Training Log Archive: rcro

From Trefil to the start

O training on Merthyr Common with rickyp. I needed more practice to get used to 1:15,000 scale and had a lot of trouble running my course here at JK2014 - so we ran it again, alternating who was leading.

The good news is that navigation went fairly well. Some time spent wandering on 1 to try and make sense of the map, and determined it was where I thought it was on my way up. Redeemed the massive balls ups on 2 and 3 with no difficulty, found 4 ok but had difficulty following compass bearing so a bit unsure. Pulled well off line on 6 and had to relocate - unsure how much was compass trouble and how much was user error.

Some discussion on the mapping at 9 (definitely two massive pits rather than 1) - but hit it ok. Much, much better on 10 though. Took a safe route around bottom of boulders and contoured - still ended up in the depression we found last time, 10m higher up. But I did contour and altimeter confirms - so pretty sure the map is wrong here. Having confidence in approach meant it was easier to find the right pit without 15-20 mins lost in map error.

From here on to the end became very very very rough underfoot and it was taking everything to keep ankle in one piece. Would barely manage 20m running before tripping - by the end had 15 million awkward landings, two ankle twists, one grazed foot (through shoe) and lost two studs.

12 didn't feel right when got there, so carried on further, then by elimination it had to be right. Managed a much straighter line on long leg to 14 - good viz and east to match features so not sure what I was doing before (and really unsure what Mark3 did...), but trapped offline on next uphill leg and had to correct late on. Next long leg was vile with so much unpleasantness underfoot - we didn't end up in the right place either but beyond caring. Same for next leg.

Wrong direction on 20, but in different way to before. Compass said I was going NW when should have been NE, so turned sharply - was actually going N so overcompensated. Didn't bother going down into the marsh at 24 - too busy "enjoying" the "path".

Good training (well, first half) and glad to have got out on a nice day. Thanks to rickyp for the company.

Really needed to take water out today. Hoping Ireland isn't quite so hot and rocky.

Today's run: https://www.strava.com/activities/1155004679
First time in 2014: https://www.strava.com/activities/131910456
Both routes overlayed here: https://citystrides.com/users/2892/map#51.81351525...

C • Was that the leg when I was... 1

Jog back (includes some stoppage time before starting to head back). Made it most of the way back to the quarry junction before my legs and had enough and heat got to me - walked rest of the way.

Another run back from work to train (this time from front of building as site security have now decided that having a manned back entrance is too much of a risk (or cost...) so closed it with no notice yesterday - like the car park suspect it won't reopen soon :-(. Given the 10 mins extra per day it will take me to get in/out of office, I will now be reducing my working hours by roughly 10 minutes per day to compensate.

Going pretty slowly as legs still not fully recovered and work not best prep for running straight after. Still feeling unwell and quite noticeable for whole run - to point where I had to stop a couple of times.

Glad of the complimentary water and crisps at Patchway station. Sadly declined the biscuits on Monday and Tuesday and they haven't had any since

Was going to do something easy - decided nothing was best. Run from work again tomorrow afternoon

Event: R2T2 - event 2
 

Onto day 3 and now 3 breakdowns (well, one engine still working today...) and escalated complaint to First Bus. Same driver as yesterday got his papers out and then ran a red light at the Parkway tavern. If you can't go 5 mins without reading your timetable whilst driving, you probably shouldn't be driving an 18 tonne bus with 40 passengers...

4 breakdowns...

Turns out that most First Great Western trains were broken down this afternoon... It's fairly embarrassing that when half of the London-South Wales trains aren't running at all during the works that so many of the remainder are getting cancelled or delayed by 30 mins +... Fitting an 8 coach high speed train's worth of passengers into the following 2 car train didn't really work (surprising really!) - I just, and literally just, squeezed on at Filton, and we left 50+ behind, and another load at Patchway. Counted over 100 standing in my coach (one of the old trains with narrow aisle between seats) so probably around 400 on board. Still, 3 days down, 3 weeks and 4 days to go :-(

But the motorway was clear. Unable to get time off work to help, entered the bike course to run and prepared a combined Sallowvallets/Beechenhurst O map at 1:15,000 scale for me and rickyp to use. Legs tired so out for training, specifically to start getting used to the scale after over 3 years since JK2014.

Route 68-67-66-72-64-71-62-63-79-75-F. 2 mins late = 198 points (out of 400). Wanted to start with Sallowvallets as rare to run with O map. 68 came after the "right" distance, but every junction on track to 67 took about 3 times longer than I expected (not helped by 67's junction being in the wrong place on the O map). Big climb to 66, and again a very long way along the track.

As training, went down the slope and back up for 72. Distances seemed to go better here but was pretty slow on way down and both ankle and knee not 100% happy. Cut through terrain again for 64 - shorter route (but lost some time looking for the tape). Track to 71 took a while to get up, but distance about right.

Terrain to 62 - fine, then cutting across to 63 was less so. Came out on the track where I expected but again took at least twice as long to get to the control than I thought was reasonable - despite being all downhill.

Another terrain cut into Beechenhurst was a big mistake - fairly ok to the road (alright - brambly up bank onto road) then pretty shit once across it. Binned several minutes fighting my way through undergrowth when should have stuck with the boring and taken tracks due south and then east. 8 mins to go from Speculation so knew would be late. (Also lost my official map in grot so had no descriptions, or idea of penalty). Pulled my back a bit leaning over the gate at 75 but still managed a reasonably quick finish.

Quite nice - and good to do this with a proper orienteering map as on foot. Managed to beat rickyp - but I desperately need to spend more time getting used to the scale in the next fortnight.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1148729328

Second day of train works, now on 2 breakdowns and 1 bus driver who was paying more attention to reading his schedule than looking where he was going... After getting home 40 mins late yesterday, today was 20 min hold up outside the tunnel. 300 people in a 2 car sprinter doesn't go well.

30 min delay on motorway on top of this meant comfortably missed MDC group - so went the other way along the coast towards Llantwit. Very very very humid - sweated lots. Combined with the rush to get here and lack of time to prep, salt levels completely dropped and now can barely see.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1146847480

Recovery run from work to Patchway as the rail replacement bus is a bit crap. (The train broke down and 20 minutes late leaving London too...)

Lots of big cracks in the roads caused by tree roots. Wonder who the council will ask to pay to fix it?

Legs feeling pretty wrecked - surprising as I was only pushing hard for the last part of Saturday's race.

C • Be carefull what you ask for. 2