Training Log Archive: Mark3

Entire evening spent on packing and logistics. As will tomorrow be.

C • Why? 3

Not a massive entry, first year it's been run, but I knew at least one person would beat me since saw Jarleth on the entry list. He has in-laws in the lakes which explains why I keep seeing him. He started in the wave 5 mins after me and overtook me after less than 2 miles (mainly uphill, though).

Steps up to Helm Crag then undulating ridge to Calf Crag which looks totally different approached from this direction. Then on the BG route for 1k before going N to Ullscarf which I think I've been to before on an MM - but then further N on a fenceline across loads of featureless brackeny heathery grassy bog. To High Tove, then a grassy descent followed by a technical one. Two guys had come past and were gone and I was in a group of 3; one guy disappeared on the descent but we caught him again on the ascent to Sticks.

Before that - a (probable) wasp decided to briefly fly into my mouth and sting me on the tongue before I could spit it out. This has never happened to me before and was very painful. My tongue developed a marble sized swelling and went all numb. Talking was a bit weird. 2 hours later though, basically back to normal. Glad I wasn't allergic to it.

In 3rd/4th with Jim(?maybe) all the way along the BG L2 ridge to the gap S of grisedale tarn where he invited me to disappear if i was feeling good and it turns out I was, so I did. Nice descent down Little Tongue.

Only maybe less than 20 mins behind Jarleth at the end, he said he found it tough later on. Pretty happy with that and 3rd place given yday. Always nice to be up in the lakes.

Warm day - drank 2L in 5 hours which was double what I was hoping for, makes planning future summer challenges more problematic. Need some cooler weather!

C • Jarlath 1

Enjoyed the race but disappointed by some of my bad lines!
38th/124
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17atN2eB0Na...

Fairly thick clag at about the level of Three Tarns - I went right up the straight line route since the majority of other people seemed to be going that way, and it's on the official race map and so I thought it was a reasonable decision. Think it was a good one. The trod sort of peters out and then there's a left turn up some boulders that I probably wouldn't have made without other people there. Then a vague trod to the left contours around a little outcrop and saves 20s, which is how I caught Allen again.

Flybys imply that Three Tarns isn't a bad choice.

BG line off Bowfell, looks like some others tried to go lower sooner and it didn't work out.

I cut the Esk corner and Allen didn't and he got away from me. Maybe it's not actually a good idea? I don't think I've even not done it. Pretty good line up to Great End, mainly BG but then turning right near the end. Allen got away going up Scafell Pike.

Tried to cut the FT corner and failed miserably - can't even blame the clag. Came out at the small tarn W of Broadcrag as hoped but then stayed going SE rather than turning SW and ended up at the right height but 300m and a rocky contour away :(
Probably needs a recce in that direction whereas I've only been up (once).
It's clearly a better route since even with all that I only dropped 90s further on Allen.

Again looking at flybys Allen dropped off Scafell sooner than I did and looks to have increased his lead by another minute doing so.

Disastrous and highly dangerous route with Richard Hudson down Slight Side looks to have only cost me a couple of minutes. Never found a scree scope, just a damp precipitous gully. Definitely needs another recce - Starva implies that the first gully we came to and that I rejected, was probably the one to go with, and then coming S asap gets you onto a grassier line.

Gained back a minute or so on the ascent but then I stopped ascending below Stonesty Pike and contoured at c.700m to the top of Stonesty Gill - not what I'd intended to do and wouldn't have been an entirely bad route other than the massive boulderfield it involved crossing. Should have just kept going up! So joined the route all the people who'd gone up that way went, but there was no-one in sight. Scraped my L shin on the boulders which bled quite a lot, not deep, but still hurts a few days.

This lost me another 2 mins up to the stream before Blisco on Allen but probably more than that since I think I was faster at this point since I got a minute back on the climb.

Biggest time loss was the top of Blisco - about 3.5mins. I think either E on the Three Shines line until past all the rocks, and then due N, or NE directly from the summit look best. Not what I did which was go a little bit E and then keep trying to turn N and getting stuck.

Liked it, other than the first brutal climb, and good in the fog. One more recce before the race next year required, though!

Stats for future ref:

A gains time A overall ahead
Great End to Scafell Pike 90s 90s
Scafell Pike to FT gully 90s 3 mins
Off Scafell route choice 1 min 4 mins
Remainder to Slight Side 1 min 5 mins
Off Slight Side route 90s 6.5 mins
Remainder to river crossing 2 mins 30 9 mins
Gill climb -1 min 8 mins
Top of gill route choice 2 mins 10 mins
Blisco climb -1 min 9 mins
Blisco descent 4 mins 13 mins

Just to get us out of the house really :)

Awesome fun, tiny area, 1:5k, lots of twisting and turning. Couple of mistakes, one caused by remembering the control site from last time I was here; incorrectly; the other not sure what happened. Maybe 2 mins total.

2nd, 4 mins down on the leader but I did beat Tom F into 3rd and so I can basically retire from o now. At least until 2 weeks on Sunday, anyway.

In her first o event, Em was 7th on the orange. I am proud.

2 hour score O on 1:25k map organised by my running club. I've won twice in a row so no pressure.

Started well but misread the contours on the (badly printed tbf) map and made the call to leave a control until the end; still a reasonable choice. Next few controls all fine. Then bit of a rookie error, basically contoured along a parallel spur and didn't realise what was happening until far far too late. Found ok once I realised what I'd done. Then cut a nice orienteers-only corner through some brashings and climbed a very steep bank only to find a missing control site. Decided must be on an unmapped path and so climbed a bit higher, but this just confirmed position. Transpired later that control was in wrong place. Sigh.

Then next one ok but took a terrible route out of it for no reason I understand as I know the area pretty well. Another control ok but then the next control in the wrong place too (one wall junction down). Found this one though as it was on my way out.

Then another one fine, but then actually missed one - saw a massive bridge but no control and assumed there must be another bridge and so faffed around looking for one, couldn't find it and didn't have time to keep looking, so moved on. Turns out it was on the big bridge but slightly underneath, and I hadn't looked hard enough.

Time for one more control before getting back a minute early - if I'd read the late penalty I'd have got the final control since less than 5 mins late was worth an extra control - but I didn't.

So missed 3, but missed 2 really given went to the right control site of one of them.

Allen only missed 1 and so think he'll have won, he was pretty lucky though since the one he chose to miss was one of the ones in the wrong place, so he lost no time looking for it. Had that been on the right place, I'd have had time to get them all. But c'est la vie, I'll settle for the moral victory.

Good evening anyway, well planned to be so close to the wire, good weather, great to see so many people out on a navigation event! Looking forward to the actual o tomorrow.

Trying out my new shoes; like gloves as expected.

Fairly easy but with one 2 min uphill segment effort which I've finally won after 5 or 6 goes.

Hot and humid evening.

Routegadget for Sheffield; https://www.syo.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#222&cou...

Short loop from our AirBnb - middle bit lovely through Linacre/woods around lake - first and last quarters totally overgrown paths with damp vegetation - bit grim tbh.

Feeling ok.

https://www.syo.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#222&cou...

5th.

Feeling surprisingly ok after yesterday actually just needed a wee the whole way around which was really tedious. Bit hard to stop in an urban.

Great to be urban orienteering again though; really missed it. Defo the only thing I miss from Bristol, having high quality urban orienteering every week.

Mostl6 good choices I think. Maybe not 100pc optimum. Few occasions going wrong side of buildings. Didn't look which side the control was on for the one after map the map flip, and didn't nav that one at all well, bit lucky to only lose 30s or so here. Good choice to the control after though so recovered well. The one after had a removed control crossed out on the map and a path drawn across some oob - this was explained in the start lane but not deep enough in my subconsciousness to actually use, and so made a disastrous stairs choice rather than a nice ramp so lost at least a minute (like, 6 flights at least). Couple more fine and then I went to the wrong side of something else; clearly not learning, didn't check. A couple later the same thing again but that one didn't matter.

Couple of mins then in mistakes which would have put me third but still a way down on the leaders. Without the 10 hour run yesterday? To be honest not sure it made that much difference, they just feel like totally different sports. No more in my calendar for ages now, which is a shame. Really hope some abroad travel is allowed later in the year!

Despite my attempts at sabotage he still managed to get round 59 minutes faster than me; 18:54. Good effort. Splits analysis afterwards shows that he rested for 30 more minutes than I did, too, so was moving significantly faster.

Up into the fog from Dunmail. Tried Tom's corner cut towards the fence post in the marsh towards Calf Crag - there is then another top that you need to go to the left of and contour around. After that it is a much better route (ie less marshy).

First time I've done SM before HR and frankly I didn't care for it :)
SM tough in the fog and went to another top first. Navigating with the actual map. Relocated on stream just E of true summit. Not actually a bad route, probably trivial in the daylight! Ascent seems quite long from the bottom though and not an easy trod or anything. HR fine, and then admittedly it is a nice route to Thunacar from HR.

Messed up the line to the first Stickle in the fog and ended up on the rocky path that I took on my route, AND came off the first Stickle on the super rocky path rather than the nice grassy gully I've never had a problem with finding before! Much slower.

Decided to end the sabotage at that point. Good routes on Rosset (although can come up even later; still don't quite believe that you can't see the summit until about 20m away) and Bowfell, and for the rest of L3.

Thought I'd carry on for the training but was flagging a bit. Don't think we did anything revolutionary on L4; no clag so much easier.

Good day out. He did annoyingly well with the start-at-sub-18-hour-pace-and-keep-going strategy that everyone else thought was a terrible idea!

Looking forward to some more races next weekend.

C • Given that 2

Very easy with Em. Feeling a bit run down.

Socially paced Kinder loop. These shoes are no good in the dusty conditions, need something with more grip.

Feeling off. Also foot still hurts, might have to have tomorrow off.

Easy canal/middlewood loop after my LiRF course. That's right, now I can tell people how to run more betterer with actual authority, rather than just doing it anyway.

My right foot outside is sore from where I'd been putting too much weight on it after destroying my big toe on Saturday. Feels like a temporary problem.

Genuinely forgot how slow runs are when I'm not leading them - rest stops all over the place. Should've still led even though a bit tired.

Nice evening, a bit cooler than recently.

2nd, by 28 seconds!
https://www.sportident.co.uk/results/RotarySettle/...

Only entered this because I knew another race was the only way I was going to get out doing something tough post-Ennerdale. Psychologically tough from the start: getting up before 6am again, putting suncream on again, getting aching legs moving again...
Not a particularly inspiring course although some nice sections. Thick high level cloud and no wind made it very humid and unpleasant.

Carried 1L of water so I didn't have to stop at the CPs, which worked fine. Glad I did this because it was a pretty long way between some of them!

I'm awarding myself the moral victory because I looked the winner up on Strava and he only ran 8k yesterday.

Ludicrously pleased with this; fifty minutes faster than last time?!

https://www.sportident.co.uk/results/CFRA/2021/Enn...

This went really well. Made a conscious effort on the run out and the first climb, and went much better than last time, I think only 1 (Nic) passed me on the climb. As soon as we got to the top though, passed by about 20 people. I was taking it relatively easy on the flattish bit to Red Pike but didn't expect so many to fly past (71st to 89th by Red Pike).

Good line contouring high stile,quite far left at High Crag and tried to drop down S to avoid the worst of the rocks; reasonable success. Then the gamble I'd made based on Strava from last time, dropped down E at the tarn before Seat to avoid the rocky descent at the end of Seat. I think the line I picked was probably a little high, but it was clearly good enough for a load of people to follow me. Tbh not sure if this is actually faster than going over Seat. But fun to try something different. Had lost another place by Blackbeck (into 90th) so maybe not so good? Hard to say over a 40 minute leg though.

Green Gable seemed to come up really fast, I was surprised when I got to the summit. Picked up two places to 88th and still feeling good. I took the reverse of the BG way to Windy Gap as I've never dropped straight off; must look at that next weekend. But the down and along way to Beckhead and then up to Kirkfell was fine. Another 2 picked off, into 86th. Had some marshal-water at kirkfell.

Red gully was fine since there were people behind me so I had so go faster than I really wanted! Then picked the correct path to Pillar for probably the first time. 78th at Pillar so must've done something right here.

Took the grassy(ish) line toward Red Pike (the other one) from Pillar and then contoured around, got to the bottom pretty much the exact time as a guy who I was with at the summit, so not much to be gained there. Contoured around Scoat which is clearly better, not sure why I wrote last time that there wasn't much in it. Powered up to Haycock. One place lost to 79th.

Some point around here, kicked a rock and was convinced I'd broken my toe. Hurt significantly for the next 30mins and had to run on the side of my foot, which was awkward. Pain gradually faded, luckily.

Another new route choice for me, contoured around Silver Cove. Crossed the wall at the col but could probably have crossed one stile earlier. The trod around the edge is pretty rough but probably beats the extra couple of contours ascent. Back to 78th at Iron Crag.

Then the dull follow-the-wall section. Didn't see anyone until just before the summit and then overtook three for 75th. Smashed it down the hill for significantly my best split position (36th) and 71st overall.

Happy with the performance, definitely. 1L plus maybe 400ml total from Kirkfell and Pillar marshals was a little on the low side. Streams aren't really in the right places on this race. 2 Clif bars was fine.

Last yr in brackets.

GB 3839 (4620)
RP 2616 (3238)
BB 4023 (5239)
GG 2611 (3132)
KF 2158 (2653)
P. 3421 (4057)
H. 2615 (3010)
IC 1931 (1950)
CF 2228 (2501)
F. 1335 (1647)

Based on this it very much looks like the Iron Crag contour isn't a good idea. Looking at the Harvey's map, the stile either in the col and then staying on the fence, or the stile on the summit, look best.

C • good effort. 6

Struggling to keep up with my own group again.

Nice evening though and good to start from somewhere else and get some decent elevation in for a Thursday.

Em bought me a sports massage earlier which was an hour of pain; expected everything to feel much looser but not really massively different which was a bit disappointing. Probably good for me, though.

C • SM 3

Not a race (with a mass start and marshals) around the old Goyt's Moss race route - never done it as I think it stopped in 2014ish.

Nathanael wasn't racing as saving himself for his BG and therefore only came 3rd; Chris was there and we were together for the first 10mins or so, but I got away from him up the first hill. N caught me at the top but then took it easy downhill, so I got away and then was on my own. Still pretty tense though actually; kept looking round to see if they were nearby although actually I finished with something like a 2.5 min margin.

So good fun and felt like I ran it well. Ground very dry although some surprising boggy patches were slippery and dangerous at speed and in these shoes!

Achilles niggle defo improving from not wearing the 290s for a while now.

I have a really sore throat, though - not sure if that's related to the run or not.

Easy up Nab and loop around.

Got some 275s which are 8mm drop compared to the 3mm of the 290s which I think is making my Achilles hurt. Seemed good.

Struggling to keep up with my own group tonight after the 40 mile 5000m ascent weekend - but not too far down to be fair.

Nice evening.

https://www.mdoc.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#329&co...

I definitely can't compete with the actual elites on this kind of terrain! Good fund to try occasionally though. In general, the routes I took were too safe; knowing exactly where I was for the whole leg, rather than running straight only looking at the high level detail and only using the minutiae when nearer the control. I did do that okay on a couple of legs but they tended to be the ones where straight was a bad choice!

Really don't like 1:15k as the magnifier messes with my distance judgement - hopefully this was my last M21E event (at least at non-urban) and so I can avoid it in future.

I was quite pleased with my run (ie, slow and careful but no big mistakes) until #14 when I relied too much on the ride and not enough on any of the other features , and then totally failed to read the contours and had to go all the way to the top of the hill to relocate - actually did this pretty well but it took ages.

My other big miss #18 I feel as I was genuinely unlucky as I was in the right place...actually looking at the descriptions it does say knoll SW side; think I was looking at the NE of it and assuming the control wasn't there...I never tend to use that columns for non-urbans #lessonlearned.

Forest orienteering is not my forte. Enjoyed the first 90 mins or so, then just looking forward to it being over really... the good sign was that my legs were basically fine from 11 hours and 4000m ascent the day before. Ultra running definitely my strength.

The plan was to do legs 3 and 5, but I thought 3 and 4 would be a better training run.

Left house at 3:15am to drive to Keswick to meet Wendy to get lift to Dunmail for c.7am start, Matt had lost 13 mins on L1 and another 5 or so on L2 so he was a bit behind. Strong on first two summits tho. Tom took a good line to Calf Crag which I'd copy - trod which begins by going diagonally across a marshy area towards a lone fence post, just after you go around to the right of a little summit. Looks like it's going to be too far left but isn't.

He also took a good line from Thunacar Knott to Harrison Stickle, I've always been left before on the rocky path, but we went right of the protruding summit instead and picked up a trod, and it was much quicker.

On the Bowfell line I realise what I did wrong last time, there's one place where the trod splits and one contours and there's a scree slope upwards, and it's the scree slope you want. It's really clear from there.

Matt was struggling about Esk, slurring his words and talking about quitting. We were outwardly buoyant but inwardly worried. He was ok on Yewbarrow but struggled on Red Pike - I went the non-standard route via Gosforth Crag and was 43:13, which was 6:51 quicker than them. Need to compare this with my other times, think I did a spreadsheet somewhere...

Tom also contoured around the rocks to Steeple and came out at a lower stile, I think that's a good route too. The way down before Looking Stead is to get down to the R path asap, and I got that right this time.

From here Matt was flying, I struggled to keep up on Kirkfell and Gable. We implemented the good route down Gable perfectly. Easy from there to Honister (R-most spur).

Good day, but I definitely had a bad patch around 9 hours. Need to keep getting out on longer runs.

Too much to do and got to get an early night!

C • Sunday 2

Bit disastrous really, tried a new loop but stymied by multiple cow encounters and newly-mown fields.
Doubt I'd take a group that way again!

C • Cattle 3

Easy loop in the heat.

Ended up being tough for an evening run, although my own fault since I planned it. Warm evening. Somewhere in the middle of the group but noone else had run for 7 hours yday, so I was happy.