Training Log Archive: 007

just a jog. not what had planned but oh well..

Event: Schweizer Meisterschaft im Nacht-OL Langdistanz
 

Swiss night O champs.. bitter disappointment :(
I was really looking forward to my first night champs and was feeling in good 'race mode'.
It was a hectic mass start with all the girls but I managed to head off fast in the right direction and found myself towards the front on the long leg to the first control. Approaching the first control I could see that the other girls were running too far along the track, so I cut in earlier and nailed the control as first! Lost a little time on number two which was a short leg along the slope in green, but many lost almost 10 minutes here! Heading off to three I was alone but ran well up to the map change (40 mins) without really any mistakes. I was pleased to be following my plan of running fast track options, being really careful with direction in the forest and nailing the controls. After the map change I made two little mistakes but relocated well and was continuing merrily on my way when suddenly, my headlamp died.
No warning, just suddenly pitch dark. I hadn't taken my spare lamp because it is quite bulky and not bright enough to race, though in hindsight of course I wish I had. I tried using the light from my watch to find a way on the tracks to the finish. Luckily on the way I helped a boy who asked where we were and he lent me his spare lamp which was very dim but enough to see the map and the next step ahead.
I felt so gutted, going from having a really good run and being totally in the flow to suddenly being in darkness and the race over. I only had 2k left to go, and was on a time of 50 minutes so I think I would easily have finished under 1:12, which would have put me less than 10mins behind in around 7th. I've never had a top 10 in a Swiss national.. So frustrating!

Positives:
- had a solid plan and stuck to it
- confident, trusted my navigation
- calm, not rushing, especially important into controls
- no result = disappointed = extra motivation

To improve:
- Physically felt ok but not able to push into top gear. Need to do running races to train this. HR usually higher than this for O races.
- some negative thoughts, because I was alone I assumed that somehow everyone was in front of me.

Map and GPS

Results
(splits are confusing because the order doesn't match what I ran because of forking and for the controls I missed (6-10 and 22-F) they just gave me the slowest split times!?)

C • bad luck 2

warm up, warm down and jog back to finish
arches still a bit sore

Easy morning, Löliwald, with 10x 20''20'' hill sprint.
Felt good except my arches are feeling a bit sore, perhaps from wearing non supportive shoes yesterday and running for the train in them.

Night O training, Chäferberg. Mass start with two loops and splitting, though mostly running alone. Good to test out the new lamp (it's rather heavy and uncomfortable but will do) and identify a few things to do better for the night O champs on saturday.
Push myself hard physically. Don't shy away from track options. Accurate compass when cutting through forest. Very disciplined approaching controls, not risky.

Quads feeling a little tender, esp right. Arches still tight too esp left, though didn't feel it running.
Bit of a rest tomorrow.

Despite the perfect running weather I didn't get out till dark.. got a bit wrapped up in uni work (still trying to choose a masters project).
Anyway.. the lights were on at the aths track (I'm lucky enough to have a track 10 mins from my place) and the soccer team was training in the middle which gave me extra motivation ;)
10x 400m @90sec pace (3:45min/k) with 60sec rec (100m walk/jog).
I added a kick on the last 100m of the last 5, and the last rep I ran flat out.
91, 90, 90, 89, 90, 89, 87, 86, 86, 83
Pace wasn't super hard expect for the pushing at the end, but it's a good start and benchmark for future training. Looking forward to some track training with TSV once we switch to 'summer time'.

TSV run- I have to remember how much easier it is to train with others.. Just Dominik and Simon and I tonight but it was a good pace. Not so hard that I couldn't talk a bit, but slightly out of the comfortable zone. Ran over the slope to Schubelbach, then through the fields to Wangen etc.
Looking forward to running and training for the GP Bern again at the start of may (great 16k road race I did last year).

Didn't get to TSV run and strength training because prac at uni went much longer than expected, got home really tired at 8.30. Not having time for as much training as I would like, but I suppose I have to make the sessions I do, count.