Training Log Archive: Frostbite

Urban/campus/woodland race, Aberystwyth, Croeso day 6. Feeling quite good beforehand, but it didn't last. Actually I wasn't bad as long as it wasn't uphill, but as soon as I hit a hill the palpitations started and I was down to walking speed. One little mistake in the woods (the control 'on top' of the earthbank was only visible from the far side, so I ran past it and ran back), possibly a couple of controls in the university I didn't get the best lines, but otherwise quite good. I don't really like this sort of thing though.

21st place.

Overall 13th place, but after the first 2 days I was never really in the game. I've had a good few weeks following my rest, and I was quite hopeful for this week, but I think the build up of fatigue is just too much. And trying to do too many other things other than orienteering, but then we are supposed to be on holiday. I just cannot expect to be able to compete at multi-day events.

Evie did really well to win her class, the most consistent performer over the week.

Croeso day 5, Teifi pools. Still having heart trouble all the way round, but not so tired as yesterday and I was determined to finish. There seemed to be plenty of fast moving people around me early on and I watched them disappear into the distance as I plodded along. We had a long route choice leg around the lakes and I opted for the long way around the road - not particularly because I thought it was quickest but because it was easier, and increased my chances of finishing. I did the last part of the course quite well, probably the most enjoyable bit of orienteering all week for me. 27th place, and beaten by Parkino I think probably for the first time since Midland champs 1984.

C • 28 years 1

Croeso day 4, Teifi pools. I knew before I started that I was going to struggle. I was able to run a bit as far as 2, then I was down to walking even on the flat bits. Colin Smith overtook me before 4 and I just watched him go, then made my way slowly back to the finish, which was almost as far as doing the course.

Middle distance race, Hafod. This should have been fairly straightforward but most people seemed to have trouble with it. I made a couple of 1 minute errors - at number 1 entirely my own fault, and at number 9 where relative height on the map from one control to the next seemed to be all wrong. I was having lots of heart problems though and could not run up hills, and towards the end was struggling even to walk. 12th place, but could easily have done 7 or 8 minutes quicker on a good day which would have been a good result.

My best run physically of the week - no problems at all with the heart and ran virtually every step. However the combination of an earlyish start and relatively easy navigation meant the result was not so good, 12th place.

Croeso day 1, Gwanas. My heart was a bit dodgy to start, particularly on the long climb to 3 where I did a lot of walking. After that I was fine and quite enjoying it. Made a 2 minute error in the same place as many other people, getting myself to the right(ish) place and then persuading myself I was wrong. 5th place, which turned out to be the high point of my week.

School Lane, stepping stones. Feeling a bit sore from yesterday but got going alright. Fairly easy really.

Jogged up to Meanwood Park Hospital and did a timed mile 6:38 then a 3:30 jog then another timed mile 6:45 then jogged home. My legs couldn't cope, but it's a start. Don't know how accurate my mile is. I've measured it on mapmyrun and it is 1.00 miles.

hanging and checking and collecting controls in Meanwood.

Round Hill from Red Gate, straight there and back. Pushed quite hard on the way out, but I've really lost it on the hills. Had a sit down at the top and looked at the view (Osmotherley to Drax to Pendle to Great Whernside). Jogged down thinking I could find an alternative route to the bog, and ended up in a worse bog. Crawled back out to the path and then got on with it on the way home.

Lovely afternoon. Well, it wasn't raining.

Adel Crag, not feeling great. Chugging along ok until the last 10 minutes which were just hard work. Hard work.

Didn't fancy getting muddy, so a road run.

Adel Church, fairly fast. Struggled at times, felt really easy at times. A pb!

Jogging round Meanwood checking control sites for next week's picnic. I didn't really need to check most of them, it's all so familiar.

From Embsay Reservoir to Embsay Crag, then more or less direct across the moor to Cracoe Obelisk, then around the edge past Rylstone Cross and Crookrise back to the reservoir. I lost the path heading north across the first part of the moor, so for about 40 minutes I was up to my knees in heather, except where I was up to my ankles in bog - very very hard work and by the time I reached the obelisk I was done for. Fortunately it is mostly downhill and a path on the way back, although not particularly easy because it is a very rocky, eroded and boggy path and sometimes disappears in the bracken. More than I intended, because I didn't think 8 miles would take nearly a hundred minutes. Must have been good for me.

I was pestered by an owl as I went across the moor - I think it must have been a short-eared owl because it flew up out of the heather and appeared to be defending a nest, and these are the only sort that nest on the ground.

Easy run along Woodhouse Ridge to Buslingthorpe then back to Sugarwell. Did a couple of efforts up the diagonal path across Sugarwell Hill but not with very much conviction, then jog home.

Very hot and humid.

"sprinting" up Sugarwell - 450m, 40m climb x 2, 2:28, 2:26

Butcher Hill, Newlay, Kirkstall. Reasonably quick, it felt fairly easy up to Kirkstall but the long drag up the hill from there seemed like very hard work. It's difficult to gauge the pace since my heart is behaving very different to what it was 2 months ago - less efficient but with a higher maximum rate and much more reliable. I was pushing things perhaps a bit more than I intended.

feeling a bit under the weather and I don't want to push it.

C • the weather 1