Training Log Archive: Spur

Short hill reps session at Bellahouston in gruelling hailstones!

Training race at a very pleasant Barr Wood. Steady but a few minor wobbles and 90s behind Steve.

Training run round reservoirs at Milngavie

SOL2 at Bonskeid estate, which (as Clunie) was the area for my first run in Scotland as an M11 at the 1985 six days. Generally ok, but too much fiddly time leakage adding up today. Distracted by Clear station taking an eternity to work and forgot to tighten laces which resulted in two stops on the course. Control 2 wouldn't register either which lost me 30 seconds clipping map. Hesitant at 3 and still a bit distracted. Messed up 7 to 8 trying to go straight instead of back out and round the green. Clean to 22 although bogged down by windblow to 23 and drifted too low and right at 24 blowing a couple of mins and a few places.

Various warm up/down including to/from start/finish and to and from download (twice after forgetting to uplift car key...)

Control collecting after coaching

Corridor course at Glennifer Braes in early evening sunshine, after Ayr Utd capitulation at Morton. Really tricky exercise, went off line at least 3 times until taking more care with the compass. Thanks Dave and Andy.

Cycling around Pollok Park, Cathcart and Queens Park. Good to get some exercise after a few days idle.

CSC Short Brown at Balnagowan. Going really well, 10th place at number 10, then impaired by an Inov8 Oroc heel blister disaster. Quite deflated, but hopefully will heal quickly. Appears Clyde have just qualified.

Re-run of recent Stag night event at Queens Park, this time as the planner intended. Much cleaner faster run in sunshine with crocuses, rabbits, squirrels, coots, magpies, ducks and swans for company. Spring is here!

C • Spring 1

SOL 1 Brown course at Gullane. Solid run with just one frustrating 2 min error of note at 9 where the control seemed much further from the edge of the green than mapped. Enjoyed the beach and cave section but saw Tortoise Tam and Rosco flying past on the sand to 14. Picked a safe route in from the right. Surprised to meet them again at 17! But couldn't stay with them. Pretty clean to home although found 3 depressions at 23 and couldn't make sense of veg to 26 so just hit the coast. 19th/33, the error cost me top half. Decent start to SOLs.

Clyde training at Erskine on Donald's 2011 men's open course. Muddled by underpass at approach to 5, but ok on most of the rest until an unecessary zig-zag on the long leg after missing a pass-through, and getting muddled leaving St Anne's ! Irritated by Garmin lap timing every 20 seconds and claiming I'd run 104km. Got to 18 in about 40 mins then bailed so as not to delay dinner. Got lost in out of bounds trying to get back to car park but located Gammon steak and lemon meringue pie ok.