Training Log Archive: susan

Does dancing count as training? Thought not.

Playing around on the MTB trails at Castlewellan. Only brave enough for blue trail, good laugh, I am such a scaredy cat, heavy on the brakes!

Long long car journey, late late ferry, short short sleep, back to the real world. I'm not sure I like it much.

Last morning of trimtex, suncream and insect repellent for a while - bring on the sprint!

Lossiemouth, 3.1k. Ran hard, lost time on the leg into the quarry (sound familiar? Lost time on the forest transition in selection races too) as everything looked a bit bland, scrubby and un-path-like. When I was looking for a path. I expect this is where I dropped places, as all went AOK in the urban section. Except for getting out to the transition.
Reasonable end to the season, if not particularly technically challenging. Now it's time to rest, after an awesome month of orienteering. Looking forward to my next set of targets. Onwards and upwards.

Jog to the start, a long way! And other assorted stretch- related things

W21E Culbin (the nasty part) 8.5k. Bleuch. The roughest day underfoot yet, I was exhausted after a few paces which didn't bode well for the rest of the course. Gazelles had no problem with it, but as my style was more "drunken sailor" it took rather a lot out of me.
Long dull sections punctuated by some contours, but not very many contours, it wasn't too challenging. Having said that, some mistakes but I can blame that on tiredness and general disinterest. It was easy to be lazy navigationally for chunks of this, and get away with it
Oh, hyperextended knee twice near the end, it's got a sprint and a long car journey to get thru and then it's tlc time. Sorry knee.

Jog to the start, not feeling great to be honest, breathing hard and tired legs. Should have brought water to the start, silly me x 2 days in a row.

First up, my knee survived, it definitely needs some TLC but it's just on ice for now. Few twinges but it didn't do anything too startling.
W21E 4.55k middle distance
And the race. Strong run for me, tbh I didn't find it difficult but physically I was knackered by the end, esp due to hot sunshine. Mustn't grumble! No major time losses which I am Very Happy about. Unfortunately still propping up the results but I will update when I'm at home with a calculator to see what it looks like % wise. The terrain really really suits me, and I know with a sensible training approach I can be quick thru this stuff.
Though I really wish I'd been under 10 min/k today.

Gentle jog with Aine

Event: Scottish 6 Days
 

Jog to the start, feeling really good physically, springing past plenty of starters.

I am so so cross with myself right now, you would not believe. Had a lovely start to the race, the complicated stuff wasn't overly challenging and I got thru it well. Struggled with confidence on the first long leg, it seemed to go on forever, though perhaps that was just me. Had a couple of arguments with my compass around 10 and 11 and I graciously let it win, and waddya know, it was right.
It was 14 and 15 though that I am angry with myself about. Beautiful line into 14, passed within 10 metres of it, but hadn't read the detail enough to see that I had to go up & over into the depression. Compounded by misjudging how far I needed to go (I carefully paced it but didn't measure from the right place, stupid stupid) so I carried on and then was faced with stacks of unexpected contour detail and had a meltdown and decided to leave the low vis before I lost days in it. Out, back in by different route, oh look there it is.
15 I'm still convinced there was something fishy going on. Really short leg, missed it left, frustratingly I carried on when if I had just looked right I would have seen it. Faff faff wander wander, head back to 14, oh look there's a control, fancy that it's mine. FAAARK as John would say.
Lost 9:50 between those 2 controls. I thought days of horrific mistakes were behind me.
Update: 50% of the field made a winsplits mistake on 15. I've decided that backs up my theory.
Also hyper extended my L knee near 13, ice on it now, it isn't sore but I don't want any fluid rattling round in there and causing problems over the next few days.

Back out to curse in the forest and, perhaps more usefully, re-run 14 and 15. My mistake (s) to 14. But I did the 15 leg slowly several times in both directions, and it definitely doesn't stack up with the direction on the map. Doesn't make me feel any better, though.

"Dallaschyle is a rough, tough Scottish forest" they said. They're not 'arf wrong. Mostly happy with my direction but oh my word the flies! I should have realised when I opened the car door just to check I wasn't driving into a bog, and three of the buggers nipped in to join me. They were everywhere in the forest. The buzzing! Nearly bailed straight from 33 to the finish after I fell over then stood up and there were 6 or 7 of them marching resolutely across my map. robrunner has made me utterly paranoid about flies round my ears as well!

Phorp for second session of the day. Drove to the advertised start / finish and then realised that was gonna involve a mega long road run so parked up at the interesting bit. And met a man emerging from the ferns in shorts, exclaiming loudly about sheep ticks. So that was a nice change from the flies. Took 5 controls only and got 2 wrong as I wasn't paying enough attention to my compass, and rather too much attention to the head high ferns. Shouted at myself and made myself go back and do them again which was actually very useful as I understood what went wrong the first time. Compass again! Oh, also 4 ticks and counting. Need bottle of frontline.