Training Log Archive: Old Daniel

BOK run from Black Horse in Clapton -always enjoy this one and its good training. Left a bit on the 3rd hill but kept going. Surprisingly warm evening
New shoes were fine -ankle fine even on quite stony tracks

Out controlling Margam most of day- chance to wear new shoes

Warm up and jog back to assembly

Yes I went to Cornwall to buy some shoes wear on old ones could be contributing to ankle issue, took in event at Davidstow Moor. Very runable quite simple orienteering but none the less enjoyable 1:15000 map just right for this area. Made a stupid mistake at 10 recognised that control was tricky and decided to attack from path junction -missed small path and followed young fast guy to well middle of nowhere -slow to get out and relocate 4.5 mins slower than Tommi. Raced and lost out to very competent SO lady over last few controls (Lucy Jepson?) -nice day out

Swineford - racecourse- Round hill. Very cautious to test out ankle but seemed fine. Slow time

Took a couple of days out to give ankle a chance

Stoke Gifford -well planned challenging & very different to before. 2.5 sets of complex short legs 'butterflies' in difficult areas and linking longer legs -reasonably clean but not sharp in detail and some not great route choices.
Very enjoyable
Splits say it all -slow all the way round despite much effort nearly 5 mins behind Chris K despite the advantage of home ground - just no zip. I have slowed but distinct lack of quality training is the issue.
Ankle pinged again at no 25 as I was turning 180 to leave control -disappointing as I had not felt it. Hobbled a bit over last few. Groin sore as soon as I stopped - I think over striding and running without style in feeble effort to go faster
In all a bit disapointingl

To and from hall to race and warm up

BOK run Hawkesbury Upton - lovely evening started very cautiously but felt good by end and in nice flat bit road felt Tommi and I were actually running!

Oldbury Court -nice evening kept it steady

Purdown -could feel ankle so kept short

Leigh Woods -exploratory - did not run along towpath rather stayed in wood, ankle was ok. pleased

Round estate & UWE, Was ankle ok on raod? ....mmm.... maybe? well actually no -so don't run tomorrow but a little more rest time

Can feel ankle occasionally during everyday life but not stopping me doing anything may try a walk or short road run in near future - suspect its tussocks , contouring and such that will be the issue

BOK Urban Penpole and Lawrence Weston, earlier in the year so not so terrible as previous. But ankle hurt its the same ligament as in N Ireland but about 10x less severe -occured on route out of penultimate control so able to hobble to finish. Why know -was using mudclaws in the forest which I never do. Don't think I will be running for awhile

Warm up in Blaise

Run from Swineford, race course, round hill, railway. Arrived late no time to warm up -good route

Burrington Combe - hot sultry sunny day - everywhere very busy had to park at very top of Combe -so much modified Tinsel Trot -weary from quite early on - bone dry not sure about distance or pace

Warm up

NGOC Mallards Pike N , hot day, not best bit of forest quite a lot of felled / rough open so took track routes a lot - just one control where I went in silly early
Controlling for a couple of hours later

Blaise from car park -hot, humid late afternoon, felt I struggled a bit but time fine

Downs warm up

Urban around university halls- long sprint
Made a compete horlicks of this -started ok but ran 14,15, 16 tried to navigate from 15 map did not fit decided gone to 16- so back to 15 &16. Also went to 20 so had to go back to 19. Still disturbingly slow 3-4 mins down on rivals. Confirmation that I am going quite a lot slower than last year -will just need to get used to this! don't think I am going to get much joy out of Urbans

A bit early so Ashton Plantation to warm up

BOK run from Failand - sort of Portbury run in reverse -lovely evening went passed Thynesfield house - not been here before

CW from the Dog -ground bone dry and so quick, with the wind (and still wound up with the failure on Saturday ran quick to the turn 3740. Deliberately throttled back a bit on the return journey.
Knees still complaining about tussocks

Warm up

British Relays.
I thought this was a poor race. Perhaps because of the class we were running it just seemed that much of the navigation was trivial. I am quite surprised its possible to plan such a poor course in such a good area. True you had to cross fences, true they had made the relay and long very distinct. Perhaps if they had planned a classic rather than long middle there would have been scope for some route choices and a few more technical legs in the relay
There are two secrets to relay success- choose good team mates- and carry the baton round. My knees were really quite knackered after the tussocks and I needed time to to take ibuprofen and then stop feeling sick.
So I was pleased that Pete Maliphant took the first leg (its a good idea to put your best technical runner on this leg so you get a good start ). Pete had clearly read the script and did the job with no mistakes back a few places but almost no time behind the leaders. John Simmons who the script said was the old guy ignored this and was superb. We were second, which I suspect was probably as good as we could possibly have done. All very pleased with this result