Training Log Archive: rcro

BOK training run from Frenchay - escaped work just in time to get here through all the traffic.

Ran in some areas I'd not been to before. Generally going well with a bit of energy to burn.

Put in a slightly more than half hearted effort through the tunnel after not going too fast up to it. Strava tells me I've knocked getting on 30s off my 800m PB and 1s off my 1km! Looks like my fitness is in a fairly good place for the lack of training and shin/ITB issues over the last month.

Very slippery on the common at the end and came very close to sliding over in the mud several times. Last few hundred yards on tarmac fast as the driving rain had blinded me and was quite unpleasant.

Current entries suggest that I stand a chance of top two on the Brown on Sunday. Would be nice to start getting counting ranking scores again as only have another 4 months until they start falling off...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/267489828

Event: BKO Concorde Chase
 

Concorde Chase on Barossa. 7.6km short brown.

Much nicer than yesterday! Went there in a positive mood. Won the race versus Paul down the motorway from Swindon, even got fast-tracked through the security gate!

Hesitant to 1 and didn't go down enough. Good to 2. 2 mins miss on 3 - misinterpreted the veg boundary and where on it I was, found another control and then saw mine. Long leg to 4 went east and along the big barbed wire fence, past 12 and still a bit off to the west.

Then in a big group up until 11. Was doing my own thing rather than following so went to the correct 8 unlike everyone else. Seems all the long courses had the same loop. Was too early on 12 - knew what to look for but couldn't see it! Missed the path to south of 13 so had to bash through the rough open.

Finally started to break away from the pack leaving 13, slow due to tussocks pulling ankle out of 14. Duncan's pack led me into 15 and they all followed him expecting him to go to 16 afterward! Was on the ball and saw an old man in a hole and sneaked in and out. Both probably a bit unfair but timing was lucky.

Stopped too early for 17 so lost 90s-2min dithering and then relocating. OK to 18 but didn't think would know how - problem was among the rough/scattered trees: there was a big dog called Bruce who kept getting in front of me trying to get me to throw his ball - dog and owner followed me well into the rough. Remainder of course clean.

Emit behaved today - no problems - had it on my right hand. New thumb compass very good - seemed to hold it level all the time so easier to refer to than old baseplate. The Ultrasport guy did however tell me that Clive Hallett was my dad, not sure what to make of it...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/266584382

WNL on the Old Hills. Didn't have much positive to say about the area last time I came here and had reservations about coming back. Can safely say that tonight was the last time I'd ever be orienteering here.

The area is horrible - it is the only place I've been to that can rival Kidnalls for being so unpleasant to run in. Map dodgy - some paths mapped that didn't exist, lots of brambles everywhere (albeit much easier to get through in January than it was in July) and the wet mud soaked your feet the moment you went off the main track and was ankle deep for the whole run. At least the course was well planned with punches put on all the controls. Oh wait...

Route S-53-75-74-78-65-56-73-65-54-72-67-57-63-55-80-64-76-62-F

Put in a token effort to clear most of the first map before doing a couple of laps of the open hill to get me up to the hour.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/266284228

Another Tuesday of no training... Snow and knee has been hurting today - suspect combination of cold, big bang to it on Saturday and having not properly stretched for a week or so.

Fed up of walking to/from work in the snow now.

As all O cancelled planned to go for run round Downs. Pavements of Filton were good to run on but sadly once crossing the boundary into Bristol I can only assume that the council had been out polishing the ice as it was lethal and any attempt to run was reckless. Very big slide by the double roundabouts on Southmead Road...

Slow going on the Downs, snow was ankle deep in places and the lack of training over the last week and heading into a headwind showed somewhat. Tried following the Circular Road on the inside but actually finding where the grass ended and road started was a bit hard. Then got distracted by seeing a huge igloo by the side of the Ladies Mile...

Ice around by Ashley's was terrible and walking was a bit hairy. Pretty much came to a stop (from a walk) for the turn onto Coldharbour Road but slid as I turned and have ripped my elbow open again in exactly the same place as at Stoke Bishop and Shrivenham. Cut to the knee looks worse and took a couple of minutes to get running again - now bandaged up so I can't move it.

Coldharbour Lane and Kellaway Avenue was a struggle for grip all the way - did the council forget to both plough and salt this B road? As expected things were better once back into South Glos...

Keith Brackstone made some comment about me being brave to wear T-shirt and shorts out - was actually feeling too hot all the wear as had gloves on; glad I wore them now as otherwise would have had great big cut in left hand from the fall :-)

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/263569493

NWO Galoppen at Savernake, 6.1km blue course.

Area has been really trashed since last time - area around 2 had been all felled and some very unpleasant extraction tracks around 9-10. Lots and lots of brashings.

Not expecting good performance after struggling at Dyrham Park. Lost a bit of time on 1 as was a line of thick trees parallel to veg boundary so was a little off, found 2 with good bearing although some others were milling around. Big mess on 3 - got confused which path I had crossed but knew where I was after the second one. Started looking for thickets - found one with a control that wasn't mine, then when I ran out of thickets I started looking for anything that may hide a control; eventually found control hidden under a thin strand of holly - 3 mins lost.

Went straight through green to 5 but was slower than expected. Spent a bit of time at 6 as control was hammered so far into ground that the kite was completely flat. Caught loads of people up at 7, overtook them into 8 and then the next few controls was through such crap that I couldn't drop them. Extraction tracks at 9 had turned mud into a quagmire - took a long detour and only went up to knee deep in mud (Trevor Griffiths finished covered up to his shoulders...) and brashings at 10 prevented me getting up any speed.

Map didn't feel right at 11 - lost 40s or so. Then at 12 punched control in depression 70m away from depression with my control - wouldn't have realised had somebody else pointed out it was wrong. Tried to make my break from the rest after here, quick to 13, then felling made 14 hard going. Went fast out from 14, but at every step was caught by unmapped brambles - significant enough to affect routechoice as you got closer to veg boundary. Once in the green was ok but 15 wasn't put on a clearing.

Felling made getting into 16 slow and I overshot as again there wasn't a thicket, just a convenient set up logs stacked up to make sure the control was completely invisible from the track 1 yard from it... Taped route into finish?

Felt at the end that the area was pretty rubbish and the course could have made less use of the crap area 8-14, and that the controller could have done more to ensure that controls weren't so hidden. Surprised to have been second only to Gavin when I got to download.

6th of 119 in the end. Celebrated by doing another 6 hours at work straight afterwards and walking home in the snow.

5.0km green course.

Very fast area but surprisingly rough on hill to south of house and slopes all very slippery.

Struggling all the way round due to lack of fitness, the lack of exercise, eating and sleeping due to work (was in only 4 hrs this morning, back in after Savernake tomorrow...) has now caught up with me. Felt very sluggish all the way from 1 to 4 and was barely moving at all between 12 and 16.

The mapping of "forest run" and "open run" wasn't so clear on the ground, but it seems that every tree was mapped anyway. Made for a nice afternoon out - thinking it may be good for night-o but looking at map after, the area is too small and there just aren't enough features.

Used all my remaining energy to overtake Caroline Potter going up the hill 19-20 - I went straight and she around the path. Felt ready to collapse by the finish.

Very surprised to have been 7th of 51 when I downloaded; not surprised to have been 10 mins off the lead... At least the shin pain was barely noticeable yesterday and I'd felt none at all this morning.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/261043692

Managed to leave work before 9pm for the first time this week meaning I had chance to buy food so as not to be wholly reliant on chocolate biscuits and haribo at work for sustenance... All this sitting around not helping shin and now being expected to work at least part of the weekend may make plans for getting out a bit rushed.

Had an email from Strava today telling me that my time up the hill in Clevedon has just been equalled. Looks like some pressure to be on top fitness if we go that way round on Tuesday night. Time to start geeking up and knowing exactly where the start and end of the segment is...!

C • Shins 2

Blue course at Brierley - 5.5km straight line.

Hurting from yesterday when walking to/from registration so walked most of this - despite some bits being nice enough for me to want to run. Did jog about 400 yards or so where it felt comfortable - at took 16-17 a bit faster than walking as "racing" Pete Maliphant.

Clean for the first 6 controls and even managed to overtake two people on the way. Felt like there was another veg boundary to the right of 7 - seemed a lot more open closer than I thought so made me more hesitant with this. On the wrong veg boundary corner at 8 - seemed to be the wrong side of a patch of unmapped fight from where I was. Slow going through brashings to 9 but clean.

Went south of the little quarry to 10 - didn't feel the hill as I walked up and from the top just went west over road/across valley until I hit control. Made a mess of 12 as distracted by Paul Gebbett and followers coming down to 17 by a route I wouldn't have expected - assumed path I was on was unmapped and closer to 17 than 12. Turns out I was where I meant to be but only realised after relocating from the other felled bit. Then stuck fighting through dense trees and hidden brashings to fall down to 12.

Foot got stuck in an obscured hole in felled bit just after 12. 14 a bit further west than I expected. May have liked an extra form line to have been put to the east. Not convinced that 16 was in right place in relation to path junction to the west of it - GPS agrees that I went to the right place first - only got it as I heard a beep and saw Pete M leaving it... Unmapped extraction lines a bit confusing just before 17 but there were a couple of other people to lead me into it.

Probably not a bad result overall for having walked. At the speed I was going, it was always quicker to go straight up and down rather than go round, and for the first 11 controls or so I was quite enjoying myself. May well have to rest for a few days to give shin a chance to feel better - half expecting to be limping around the office tomorrow...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/258734263

Shin still hurting a lot but resolved to go anyway as then meant I could only work a half day today. Prepared for race by spending whole morning eating biscuits whilst sat in the office, courtesy of my boss.

Started off some way back so had a lot of slow people in front of me that I had to pass - had some success on the muddy track but was then boxed in by a load of slow people four abreast on the road. Overtook Alice at the top of the road, only to be held up at the gate and for her to sneak past.

Then stuck behind somebody struggling in the mud in a bit where it wasn't possible to overtake, the opportunity only came once I was tired out and the mud was solid enough not to hold up my obstruction... Still just behind Alice at the top.

Possibly a bit too cautious on the muddy track descents but my confidence was building as I went on. No chance of holding on to Andy Stott as he flew down the field, but on the next long ascent I steadily (well, not steadily) closed the gap down to 20 yards or so by the very top.

Did the last few downhill fields at a speed faster than my legs wanted but managed a good pace along the next few muddy paths. The last road descent was just a little too much and going flat out would do my knee no good either so was a bit off the pace.

Managed to make up as many places on the uphill as I lost going down so maybe an improvement on the Skirrid. Must have lost well over a minute on being held up at the start and queuing for gates/stiles.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/258428786

WNL at Standish. Is a terrible area for me so knew I would have trouble - main aim was to get a few controls and come back without causing myself any damage. Shin hurting a lot from the afternoon.

Route S-9-8-18-23-14-19-16-7-15-6-20-25-12-10-11-4-3-17-2-1-F. 390 points I think.

Wanted to go to the west first as I don't know that side so well. Far too steep so don't think I'll want to go back. Found 18 quite easily but found descending down to it very tricky. Similar for 23 - the descent wasn't easy, and the control was impossible to approach from directly below unless you could raise your foot 6ft off the ground to get over the huge fallen tree trunk right next to the control, whilst retaining balance and not falling down hill. I couldn't so spent a good couple of minutes trying to get to it.

Map dodgy at 14. Thought the open wasn't mapped right and control too close to path, part of the problem seems that I had run through a hedge without realising it and was going down an unmapped path parallel to the mapped one... Got to 19 and spent a while wondering where control was. Really hated going for 16 - far too steep for me to contour well, in the end decided to keep going until fence and punch if I saw it - did see it but the feature seemed a little weak and I couldn't match up any of the other vegetation I had passed on way to it.

Was looking for path junction just north of 15 to attack from. Couldn't find it so had to go back in. Again couldn't find path junction north of 20 to attack from and absence of undergrowth concerned me a little. Turn off the path and managed to go straight to it. Contouring to 25 was slippery in places - not fun, worked of Roger Mann's light as a level to aim for - conveniently he was on same contour as me and he used my light for the same purpose... More concerned with managing to get up hill without sliding 25-12 to pay attention to direction so messed up 12.... 10 didn't feel to be in the right place - too far south?

At least managed to get the rest without incident. Not a good performance. Not sure I'd want to come back here - this was my fourth visit and every time I've not liked it.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/258428765

Three days into the year so about time to admit being injured... Shins have been hurting a lot since Tuesday (and something hasn't felt right since the Photo-O last week) - to the point where it's painful walking at work and when going home.

Would like to claim it is being made worse by overworking - already done 6 hours extra this year that I won't be getting paid for... :-( May have to skip Kymin race and lose excuse out of working Saturday and just walk round the night-o if there isn't any improvement tomorrow.

Event: NGOC New Year Score
 

New Year's Day Score on Parkend.

Route S-6-5-20-26-21-24-17-14-19-27-22-13-25-23-12-15-11-3-2-1-7-F. 480 points.

Had a good group to follow for the first two controls but lost them in the brashings after 5 and crossing fences for the field. Big slide down the slope at 20 - no grip at all even with new shoes. Took a risk with the unmapped cliff edge between 20 and the N-S path along the ride and was able to find a way down.

Low sun meant I couldn't see anybody ahead of me as I went down and so I went the hard, steep, slippery way towards 26 until I saw the nice path on the map - allowed the NGOC Tom Cochrane to get ahead of me. Had identified that it was better to go for 21/24 rather than 16/18 and got ahead of Tom at the critical junction as he seemed a bit unsure. Broken ground made 24 quite hard to approach from the north. 14 not a nice control to get to.

Got some practice running down the steep muddy rocky path down to 27 then ballsed up 22 by taking the parallel path up the slope. Wimped out of crossing the stream for 13 and went to the road to get round. 25 took me three attempts for the SI to register.

Nobody else seemed to want to go straight through 12-15 but lots were going east out of 12, much better than it was in March. Climb up to the finish tiring and opted out of 7 as it was only 10 points and though it could make me more than 1 min late.

Beat Alice twice now since Christmas - starting to make up for the Skirrid...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/256585448