Training Log Archive: Frostbite

British Relay Champs, Men's Premier, Brown Clee.

I got roped into the Premier team because of various drop-outs and I wasn't really looking forward to it. By the time I ran (3rd leg) we were already disqualified and well down the field anyway, which to be honest was a bit of a relief.

Trundled round without any significant time loss but I was very tired. The course was very easy compared to the individual, and much more runnable. I set off a couple of minutes behind Oscar Healy, M14, running for SBOC. I hadn't seen him at all on the course but on the last loop he appeared behind me, caught me on the second last climb and then burnt me off on the climb to the last control. I could not respond. Good on him for giving it a go, and a respectable result for his team.

I was 16 minutes down on the fastest for my gaffle.

British Long Championships, Brown Clee.

Did not get off to a good start as I messed up number 1, although all I did really was run round the thicket by the control for a minute. At least I was on the right thicket. After that I lost very little time.

#5 a bit too far right en-route and climbed a bit extra, 30 seconds
#20 struggled to find a way through the windblow, found the ditch but then got my direction wrong and ended up back near the ditch, 20 seconds
#27, high and left of the control, 20 seconds. The depression was clearly visible from where I got to but seemed to me to be a little too far down towards the flat area.

Getting round with so few mistakes means I came 2nd. Hooray. Some people messed up big time. Bill didn't, and beat my by 5 minutes.

The map was poor, the contours haven't been updated since the 1980s. In the vague, semi open, detailed area you could rely on significant individual contour features as fixed points, but nothing in between them made much sense. There was no continuity from one significant feature to the next and in between there was lots going on on the ground that just wasn't on the map. I ended up relying mainly on compass and recognizing those significant contour features and/or the bits of vegetation that were mapped.

When I went through the spectator I was announced in the lead. I was running scared round the last loop, very weary and desperate not to mess up.

Very happy to be on the podium again, 9 years since my last one. (At BOC I mean. I've been on the podium at the White Rose a few times).

C • Congrats 10

Fastish to Bywater. I've been a bit under the weather and struggled a bit, but reasonably quick.

Jogging back.

Recovery speed. Sore quads.