Training Log Archive: mikeyA

Easy meadows recovery with Tam, Ali, Will and Jack before they disappeared off to the gym. Interesting weather with driving rain one second and then glorious sun the next.

Made the 3rd team with Ewan and Tam. After a great run by Ewan I was sent out in 3rd about 30 seconds down on Hallam and EUOC 1 with Shuoc right behind. I knew being clean was going to be the main task and that running speed wouldn't be so much of an issue. Nailed #1 and then a slightly longer gaffle on #2 put me out just behind Joe. Couple more clean controls meant Joe was in sight heading out on the long leg decided to go straight but ended up going a fair way left due to the vegitation and a bit of a slog up the muddy path meant I'd lost a bit of time. Through the easy bit around the path I kept on getting glimpses of Ali up ahead and Joe right on his tail so thought I must have been running fairly well. Kept it clean through to spectator. On the last loop however I ended up losing a solid minute on a control that was on top of hill but the control circle perfectly covered the contour showing this and so I was searching for the control in the flat ground below it. Not the only one for this to happen to as it turns out and I didn't realise there was a contour there at all until I'd got back and put the map about an inch from my face. Then lost another minute on a control on a path where I decided to follow an elephant track instead of my compass and ran parallel to the path instead of onto it. Then lost another 30 seconds running onto the wrong hill top the control after. Saw Felly and Colm at this point and ran hard into the finish, knowing that Tam would need as much time as possible to try and hold off Jonny but I couldn't give him enough in the end. Bit gutted about that last loop as without the mistakes I feel like Tam might have had a chance at holding onto bronze. As it was finished in 4th after Tam ran really well and held Tim off.

Results - https://www.southyorkshireorienteers.org.uk/event/...
Routegadget - http://www.syo.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/?manage/#145&...

C • Control circles 4

Event: BUCS - British Universities & Colleges Sport Championships
 

Reasonable warm up.

Not really the race I was hoping for. Going well until #4 running reasonably. Poor route on #5 by going straight and never found the path I was looking for (must have run right over it) meant I was super hesitant near the circle and ended up finding it by a fair amount of luck. #6 was then the most idiotic mistake of my life. Actually did the leg perfectly and saw the control however for whatever stupid reason I decided it wasn't mine and that I was too low and so ran off up the hill having literally been a meter away from it. Why I didn't even read the code who knows? After a minute of crawling up the hill I heard Joe go through behind me which made me finally come to my senses. Bit deflated after this and couldn't push as i needed to up the hill to #7 or through the rocks for the rest of the loop in the forest. No real misses in there just super slow and taking rather wiggly lines. Felly came through me at #12 and I got insta-dropped by him on the moor and then Ali came through later as well when I made another idiotic mistake by running straight past #19. Feel like this could have been a lot better if I just thought about what I was doing for parts of it instead of being an idiot. I've said idiot an awful lot there...

Results - https://www.southyorkshireorienteers.org.uk/event/...
Routegadget - http://www.syo.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#142&cour...

C • #6 4

Easy meadows with Jack and Ewan before lidl on the way home. Watch glitched so had to estimate the distance.

Out to Braids via KB.

Braids FWTN. Good fun apart from when I got stuck in gorse for about 5 minutes after not being able to see the track through it. Cruised round never going too hard.

Down back home with Ali.

To DVC and then with the long run group through the hospital towards B&B. Turned home at the start of Blackford.

Up and down.

4 x 800m [2 min] on the meadows. I am still suitably slow. Went off far too hard on the first lap and suffered for the rest. Times 2.25, 2.31, 2.40, 2.45. Oops haha.