Training Log Archive: Old Daniel

Went for a couple of hours walk with Mike ok during walk but mild discomfort afterwards

Doctor thinks I have a medial ligament tear which seems a reasonable diagnosis

C • och 1

9 x 2mins with 90 secs on Purdown. Not to bad a session even though not going far -objective really to ensure a bit sore for medical examination .
I think could be classified as a bit of a success

Short run on Purdown with one hill just to check on knee

Knee is really sore and not getting easier oh B****r.
Remarkable I ran ok

C • injury. 1

I have been orienteering 5/6 times in Finland and its always been exactly as I would want orienteering to be and this year did not disappoint.

This trip was however was special
(i) the aspect from the summer house peninsula of the peaceful lake and islands in the glow of the low sunlight may just be the most beautiful location I have ever seen.
(iii) I have never really understood Finland or its people but I understand a bit more now

Many thanks to Tommi and team mates

C • a pleasure 1

Jokola Harpatti Team 1040 BOK 2 Leg 3

After 2012 I had decided that I was probably too old to compete in this race without letting my team mates down but decided as I was fitter and stronger than I had been for some time if I gave it some extra work on stamina (which eI did I might be ok). The late knee issue was an annoyance and disappointment. From what I was doing in Training the best I could aim for was 120 mins. I slept poorly and was concerned and unconvinced that knee would hold. Its best not to record how many Ipobrufen (but not a few) and I was in the start arena

Paul (leg 1) had run well (1.59) and Ifor was going well through 2nd of 4 intermediates so I warmed up and was quite excited, and ready to go. 14.30 We then ran into a snag -no Ifor at intermediate three -disaster had struck. Needed to regroup swapped big light for Petzel, kept jogging (to keep knee loose), checking screen (no change) and occasional look at changrover. This was not easy as whole area was chaotic.

Oh sugar -Ifor was stood on a chair in the changeover (I have seen him look happier and as he was not shouting had been there some time) -but he was there not 3 km away!

A long 3km+ leg to control 1 just what the doctor ordered. Map a bit difficult to see with just the Petzel (I switched it off about no 5). Straight but a bit sub-optimum route as went through some wood which was quite green. (I stopped to check map -so did about five other blokes -not only in a train but
driving -if only they knew- got to envrions of no 1 quite quickly but abandoned plan to go to attackpoint and cut corner along track which took me to dark forest and then semi-felled lost (a lot) of time. (6 mins?)
Also messed up no 2 -wrong track through wrong control too short another wrong control too far south but almost knew this and navigated to the control mimimising time loss and gaining confidence. (-4 mins?)

Maybe the race now got a bit easier but I did not make another significant mistake till 23. I was in contact with the map and in general running through others around me. (I don't think I caught my train from 1 till 12.
Round route to 10. Too far right at 11 and had to turn. Stuck to guns going to 12 whilst other went further south, round route to 13. Slowed by near stationary group through green to 17. Came across fast group on route to 18 which I found, they overtook going to 19 but I was first to 20, went round to 21 but could not cope with one guy but I was faster than those who were straight. Went round to 22 but too far and the forest was empty when I reached 22. Stopped too soon at wrong control and ran off to where I could see other punching. Wrong again and had to go to road to relocate (-3mins)
Suddenly got a bit tired and slow over last few.
Overall taking off time from changeover I must have done about the 120 mins

BLOODY BRILLIANT RACE GREAT TO BE PART

Watched Vennla -really good and interesting occasion. On feet a lot and knee worse

Orienteering training at Tannilanvaara, again knee not to bad, navigation ok but slow. Decided not to train again

Travel to Eastern Finland, opportunity to train but did not take it hoping rest the best startegy

We flew to Finland and stayed at Tommi's house and then went to a local evening event. Although knee had been painful during journey it eased up and was ok during race -was not ok afterwards. It seemed that fortunately running in the soft forest is not loading the knee too badly -but big dilemma in terms of whether I should run in a team race. I certainly would not have run if I had been in the UK

Informal event was really very high standard and clearly had good local support. Quite a contrast with out Saturday events etc.

8 x 2mins with 90 secs on the Downs. Nothing exceptional during session but inside of left knee was excrutiating later on. I had felt this before but not anything like this extent. No chance of going to BOK run

Purdown and Frome Valley run - effort to do pre-Jokola physical training complete in the last month 'ticking over' now.

Warm up

BOK urban race around Harbourside east and Temple Quarter. Flater and intrinsically easier that yesterday but course gave plenty of variety and challenge. I made a complete dogs breakfast with either mistakes or legs where I had top ten spits (19 out of 28) -13th of 99 winner 35.47
no 1 -looked at control did not see it went away and came back -(30 secs)
no 2 big banana (-20 secs)
no 6 started to go to other underpass and needed to come back (-30 sec)
no 7 went passed (-20 secs)
no 14 took route n of line, ran fast, but went wrong at roundabout into fire station - took a while to resolve, not optimum! (-120 secs)
no 18 -thought I could not get through -diverted and actually you could (-15 secs)
no 27 -chose complex and slow route (-15 secs)
I really could have done much better with more control -respecting difficulty

Warm up

BOK Urban- Harbourside north and Cliftonwood. Probably the best urban I have done, race and result. Very varied -Brandon hill, big hills up to suspension bridge, fiddling about with under and over flyovers, back along docks (11 from 115) winner 50.08.
No 3 got to the wrong side of pond (-20 secs)
No 8 lost concentration turned down hill too early -had to concentrate and resolve (-110 secs)
No 25 changed route mid course (-15secs)
9 off top ten splits -but a further 4 if criteria had been top twelve -also 4th fastest on steep uphill to 12 and 6th on long downhill to 15 and 10th on flat run to 22 so pace ok .

Really tired and jaded -going to have a couple of days where I just do walking

Oldbury Court 11 x 2 mins with 90 secs

Bradley Stoke NE. Putting controls out collecting in etc. Token times On my feet really from 14.00- 2100. Tired at end highlighting big gap in stamina and got bad cramp afterwards -probably a bit de-hydrated

C • Worth it 2

Little Stoke field 5 x 1 km with 2 mins, very windy. This caused huge variation in times 30 secs. Found legs into wind challenging (to keep going never mind speed)

BOK run at Littleton on Severn - feeling a bit jaded at start but got better as run progressed

Very wet and windy, rained all day abandoned running but went for a walk late evening

CW - N from the Dog

Warm up

NGOC Minchinhampton- first the rant- control 3 was in a terrible bit of forest, I would actually like to believe that no planner who had visited before the event thought it was a good idea to sent the competitors into it. Then he chose a non-existant veg boundary -charitably the whole mapping of veg in this bit of wood might possibly represent the ground in Feb but it June its rubbish. Then he hung the control to the east of the circle. There is much to admire in NGOC e,g. the number of races they promote. Their club culture is amateur, informal and inclusive but it sometimes seems to be a long standing tradition that its ok to add to the fun by having at least one control in the wrong place. Its not. For me this is a shame as their areas, maps and events are actually pretty good, they put on lots of events with responsibilities shared amongst many including novice planners and organisers but as they don't have controllers there is no one to take on the mentoring role so the planner probably thinks he did a good job.
For the record it took me 15mins 50 secs to cover the 150m from 2 to 3.

The rest of the race was fine there were some really good legs lots of variety and good running. I did lose some time inside the circle and could nit pick about the siting of flags e.g. control 13 or covering the path with red line after 12 but these were minor loses. There was some really good legs, lots of variety and running and I did really enjoy the visit.

My (right) knee has been getting worse. Racing on consecutive days on tarmac despite overdosing on Ibuprofen may not have been a good idea.
After running yesterday the pain was excruciating by the time I had driven home. So I abandoned plans for running and walked with Charlie on Purdown

Good warm up

NGOC street event at Lydney. Enjoyed this but messy (i) went wrong out of start, (ii) did not keep it simple, (iii) tried to plan ahead and ended up hesitating or getting confused
A bit confused by number of houses near 6 and read bridge over railway 10-11 as passable -on arrival clearly not -its actually xx's on map -don't think that these two were actually 100% me.
Clearly scope for me to improve.