Training Log Archive: Spur

Scottish Score Champs, Palacerigg. Decent run with no real mistakes in the circle. Hesitant at the start before deciding to go backwards through the start and to the group of controls close together on the west. Probably an inefficient route doubling back to 131 and going north from 154 to 140 so maybe lost a few mins on that route decision. Ran out of time to get 147 and 157, and 158 was tough in icy rutted tussock, but pushed on and got back with 38 seconds to spare. Happy with run and time judgement and knee was ok. Enjoyed being leader in the clubhouse for a few mins but with 620 points I was a couple of controls behind MarkJ and Alex despite them being slightly late. 3rd/6 M40 and 15th/122 on course.

C • Is that an accurate distance? 5

Tinto Twin and SOUL at Lanark. 7th MV/18. Pretty clean run although wasn't running at full strength and was having to be really careful in the wet (still slipped down steep grass towards 9). Went round the top to 2 but lower would have been quicker. Otherwise thought I got the routes right, especially the tricky alleyways in the town centre, although Winsplits suggests 30s lost on #10 - what I assume was the optimum route was invisible under the control circle. Enough SOUL points to draw level with Max though, and overtake the absent Steve and Dave, and 4th best BOF points of the year. Nice Tinto trophy too as only M40 night and day finisher! Full rest for the knee now.

Tinto Twin night race at Carmichael East End. Started with sore knee strapped up hoping to manage round and avoid errors. Missed #1 to the left, couldn't see the faded kite in the field. Knew I'd gone too far and corrected but 2 mins lost straight away. Ok to 5 (had no idea where I was in the greenery but got lucky and spiked it). Pretty grotty through to 8 but ok, then messed up a fairly easy long leg in the open. Went too far left, don't recall passing the first fence, then battled over a stream and a fence into an open area. Merrily carried on but found myself at a spooky old house, then did a full loop backwards round a walled garden to find a way out, probably wasting about 4 mins. Puzzled by 10 which seemed too far away but kept going and found it. Knee was starting to ache a bit but not far to go. Then suddenly my torch packed in, only 55 mins out. Faffed for a minute putting on the much weaker spare, and was struggling to make much sense of features approaching 11. Happily Rafaela caught me here and was helped by her light most of the way to the finish, but had to dig in to keep up with her! 10 mins behind Mark Rowe.

November Classic M40S at Stoney Cross, New Forest on a cold but sunny day. About 100 yards wide of 3rd control (long leg). Turned round and saw the clump of bracken that claimed to be a knoll and dashed towards it. Tripped on some tussock, went flying and my knee battered onto a tree stump. Lost another few minutes recovering/viewing the gash. Managed to plod round the rest and yet another visit to the first aid tent. 3rd/6. Can hardly walk a day later...

Jog to the start for warm-up, into a cold wind. Hobbling back to assembly from the finish, in pain.

Salisbury North city race. 28th/57 MV. Much better although still felt a bit lacking in speed. Good route choices and only two small errors, maybe 20s each. Despite growing up here found lots of places totally new to me including a very tricky final section in the girls' grammar school, although did overtake someone due to local knowledge of a path along the ring-road.