Training Log Archive: Ollie

Event: British Middle Champs
 

The British Elite Middle-Distance Championships - as the elites were running the same class as everyone else, I decided to enter elite - and was promptly seeded last. This meant I started first, so had the whole forest to myself. I pushed myself hard, as I was determined not be overtaken by the presumably faster runners behind me.

The only other runner I saw was my two-minute man from 2 to 3 as I was going from 4 to 5. This spurred me to go even faster, although looking back, this person would have already dropped some time compared with me. Apart from that, the forest was silent, and I was first back, so was (briefly) 1st in M21E - out of 1. ;-)

To #1 was a nice downhill run - I really like downhill starts! To #2, the best route was clearly through a field. I spent a good 15 seconds checking to see if it was out of bounds, before going for it. To #3, my route choice was indirect and unorthodox, but I don't think I lost time. #4 should have been easy but I spent a good while on another knoll just 10m away, somehow failing to spot the red and white kite in a sea of green (there was a lot of undergrowth on this map!) #5 was my biggest mistake - saw the other runner and lost concentration in a highly detailed area, so overshot and had to clamber back up a steep bank.

#9 was an interesting spectator control - just after a low tunnel under a road, with spectators high above you. #11 was the only long leg on the course - no problems here for me, but others suffered. To #14 I misread light-green as dark green, so diverted around it and got stuck in undergrowth - then, due to the map being vague, came around the edge of the light green too far. The approach to #16 was tricky as there were unmarked paths in the haze of vegetation. #17 was in another complex area and you had to be right on top of the control, to see it (it was in a ditch.)

I had had a good run up to this point, but started to tire fast, especially as #18 and #19 were both up steep hills - so I tended to go round paths to these controls, rather than going direct uphill through the brashings. And finally, #20 and the finish was a sprint.

All in all, a good race for me, although physically tough due to the almost continual brashings on the ground. When I left the event, I was 22nd out of 29 elites - but once the regular runners are added in, I am confident of ending up in the top half, which is a good result for me. Less than 5 minutes wasted with mistakes, and running fast for most of the race - now I just need the stamina to be able to run the whole way around.

Cycling to/from Waterloo station. Took a very leisurely, "safe" route back as it was dark.

Had to jog back part of the way to the station, so I didn't miss my train!

M21E (and M18/20/21/35) - Splits

A couple of silly blunders near the end marred an otherwise very good HH District race at Northaw Great Wood, near Cuffley. I ran the Brown course, as it had just stopped raining. The forest was still damp, but this was actually rather nice as it kept me cool.

Legs 1-3 were long but straightforward. I took a bit of a lazy route choice to 4, and drifted off for 5. One characteristic of this race were lovely long, downhill legs. 7-8 was one of these, and was very nice. I had another poor route choice on a very short leg (11-12), mainly to avoid some nasty undergrowth - but on the whole, the area was suprisingly free of undergrowth, and very nice to run in. 15-16 was another lovely long (1km+) leg downhill. I ran fast, but got clogged up in some unmarked light green, so started to make mistakes. I exited 16 very badly, but the worst mistakes of the race were made after I stopped paying attention to my compass and was generally very tired. They were 18-19 (too far to the right and too high) and 19-20 (too far to the left and too low.)

If I hadn't made these final mistakes I would have finished 3rd - a best ever result on Brown - still, my time was fast and I am very pleased with the result - finishing 8th out of 38 runners, and just 5.5 mins down on the winner.

This was possibly my latest ever start - I didn't get out of bed until 1015 - a real luxury lie in! And yet I was running by 1230.

I was trying out my new birthday present today - a top-of-the-range fast setting thumb compass. It certainly was fast setting, but I need to get used to the way thumb compasses work (everything's kind of backwards.) After trying to use it properly for the first couple of legs, I ended up using it as a simple compass for the remainder. It requires diligence to rotate the map correctly - not something I normally do.

Felt a bit bad on uphill sections in the early part of the race, but was fine later - and didn't experience the "power surge" feeling after the race, as I warmed down properly. Pretty knackered now though!

Looking forward to the British Middle Distance champs next Saturday.

C • compass 6

Estimated time/distance - biking to/from home to KX, and to/from Cuffley station to the event today. Last section loaded with shopping. Biking is a useful warm-up/warm-down for races, as long as the distance isn't too far and the pace wasn't too fast. Today was just fine.