Training Log Archive: rcro

Weather forecast was a bit grim, and it was a bit grim. Spent a lot of the day hoping for a cancellation to avoid having to drive up the lane but it never came, and couldn't drop out as giving someone a lift.

Very very cold for waiting around so just sat in the car until 10 mins before start. Had been told off for wearing shorts - but kit wise I was wearing base layer, top, waterproof, mittens and buff around head, carrying gloves, two hats, trousers and bivvy - which I thought was all probably a bit overkill for the weather but would have liked a lot more for pre-start!

Never really close to race mode today so it was a steady run, which doesn't quite mean easy. Was in behind Rich Sheehy and Dan Sandford on the first ridge (head on into very cold wind - face was frozen) and pulled away a bit on the up for Rich to gain back on flat. The main up was also head on into wind and snow on the ground. Took a while to get past Rich but got someone else too. Lost a place to somebody very fast up, but no faster than me down (Darren I think).

Creber at the top warning us the path is slippery, which suggest he's softened a bit. Finding this top part all hard to see because of fog and that I hadn't realised torch was on dimmest setting - so could barely see the ground. Descent was helped a lot by Darren being in front as he had a reflective strip on his back that I could follow rather than look for markers, and it was clear he wasn't a confident descender so I was able to catch quite well.

I slowed quite a bit for the rocky bit towards the bottom, and the track down to stream which was all mud, rock and water. Rich got ahead again just before but I caught him at the corner half way up the other side. Massive gap (3+ mins?) behind us so joked that we could walk back and not be overtaken. I didn't walk and caught Ian Whitstance at the top and stuck just behind him until it got rocky and I slowed. Second half was pretty hard, despite running through a blizzard, and had to take the mittens off for the last k.

Enjoyed it a lot more than I though I would. 2 mins slower than last year, which did feel like a good run - but it was warm and not windy (foggy though), dry underfoot, and took a shorter route at the southern corner that shaves off 200m - so pretty happy with that time in these conditions.

Didn't hang around long and was one of the first to leave so that could warm up in the car.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2865229278/overv...

Event: SWOC Street Event 3
 

Quite wet - needed full on waterproofs. Downside to this was with hood up couldn't hear phone beep in bumbag so after around 2 mins at the start decided to just go anyway but was a little distracted - by that and hood with torch on making head hot, so went down the wrong road. Was thinking of going back and starting again and went most of way back before deciding I wasn't going to get the phone out in the rain and carried on. First checkpoint didn't register either - so confirmed to me I hadn't started, so lost motivation to really try and instead went for the bits that looked most interesting.

S-1-11-21-26-2-17-12-27-18-3-8-23-28-20-25-30-5-15-24-19-22-F. 460 points including the one that didn't register.

Feet got quite wet - some bits were well over ankle deep and not expected. Quite a nice place to run but you need to take the map with a bit of a pinch of salt and just enjoy it.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2862896231

Still needing to save a bit of money this week so doing intervals on my own. The session changed during the day but I stuck with 2x 2k and 4x 800m - but rearranged the order for convenience.

On the twisty riverfront route for the 2ks so it was never going to be super quick, but quite happy with the pace for running on my own. The 800s went much better, but the SDR bridge felt like a long way!

Mixing the order meant the 2nd 2k was hard, but went into it well and got through in a good time despite being against the [slight] wind.

Good chance to practice running hard with the torch - now that more of the streetlights have been replaced a torch is getting to be useful on some pavements now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2860369000

Meant to do core again, but triggered so lost a lot of productivity this evening.

Jog to keep warm. Started recording once I realised how far it would be - can confirm the 1500m to go sign was 1500m from the start.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2855475822

First non-urban orienteering since July, I think, and almost didn't come as feeling quite vomity-sick yesterday evening and into the night. Managed to sleep without throwing up which was a positive!

Cold day with snow on the top and wasn't really going to race hard - tussocks put paid to that anyway. Cags compulsory, which threw a lot of people but given the weather I wanted to take hat and gloves as well - wore the gloves (and ss base layer) but kept the rest in a bum bag and felt just right temperature wise. Stealth white kit so nobody could see me to follow.

Bearing clearly wrong on 1 - features not lining up - then had to fight it on 2 (building behind was a giveaway). From there assumed that magnetic north adjustment had been put in the wrong direction and just used contours. Looking on PC now, think I might have been right with that theory...

Some inconsistent mapping of gorse and bog that cost me a bit of time on 4/5. Then had a surprising amount of trouble on the compulsory route section 12-13; think first part was misreading which gate I was at, 2nd part using compass so veered off right, 3rd part the massive barn we ran pretty much through was mapped as a tiny dot on the end of a thick path.

After 13, navigation seemed trivial, but I know the golf balls bit pretty well. Pace was very slow though due to snow and rocks - was picking quite a bit longer routes to try and avoid the rocks as in these conditions were slow walk at best. Coming down the other side was interesting as snow was offering no grip and there were cliffs and allsorts to fall down. Went through a big patch of unmapped bramble on the most obvious route (to me) into 18, but should expect that from Harlequins.

Went straight 19-20 but started and thought road would be better for me. Left ankle started hurting 21-22 in tussocks but don't recall twisting it. Lost a little time on 22 as stupidly assumed the person in front had looked properly when he dipped down into the depression with the control in and not found it.

A nice but long day out. Came the traffic free way through Canon Frome. Being such a long drive really does highlight how far you are from anywhere once past Bromyard. Might be why the kites like it so much - two in Kyre, and a buzzard on pretty much every upright telegraph pole after Bishops Frome. Tenbury was nice to stop at, a bit more lively now it's got a supermarket.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2855476177

4th: http://harlequins.org.uk/results/20191110_Titterst...
Says a lot about the standard of orienteering in the Midlands - I wasn't exactly trying very hard today!

Short warm up with Pete as a bit late getting out. Also had to be on the start early (with no space to stretch) for a 2 mins silence as it's the Saturday before the second Sunday of November so really not much time at all.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2852581444

Not really in serious race mode today and as was feeling a bit sick on the way over and then toilet queue took so long that there wasn't really time for a decent warm up. On and off pissing with rain throughout, but not as bad as the main storm from the morning.

Much busier than I expected - well over 400 runners, and course was quite narrow. Was forced well out to the left on the start and then as it started narrowing became a case of sprint-slow-sprint when there was an opportunity to move - just too busy to flow. First uphill bank and the whole lot came to a complete stop for 5+ seconds - next k from there ended up being a lot of effort just to have some space.

Last part of the lap had the "hills" and these seemed quite significant. Second lap was a little more spread out so it felt a bit easier and was at least starting to gain back a few places and finish strong. Whole second lap felt a lot better than the first.

Running quite well for how I felt - but well down on where I should be. I think starting a bit closer to the front would have helped as being stuck in the traffic jam took up a lot of energy. Equally, better prep, warm up and mindset might have also have helped.

Regarding traffic jams, the new parking charging system doesn't seem to work for large events - queued for 15 mins to pay, then in cars queuing for 10 mins to pass other cars queuing to pay at a different pay station, then 5 mins queue to get through the exit gates, not helped by lots of car having not paid at a machine and expecting to be able to pay on the way out...

https://www.strava.com/activities/2852583936

Short warm down with Pete before getting out of wet clothes. To the top of the ski slope.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2852585117

Quite glad it wasn't me driving as motorway had got quite dark by Port Talbot.