Training Log Archive: rcro

Change of holiday terms at work today give me an extra 4 days - with everything I've collected that's now 9 weeks of holiday to use up this year!

4 day weeks it is then. Let's hope for some nice weather

Run from Golden Heart.

No pace tonight. Cold started my bramble wounds hurting 2/3 of the way round.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/451541604

Event: Galoppen
 

6 people beat 10 min ks?! Knew we should have put in more climb or made more effort to discourage fast people and children from coming.

C • mins/km 1

C • courses 3

Placing the remaining 42 controls in three loops from the common. Had to go and do part of it again as a control had been missed out of the masterplan.

Was running late because of this so offloaded checking the early controls to Joe and gave an update to start. Final trip up to the common getting very very very bored of the little footpath to south of adventure centre (12th or so time I'd been along it this weekend).

Then a bit of jogging between start and assembly to transfer equipment or relay information. All ready by 10.15 or so!

Left the start just before Doug Stimson started at 10:25ish so that I could see his route choice to 1 (he went fairly straight). Because of the good visibility and close proximity of controls this turned orienteering into quite a spectator sport and Joe had found us a good hiding place next to Blue/Green/LG 1s so he could try and get some photos. Stupidly hadn't brought any maps with us so we couldn't remember which course used which control

Did various bits more walking round interesting bits and the common before settling for some time just down the hill from the temporary crossing.

Very interesting to be out in the forest watching how people are tackling the courses, and the wide variety on route choices, particularly on blue 2-3, and to see if anybody made any mistakes in the rocky bits. Also quite interesting to see the styles of running - some were stopping to take bearings - and all this is a bit alien to us as we both usually practise the turn and hope technique.

Had quite a few people thank us as they ran past but not quite so sure that Jason Howell massively enjoyed it.

Good that NGOC had so many helpers that we weren't needed and could get into the forest to have our fun.

Not so good that so few people came as Knockalls isn't likely to ever be any better given the amount marked up for felling. I've kept back 26 of each of Blue and Brown maps in case anybody wants a go that couldn't. Really needs somebody good like Duncan or Ben M to come out and do the brown in under the hour.

Collecting the 7 controls SW of the common. Didn't need to do more as had plenty of volunteers to drive off to get the further away ones. Legs starting to feel the climb a lot but then I've done not too far off a mile's ascent over the weekend, and ran quite a bit of it.

Assembly all cleared up by 3.30, controls all in by 4. Kit dropped off and home by 5.15 (would have been sooner but got stuck behind a car doing sub-30mph in the fast lane of the motorway...). Not bad given we had 63 controls out there and courses were only due to close at 3!

May well be officials comments to be put up on NGOC website - I won't say much here on the planning without Joe's input. Photos may also follow - but if you didn't finish before 12.40 you're not likely to appear.

Plan was to take this easy as not done any fast running in a while and long day ahead but realised after 500m or so that the pack I was in was at the front. Slowed down and took it steady through the mud then roots, and didn't put too much effort in at the start of lap 2.

At about 3.5k somebody finally overtook me and I picked up the pace a bit to stick with them to the finish.

Got a bit distracted as Pete Ward (marshalling) started talking to me about putting out controls.

Steady, seems that the fast people were going quite slow as my slow pace in the mud wasn't much behind them.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/449403983

Interesting that I was third fastest of 4 in the SM20-24 category - making 7% of the male field. How does this compare to orienteering? Normally I'm the only person in that age band! (Best not to mention the lack of SM25-29 as Joe wimped out at the last minute...)

Galoppen prep.

- setting up crossing point
- finalising start layout
- putting out controls
- setting up finish run in
- looking over the assembly area and taped routes
- general walk around after Joe left and looking for controls.

Felt the climb a bit more after morning run.

Took a bit of a shortcut between orange controls when placing (Orange has an extra control to not go straight route) and a chunk of my leg was gouged out by a vicious bramble hidden in wind blow. Shouldn't have worn shorts for this bit. At least none of the courses go through here...

Did one effort on the run in but in reverse. Managed just under 40s which impressed me somewhat (but I was ready to collapse at the end). Would expect sub 20 for the fastest in the right direction.

Saw another boar. This one looked younger and friendlier - it ran off a bit then stopped and watched me from a distance.

Only 21 controls left for me to put out in the morning and 5 to check.

With Joe clearing tracks, paths and gateways and checking for damage by the quarry. Now down to one tree left. Now down to one fallen tree left so cleared a route under it.

Haven't plugged it here recently.

Galoppen at Knockalls this Sunday. Forest is incredibly nice (even after the recent storms), map comprehensively updated. Lots of rocks to see. Good mix of route choice and fine navigation. Plenty of controls for your money too. Climb nowhere near as bad as it looks.

Final details and course lengths now available:
http://www.ngoc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Knockall...

Should have enough maps for everybody but I won't be too upset if we run out if it means we get over 50 running brown!

C • 485m? 5

Event: CompassSport Cup Heat
 

CompassSport Cup Qualifier at Ashurst, Longwater, something else and Matley (control descriptions printed over the ridiculously long name). 10.8km brown - not an inspiring course.

Ok most of the way to 1 but was on a man made feature. I was looking for a hide but control was on tree root +30s. 2 went to control on gully 100m north - +20s. Legs and feet soaked by now so went the wet way to 3.

Didn't really know what was going on at map at 4 so stopped a bit short. Too far north on 5. Could see 6 from 5 so ok. Good line to 7, and 8 and 9, but didn't think much to map around 8 and 9 seemed to be a figment of the mapper's imagination. Control was on a depression, luckily me for I was looking for rootstocks and found control easily using this method. Bit west on 10. Ok 11/12/13.

By now energy levels were very low - am feeling very fit and fast non-technical orienteering doesn't suit me at all - cannot compete with all the southerners who run fast but can't read maps. Fell into a walk for last half on 14, and most of the way on 15 and up the hill on 16. 15 dodgy mapping - confused by all the gorse bushes that weren't on the map so ended up following the line of people instead.

16-17 took the non-existant path from uncrossable marsh and then guessed where to go from the contours. Quite nice to actually have a contour to navigate from! Area around 17/18 was well mapped and maybe had some technical bits to catch people out. Not for us as we had an easy leg right to the other end with a massive block of trees right next to the control to aim for.

19 went into wood too early and found 102 instead. Straight on 20 not as nice as I'd have hoped. Very tired. 21 very Savernake style - single point feature in block of white with nothing at all to attack from. Luckily found without too much difficulty.

Nice day to be out but the course was a bit long and simple. Seem to have lost so much of my fitness over the winter that I'm really struggling to run well at all and today being a runners course meant I felt it pretty badly.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/446255414

C • runners course 3

Assessing storm damage. Not much damage at Knockalls to affect courses apart from two biggish trees across yellow.

Three trees down on route to plan b assembly in reddings enclosure so could be busy clearing the way on Wednesday.

Managed to avoid the rain

Event: Welsh League and Avon Schools Event 2014
 

SWOC Welsh League at Kingswood. 7.4km brown.

Started off pretty badly by taking the wrong path but the forest was quite nice so didn't cost me. Hesitant to 2 but got it bang on. Ok to start up the hill to 3 but steadily began drifting south. Didn't care too much as plan b was to relocate off control 8. Pretty much down a walk from here onwards - last night took too much out of me.

OK to 4/5/6 (apart from brambles being much worse than mapped around 5). Bit too low on 7. 9 seemed a very long way to go but got it ok, not sure the path through the dark green was the best route given the mud.

Completely misread the contours on long leg so left 10 to the east and took the path. After a couple of minutes realised my mistake and the 18 contours of climb I then had at the end (should have gone back to path and around past 18). Popped into control 144 in the adjacent large depression (mapped as small) on my way to the control (no 145).

13 seemed a bit lower than I expected. Slippery. Nice-ish bit of forest to descend 14-15 but was completely dead for the climb out of it. No idea what I did on 17 but I did find the control and that's all that matters.

Didn't find indistinct path through brambles out of 20 (did find the brambles though) so lost a bit then. Nothing left in the tank to run the hill out of 21/22. Lucky on 23 but knew I turned in early.

Much nicer than I had expected it to be. Good that the forest was mostly passable, even if I couldn't run it. Would have been much quicker if it was drier and I hadn't run last night. Makes Knockalls look flat in comparison.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/442777201

Event: Western Night League
 

WNL on Cleeve Hill. Bit windy - wore a coat rather than a cag orienteering for only the second time ever and didn't regret it. Quite possibly the worst conditions I've ever run in.

S-4-8-15-23-9-13-22-20-17-19-25-3-24-2-12-7-11-F. Think it's 370 points.

Started badly. Caught John Embrey up, overtook him, went down wrong path so he got ahead. Wind caught torch cable and unplugged it as I punched 4, became a theme for the night.

Rounding the edge after 15 felt the full force of the wind and was barely able to even walk against it. Nav consequently suffered and both me and John went too far west and not enough south. spent several minutes looking in the wrong place before finding the wall to the west of the control.

Decided by this point I would turn around after 13 and not do any more along the SW side due to wind. Struggled trying to run 22-20-17 and wind pulled the torch cable out again just before control.

Didn't bother with 14 and 18 as climb just too much only to lose again - if OOB not there would have done them. Properly blown off my feet in the valley north of 25 and did well not to be blown off the edge.

Uphill to 3 and 24-2 killers but managed slow plod into wind 2-12-7. Glad of having it behind me into the finish.

Pretty poor run but much better than I was expecting. Staying out for close to the hour was quite an achievement. Glad I went out, but if just as bad tomorrow (and with trees to fall down, and brambles and wet mud, and £6.40 bridge fee...) may yet decide to give Kings Wood a miss.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/442362817

Event: QO Galoppen
 

Lay in bed feeling crap. Don't want to eat still. Don't want to live

C • What's up? 5

Interesting.

My average WNL score in the 2011/12 season was, to the nearest point, 700.

For 2012/13 it was, again to the nearest point, 800.

For the 2013/14 season up to and including last night, to the nearest point, the average is 900.

So, anybody care to guess how well I will do next season? (let's ignore Cleeve Hill and Moseley Green as I'll do rubbish!)

At least Caroline's good run gets her up to only 300 points behind me in the handicap league, fingers crossed she gets at least 750 handicap points in one of the next two so I don't rewin the shield...

Event: Western Night League
 

WNL around the Defence Academy. 2 sided map (you can trust North Wilts to not get the concept of odds and evens right). Urban. Not sure I'm so keen on the WNL going urban.

S-13-15-25-17-7-27-19-21-5-1-9-3-11-23-24-14-12-6-16-10-18-20-4-2-22-26-8-F. +90 points bonus = 690 points.

Didn't see a nice way to get 13 but wanted to clear the odds first. On the way into control had a Joe moment and realised I'd completely ballsed it all up but managed to recover a bit. Seriously lacking pace going into the wind - have had another phase of not eating or sleeping so barely eaten anything since Thursday lunch. No real big mistakes on first half and because of getting 13 early meant the map change went very smoothly.

Had a good route on the second map and just about managed to keep going. Completely dead for the finish.

New map is much better than the old one but has the problem of gaps that are too narrow to see, and thin bits of building that, on the map, appear thinner than uncrossable fences - was caught out by the latter a couple of times. Probably should check our urban maps for this problem. Anybody else notice it says it's 1:4000 scale but if you measure the scale it's 1:5000? No wonder it felt a long way...

Suspect knee will do a repeat of last week if I try running tomorrow so no Quantock mud for me now.

Think I beat Ifor, Paul and Keith so must have done something right, but still well down on John Embrey.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/438997081