Training Log Archive: Mark3

2nd :)

Really happy with this. Deliberately started fast since knew the first half was all flat and down and that would be my better half. First k 3:28 which is not too shabby on grass. 2nd k 4 mins - uphill into the wind; same effort. Winning up until here then passed gradually by 3 guys, but stayed with them.

Overtook them down the hill to be leading by the drinks station at 4.5k, but they all passed me again as the climb began. Started to reel in the back 2 when the climb got really steep but front guy pretty much out of sight now. Got passed the other 2 for 2nd place on the next downhill and managed to maintain position up the pretty steep hill back to the racecourse.

Tried my best to get back to sub 4 min ks at the top of the hill and pretty much succeeded; could still hear the guy behind me getting closer and closer but luckily all the track work has paid off and my sprint finish is pretty good now; he had no chance :)

£20 voucher to spend at runninghome.co.uk which I've never used before but I'm sure will have something I can treat myself to.

Overall a really positive weekend :)

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/54048490...

Please have a look at runninghome.co.uk and see if there is anything you need - I have a voucher I'd like to swap for money (at a discount; obvs)

10k results:
http://www.relishrunningraces.com/resources/Roman%...

2nd / 145

Feel a bit sorry for my friend from work Chris - this was his 2nd ever 10k and I told him off-road ones weren't really harder...he came 129th (but did manage to beat some women and old men :) )

Next 10k pontypool on sunday...no wait, its the GWR mob match thingy on Friday night.

Actual running distance 14.5km - pretty far for an urban race especially in the sun...kept you concentrating all the way round though unlike Tavistock with the loop at the end through places you'd already been.

Running pretty well until 7 or 8k when the temperature caught up with me. Orienteering very well as well which is a change!

Slight mistake on 2; went to the right tree but ran past the control; probably should have been more certain it was the right tree rather than checking a few others.

Similar issue with 9; went to the right side of the right tree but control was a bit buried; did a lap of the tree and a bit of standing still staring at the map looking confused before I checked more thoroughly.

Route choice to 11 - similar distances but chose the one with more grass running; possible error?

Control desc for 14 a bit dodgy but didn't lose more than a few seconds.

"Proper" mistake on 38; lost a bit of concentration (working out which side 39 was on) and ended up at 40 instead; not too bad but then lost some time in relocating; probably 45 secs. Maybe tiredness causing this as well?

Overall though mistakes not much more than a minute; very pleased to beat Geoff (for the first time ever) and be only 3 mins down on Jegor Kostylev (ranked 18th) and 5 mins down on Peter Bray (ranked 21st) - probably the closest I'll ever get to them!

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/53973501...

Finally another good run in an a BOK urban! The previous 3 haven't been great.

Happy with all my route choices - just looking at splits; I'm very impressed that Adam managed to win #10 by 40 seconds when even on each of the three longest legs he's only been 20s ahead of me...but I will take his word for it that he didn't cut through the school :)

Went to the wrong side of #19 (only mistake), didn't unfold map to see control description and didn't read map in enough detail to recognise the gate - thought it was a culvert or something in the corner of the field that it was on the other side of; but then got there and had to run around. For later people the gate was open and they didn't have this issue; in theory not allowed, but without unfolding the description I'd have done this without realising as well.

Not good that had run past 19 on way to 1 and not twigged it was on my course - really should have checked as I did see the control!

Not happy with route to #20; I have this issue a lot where I take the route that's psychologically shorter even though it's pretty much the same and has more corners! Need to appreciate the corners add lots of time. Something to work on in Swindon at the weekend.

Minor route choice mistake on 23 as well where I think S first is better; but not a lot in it and I was doubtful of being able to find way through the buildings as looked complicated on way to 22.

Good to be second and not too far behind Adam; only a few secs on short legs and no more than 20 on the long legs, so just running speed; will hopefully improve with another winter of interval training.

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/53807779...

http://www.bristolorienteering.org.uk/sites/defaul...

C • #10 6

Always a hard race - managed to mid-foot strike the whole race which I was pleased with and it felt much better than the previous time I did it, but actually 1s or so slower so a bit disappointed.

Love to be able to blame it on the fall at Blaise, but didn't make any difference.

Sightly more consistent than last time mile splits;
5:43 and 5:56
Last time they were 5:40, 5:58.

Need to do a similar race without any hill; maybe a track 3km next time there is an open-track thingy?

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/53739740...

This didn't go too well...

Up to going down the zig-zag, 2 secs ahead (ish) of PB so really good. Let Chris Beck (ex-bosses bosses boss; so there is some rivalry) overtake me up the first hill; threatened to come past him on the grass but he looked over and saw me and put on a bit of pace; was feeling confident I could sit behind him on the tarmac and then overtake him up the off-road hill.

Then disaster - thought I'd slowed down enough for the downhill hairpin but apparently not - maybe I put too much faith in my trailrocs or maybe the 3mm heel drop makes running downhill a bit more dangerous? Either way I was pretty much round the corner but my legs wanted to continue down the hill - landed pretty hard on upper leg and mainly right hand. Thought about carrying on until looked down at my hand; lower two fingers drenched in blood and dripping onto the ground; probably more prudent to call it a day.

It actually looked a lot worse than it was; oozes a bit and hurt like hell in the shower (the neighbours probably wondered what the screaming was about) but could've been worse.

Just annoying that the race was going pretty well - and missed out on 2/3rds of the hills so a lot of valuable training!

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/53683711...