happy to clear the course!

Finished 3rd overall on the day behind Ifor (2h:33m) and Tom Davies (2h34s). Ian Cartwright cleared too but in a slower time than me and so did Sion James but he came back a minute late.

I finished 3rd overall over two days, moving up from 5th yesterday as John Owens (3rd yesterday) didn't clear today. Sion and I finished on exactly the same score over two days but I had the faster time over two days.

Got two trophies:

3rd overall over two days
M40 winner over two days.

Event: Summer Sleepover '18
 

SWEMBO Summer Sleepover Day 1 - Purbeck

Bad day at the office but still managed 5th on the day.

Before starting I intended to go west first to get the bigger climbs out of the way but I changed my mind when I got the map. After looking at the map for 3 mins I intended to do S>2>16>20> however I turned right onto the A351 but thought I was on the yellow road 1km further north. Doh! I cycled 1.1km east on the wrong road (but not knowing it at the time) and found a public footpath on the ground which I though was a bridleway on the map. I sucked it up as a mistake on my part i.e. correct road but misread the legend. So I turned back the other way and went over a railway. WTF! I then realised I was on the wrong road. Done 1.2km unnecessarily and lost 5 mins. Lost another 2mins at rail bridge trying to work out what to do next. Aaarrghh!

S>10: OK
10>22: Bigger climb than I expected after #10 and stunning views on approach to #22 (top escarpment next to coast)
22>26: Another lovely ride along top of escarpment. A few route options after 26.
26>14: Lost a 750ml water bottle somewhere near the start of this leg on rocky descent. Steep climb up to CP from road!
14>21: Fast road section
21>9: Overgrown ORPA around side of farm and some tracks turned out to be tarmac roads which made me a little concerned but it was OK.
9>17: Steep climb up to 17. Joined a 100k ultra running route. Poor sods on such a hot day!
17>15: Ridgeway ride - nice
15>7: Description for 7 said gatepost so i went searching for gates and found plenty. problem was there were no CP on the gateposts. I went to the next gate to make sure and doubled back. Then found CP on a fencepost! Aarrghhh. Lost at least 3 minutes, possibly four due to uncertainty.
7>23: Description was gorsebush and there were loads of them! I was fuming as I was going back and for trying to find the CP. I then realised it was on a parallel track to the road I was on. Soon found it but lost 5 mins.
23>5: OK
5>25: Long road section but the description was fencepost and there were loads of them. Lost a little just slowing down to check all fence posts!
25>6: OK
6>3: Sand!
3>19: I almost flew past this CP.
19>12: Two route options into this but probably six and half-a-dozen so OK
12>8: I took the wrong track off the top and soon realised it as the bearing was 90 deg off. So I climbed back up and then descended another to find that went to the wrong place too when I found a sign saying 'Private path - no entry'. Lost 4 mins overall.

Ran out of water at this point 75 mins to go. I should have stopped in Studland to fill in at the public toilets like Ifor did. Had a very dry mouth from here to the finish!

8>24: Went through village of Studland Ok but went down a tarmac road thinking it led to the path. Turned out a track on the map was tarmac on the ground. Lost 90s on this error. Many people struggled to find #24 but I was lucky as the first little path I saw off the main path had the CP in it. Some people failed to find it altogether.
24>11: Two route options here but I decided to take the road option and it enabled me to change my strategy should I want to. Big climb in/out to top of ridge.
11>13: F*c*ing nightmare! I was in two minds as to whether I should go for this or drop it too. I went too far on a bridleway and missed the turn-off. I got totally disorientated but manage to re-orientate myself when I came across a track jct. I managed to get back on track and head towards the CP but it wasn't on a vegetation boundary as described. I went past it and headed back into the woodland where it was. Lost 11 minutes by missing the turn off and 2 minutes by overshooting the CP. Lost 13 mins in total on this leg.
13>18: It was now a case of trying to get back to HQ on the fastest route possible with only 25 minutes left. Big climb up to CP18 but with a welcome shelter through woods on the ascent.
18>2: Managed to find a massive pile of cow shit to go through which splattered my clean bike and my clean-yet-sweaty body. Found CP OK.
2>F: Longer than I anticipated and glad to be less than 3 mins over the 4.5hrs.

Collected 530 from possible 590 with 3pt penalty for being late. Final score = 527.

In summary I lost 32 mins. I would have cleared the course or come very close to it had I not. Oh well - great day out.

RTW

Ride home from work via Flats, Newport and St Mellons.

Warmup up River Taff

Down River Taff

Warm up

4 x 30s intervals with 30s active rest

Cool down

Up River Taff

Warm up

6 x 30s intervals with 30s active rest

Cool down

Down River Taff

Warm up

5 x 30s intervals with 30s intervals

Cool down

RTW

Ride home from work via Flats, Newport and St Mellons