Training Log Archive: Mark3

Had been looking forward to this but no expectations of making the A Final so was just hoping for a clean run.

Which is basically what I had...it reminded me a bit of the banana plantation village event in China (best sprint ever) only not as hard. Tried to stick to the big roads and use the alleys only when necessary, and uses the occasional open areas and zigzags to relocate in emergencies and as catching features.

Some of my routes weren't perfect and I hesitated and stopped a couple of times, notably on #6. And my route on the only real leg with something uncrossable on it, 11, was the one where I did try a complicated wiggle and then couldn't get through, when going around the longer way would have been better.

Good apart from that, though.

9th of 16 on my heat - but it was tougher competition than the other heat. Not far down on Ben Stevens and Leon.

Not sure what the rules are for the final but they let in 18, so 9 on each heat; so just scraped in.

Pretty excited about this tbh - never made it to the A final before. Starting first, though I was pretty sure I could beat a couple who'd qualified from the other heat and so was hoping for top 15.

Got a new red Elite number and everything.

Quite a bit of pressure; not something which usually affects me since there's not usually any expectation! All uphill steps at the start made any pre planning hard and then the first section was a trickier estate than the Qualifier with loads of steps and fences. I did this bit quite poorly really, #2 and #3 especially my routes were rubbish and longer but easier (as with before) would have been better.

Learned my lesson eventually and had a pretty good remainder of run. Last 5 or so controls 11th and 12th places, but the damage had been done earlier on and there was no way I'd ever have been troubling the top 10.

However - 13th is pretty good. It's rare that I have a consistent performance in a competition where it actually matters (as much as any of them do) and so I was really pleased with this performance. Looking forward to some more urbans soon.

C • Well done 2

Happy with this. I've probably only gone sub 18 five or six times.

The course was perfectly flat but had a 180 degree corner twice, which I hate; there was a 120 degree corner twice too. And the tarmac was slippery in places due to the rain overnight. So yeah, pleased given the conditions. Slightly annoying to be 5th after having been 3rd the whole way around, the guy just behind passed me with 500m to go and some guy I hadn't seen the whole time sprinted past with 100m left - I had nothing. Only 4s and 8s ahead of me. N was 2nd in 17:15.

6th
https://events360.co.uk/results/?event_id=62

I guess a fairly low standard since I wouldn't normally be top 10 in such a short race. Full kit required due to the weather, so I was glad I stuck hat and gloves in my bag as an afterthought this morning. I guess the forecast put people off. There was no route online so I didn't have a map - it's a good job I didn't actually have to use the 1:40 badly printed thing they were giving out since it would have dissolved instantly in the rain - but probably 60 percent of the course was flagged (to the PW pretty much, then from Black Hill all the way down).

With a couple of guys in 5-6-7 for the whole race. The top four were miles ahead; more than five minutes I reckon. My choice of trail shoes was correct for all the rocky path and flagstones on the way up, and I was in 5th for the majority. Then it was very boggy along the top undulating part (think: how deep is this bit going to be - ankles or neck?) and I managed to stay upright and relatively fast. But when we got to the steep down neither my shoes or my knee could handle it and the dark peak guy got away.

Having been only light drizzle and atmospheric cloud up to that point, it then became the torrential yellow weather warning that was forecast and was pretty grim for the last ten minutes. Very cautious down the last steep bit down to the finish. Not a day for PBs - or risks!

Really enjoyed it actually; there's not as much on the flagstones as I remembered, and lots of it is so technical you have to concentrate significantly the whole time. Would definitely do this again.

Not really intending on a tempo but just felt ok. Loads of exercises and stretching and nothing from my knee today which was good.
Despite the drizzle it's still warm and humid out.

Get all controls as fast as you can score event put on by the running club. Each one has a clue since they haven't got their heads around MapRun yet, but since you're allowed to go and recce the answers then for me, it's basically a MapRun.

Noone has really had a proper fast go other than me, but I'm also winning shortest distance at the moment too, which I'm pleased about as I spent at least at hour thinking about it.

My knee didn't hurt but defo felt odd and was feeling more odd nearer the end... Undecided on long run on Saturday at the moment.

Walked around finding the remainder of the street O clues; probably 20k.

Then spent over an hour correcting OSM for all the stuff that was either incorrect or just not mapped... reckon this will result in a much improved map for next year's event :)

My knee feels fine whilst not actually running.