Training Log Archive: Old Daniel

Legs feeling a bit knackered so just a walk on another nice day

Nice run with Mark and Alice from Trellech to Tintern mostly through the green woodlands and Bluebells of Botany Bay Woods. No particular hurray mostly just embracing the nature

A wet day so Leigh Woods. A bit of an unusual route. Knee not great and body falling apart a bit so very much a plod. Good to be out in the very green woodland at this time of year

Warm up

Bath Urban put on by two lads from the Uni -who did a good job and I hope they take on another.
A poor run, not really ready for urban orienteering and made some poor choices execution was not good and flow non-existent.
Chapter of woes.
No 1 baulked by car (parking?) - had to wait to punch
3-4 Chose route back down steps but actually not viable and had to go around an extra building (error)
4-5 Did not see steps so bailed out and went around the block (error)
5-6 Gate locked on straight route diverted to S of Church
8 Checked description was under bridge but went down park rather than path and had to retrace steps. (error)
13 Approached using alley but you could neither get through nor get out to road so had to retrace steps. (error)
15 Took straight option but gate locked (error) and then did not go around park to open gate, rather devised remedial route using canal, took ages (error)
21 Chose to go through building (grey) but was actually underpass (error)
So lost lots of time and momentum - not really thinking in 3D

Took a slip on a wet flagstone, and (RHS) knee twisted in a way I would rather it did not...….

Back from Sheffield so went to BOK Run from Black Horse -always enjoy this lots of climb. Lots of stopping and had to walk behind horses at one point so time is complete guess. Had been intending to go since clocks changed but this was the first one I have managed

Warm up

British Relay champs at Middleton Park. Venue, etc, worked well for this race. We were 3rd team in the M60. Which was a pleasant surprise as I had not been picked for the M60 team and was expecting to run in a "short open" team and be out sped by the young guns. Mark was superb on the first leg and Pete brought us in just behind the teams that were to be top two. My time was about what I had expected but needed to be 3 mins faster to be in the mix.
Its a 'messy' wood with many tracks, bushes and pits which tends to lead to messy runs......I did struggle to find 5, (2 mins?) going back out which allowed others to re-catch me up. There was some gaffeling which allowed me to get away at 9 which I spiked well.

Warm up

British Champs at Arncliffe.
I was a bit disappointed expecting more from Britain's premier event. I am trying not to use the phrase 'piss poor' for our course but it may be accurate. How can BOC be won in 45 mins -because its too short?......the JK (a short classic on the neighbouring area was 8.8km won in 65 mins)……..apparently they lost permission for part of the area late on, whilst I can understand how this could affect quality but why length? Why does it matter...... because 1-7 which would have been technical were in small fields so were simplified -few will have lost time and 18-20 were dead nav. to bring you to the finish.
The area is not without promise, the deep valleys, gives the options for long leg route choices possibly complicated by strategic use of wall crossings (9-10 might just count) and short technical legs within the larger fields (as 14-15-16) …..the JK planner gave us both. Yes I would come back to race here again, the best orienteers were in the lead and it was fun …..just not a BOC standard race.

I went to 2 described as a re-entrant but turned away as flat ground (marsh???) came back and stamped' left control for 3 had crises of confidence and came back to recheck code which was of course ok - probably lost 90 secs which in the concept of this course was a lot. Fast on 9-10 down path to road crossing but then stupidly followed red line to 13, probably only lost 1 min but still angry with myself going to 12. Here I was a bit too high but dropped down to one of two spurs - no control looked right to my interpretation of the small woods and wall. It was 'rightish' as flag was actually behind a third tiny spur (2 mins lost) -were any big enough to be a control site?....perhaps yes as nobody else seems to have had an issue.
So did not handle this race well -should really have been cleaner with nav