Training Log Archive: FE

British Middle - Leith Hill - A couple minutes late for start after buying compass, visor and O glasses and Alan Leakie kindly gave me a punching start (worth a beer). Lost around 8-9 mins including 90s in man eating vegetation. 32nd finisher and current leader when I finished (this is a truly weird sport at times!). Finished 8th at the head of the pack and 4-5 min gap to 6th which softened regrets for errors. Felt distinctly rusty and flaky on a few legs. Geeking helped to visualise terrain on the west side. Rushed things too much after first big wobble instead of using it as a warning to keep slowing down when unsure - hindsight!!!

1. West embank -30s, 2 Memorised wrong code -10s, 3 -20s, 5 looked at another control -10s (still 4th fastest), 8 Needless expedition grot then confused where I was 2.45 min, 9 Took wrong small path (confidence waning) 60s, 11 Visited another control -30s, 12 struggled with map 60s, 15 longish route -10s, 17 appeared to be an extra track and couldn't fit rhodies 1.45 min, 21 dragged north by veg -15s.

Looking forward to rerunning this on a dry summers evening.

Race speed to reach start late!

Event: British Sprint Championships
 

Lido(shorts) - tried out the buoyancy shorts. Nothing like a pull buoy, far less buoyant and centred much higher which wasn't a great surprise. Might be my imagination that there was a seesaw effect depending what was happening further up my body.

13/14 both leg exts, balance on inner calf, strecthing.

Lido(nws) - crowded. Some progress with catch & position. Need to relax more. Ordered buoyancy shorts as a more convenient way of getting some of the benefit of a wetsuit.

Nerve pain only and even that settled down by lunchtime. Surreal in a nice way. Happy days!

C • Great progress 2