Training Log Archive: IanW

Trying to ease some of the tightness in the legs

Event: HH 'Ace of Herts' Level B South East League Event
 

Part 1 of mad mission - home to Beaconsfied Services

Black at Burnham Beeches.

This turned out to be harder than I was expecting. Egypt is still fast and open, but it seemed Burnham is getting greener, with more brashings on the floor. Softness underfoot not helping either?

Felt I started too fast - evidenced by the second fastest split to #2. So eased off a bit on the way to 6, though wasn't lifting the feet up very well - kept on tripping over branches, almost stacked it on several occasions. Went over-cautious after this, and started walking a few of the tougher bits/steeper 'hills'.

Technically was a bit varied. Where there was definite detail (contours, paths etc) I was generally good. But didn't do so well in the vague green bits - lost a couple of minutes on both #12 and #13 where I couldn't initially make sense of the green shapes, or see the gap(s). Lost a bit of time with bad routes to #9, 10 and the last control, in the circle at #24 and by miscounting depressions to #3.

Good things:

- Got to the end, legs didn't cramp this week
- Technically pretty good in the 'complex' bits, which were mainly at the end
- Ignored the fact that someone was tailing me for a few controls, and got on with my own run - lost him by spiking the tricky bit.

Things to work on:
- Having a good plan and solid, safe route in to vague/vegetation controls like #12 and 13 - could lose a lot more time on these controls.
- Head up to find better lines through the grottier bits
- Getting some strength back to attack the grottier bits

And back home - too late to get to the pub. Achy. But good to get a long day in the legs.

C • Why so much walking. I'd h... 1

Black - Splits

Bit harder work than I'd hoped, into a biting NE wind for the first half - the long drag up the hill past Baldwin's Wood doesn't seem to get any easier...

10 mins up to the woods, 1' walk then 10 x 1' fast, 1' jog around tracks/paths/fields of varying runnability, to try and get the legs turning over a bit faster. Then easy back to the hotel. All fairly flat, fortunately not as cold out as yesterday.

Did feel like I was working harder at times, but recovery time turned out to be plenty. Efforts need to be longer next time round, I think.

Cold out, felt a bit 'ploddy' but no real effort to it.

Uphill and into the wind - harder work than I was expecting.

Run from the pub at Bretby - no-one going off road this week, but decided to go for it anyway. A few sections with grass verges reduced the amount of tarmac. Felt pretty good, there were some hills - noticeable but not too steep, running felt smooth and light for the most part.

Home - felt ridiculously easy in comparison to the way there.