Training Log Archive: blairtrewinIn the 31 days ending Jul 31, 2006:
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Monday Jul 31, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 38:42 [4] *** 5.8 km (6:40 / km) +215m 5:38 / km
spiked:15/16c
This was the IOF and press race. I felt pretty good, helped by the cooler weather (and a nice area close to Arhus), but the field was a lot stronger than I was anticipating (I'd hoped this might be a chance to win something...). Havard Tveite claims not to have trained for three years, but you don't have to believe him - he ran 31 (and a few Finns did pretty well too).
Sunday Jul 30, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 1:27:50 [4] *** 11.3 km (7:46 / km) +595m 6:09 / km
spiked:21/24c
A better run than yesterday, both physically and technically, but faded away a bit in the heat (28) in the last 2k, and made a couple of small mistakes late. Still in the top third in 21E which surprises me a little. Again a tough area physically - until this week I wouldn't have thought it possible to have 5-6% climb in Denmark!
Saturday Jul 29, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 41:20 [4] *** 5.2 km (7:57 / km) +230m 6:31 / km
spiked:14/17c
Ran a course based on the WOC middle qualifier and was given a bit of a wake-up call as to how far away from world class I am these days - just as well no-one asked me to be an emergency stand-in for the potential long vacancy! Didn't miss a great deal but felt slow all the way, without much power on all the short hills. Our course combined the first half of heat A with the second half of heat B - it was a little longer than both but probably only to the tune of a minute or so.
Friday Jul 28, 2006 #
Event: WOC 2006
Thursday Jul 27, 2006 #
Run 1:37:00 [3]
Took a while to get into it but a nice one from about 30 minutes onwards, particularly in some of the more sheltered valleys where cool air had lingered into the morning. Switzerland is great but will be glad to leave the heat behind!
Wednesday Jul 26, 2006 #
Run 1:10:00 [3] 15.0 km (4:40 / km) +450m 4:03 / km
Took to the hills today. Had hoped to get to the top of the range east of Thun but had a couple of false starts up dead ends (including one marked walking track which ended at an electric fence), so had to settle for the village about 400m above the lake. A much better run than the last two days, handling the long climbs well, and my quads didn't scream too much on the way down the hill either.
Tuesday Jul 25, 2006 #
Run intervals ((fartlek)) 39:00 [4] 9.0 km (4:20 / km)
10 1-minute reps again. Never felt as if I had much speed, and Achilles took a long time to warm up.
Monday Jul 24, 2006 #
Run 40:00 [3] 9.0 km (4:27 / km)
Pretty uninspiring, despite the nice scenery on the Thun waterfront.
Sunday Jul 23, 2006 #
Run 1:37:00 [3] 21.0 km (4:37 / km)
A nice longish run through the forests around Zurich, on my own for the first loop then with Ben Schulz (who lives in Zurich these days) for the last hour. Achilles again sore for the early part - some of the initial climbs were testing - but then settled down nicely and a good second half. Not as hot or humid as I'd feared; the deep shade in the forest helps. It was my longest run for a month.
Yesterday's trip from Helsinki to Zurich was an epic involving one flight, four trains, one underground, a tram, a bus and multiple razor-thin connections, but I made it in the end, witnessing in the process a once-in-a-lifetime event - a Swiss train which was an hour late. (It was just as well it was a bit late - if it had been on time I would have missed my connection in Feldkirch - but an hour was perhaps too much of a good thing).
Yesterday's trip from Helsinki to Zurich was an epic involving one flight, four trains, one underground, a tram, a bus and multiple razor-thin connections, but I made it in the end, witnessing in the process a once-in-a-lifetime event - a Swiss train which was an hour late. (It was just as well it was a bit late - if it had been on time I would have missed my connection in Feldkirch - but an hour was perhaps too much of a good thing).
Friday Jul 21, 2006 #
Run 40:00 [3]
A pretty sluggish effort despite the nice setting. Achilles sore at start but warmed up quickly.
Thursday Jul 20, 2006 #
Run 1:31:00 [3]
Not quite as good as yesterday - a bit of groin tightness at times, particularly later on. Still a very nice setting for a run, managing to stay on forest tracks to within 3km of the Helsinki city centre - it was nice to be in the middle of a forest and see a sign 'Keskusta 3.5' (Keskusta is city centre). It wasn't quite so nice once I actually got to the Keskusta, but pleasant on the whole.
Wednesday Jul 19, 2006 #
Run 1:09:00 [3] 15.0 km (4:36 / km)
Didn't expect a lot after sitting in a conference hall all day, but loosened up quickly. It was a run which was classic Finland, going from small rocky island to small rocky island across small bridges - I'll miss this when I get home. Battling the lunchtime pedestrians on Southbank won't be quite the same.
Tuesday Jul 18, 2006 #
Run ((fartlek)) 39:00 [4] 9.0 km (4:20 / km)
Fartlek session with 10 1-minute reps in the middle, jog recovery. Slow at the start like yesterday but loosened up quite nicely, and the reps all went well, getting a bit faster as it went on as usually happens with these sessions.
Monday Jul 17, 2006 #
Run 40:00 [3] 9.0 km (4:27 / km)
A fairly easy run around the Helsinki waterfront. Took a long time to loosen up and never really felt comfortable. Being at a conference has definite pluses, but on the negative side I'm not sure I was quite ready for an alarm with a '5' in front of it again....
Sunday Jul 16, 2006 #
Run 1:33:00 [3] 21.0 km (4:26 / km)
A very pleasant run through the western edge of Helsinki on a lovely morning, mostly on bike paths. Particularly good in the middle. Tailed off a bit at the end but never really struggling.
Friday Jul 14, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 1:05:48 [4] **** 8.5 km (7:44 / km) +370m 6:21 / km
spiked:15/17c
Missed one early on after committing the cardinal sin in depression terrain of not making sure which way was up, but only lost a minute and an increasingly good run thereafter. Probably feeling my strongest all week in the second half, which is not what is supposed to happen in a 5-day and probably owes something to the cooler weather today. Held on to 7th, not quite catching 6th and not quite being caught by 8th.
This was my last race for a bit over 2 weeks. After 16 in a month I suspect I'll appreciate the break. Conferencing in Helsinki next week.
Final score on the finish splits: 2-1 to me with two draws.
This was my last race for a bit over 2 weeks. After 16 in a month I suspect I'll appreciate the break. Conferencing in Helsinki next week.
Final score on the finish splits: 2-1 to me with two draws.
Thursday Jul 13, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 39:05 [4] **** 4.3 km (9:05 / km) +200m 7:22 / km
spiked:6/9c
Standing around in the sun for hours beforehand waiting to see which novel way the next Australian competitor would find to get themselves disqualified from the MTBO WOC relay probably wasn't the ideal preparation for this. I felt very ordinary, like day 1, but unlike day 1 didn't hit the controls - lost about 2.5 minutes at 2, probably my most significant error of the trip to date, and never comfortable at any other time. Remained in 7th but any chance of climbing from that is gone, and I might come under pressure from behind if I run as poorly tomorrow.
Wednesday Jul 12, 2006 #
Run 40:00 [3] 9.0 km (4:27 / km)
Fin-5 rest day today. A cruise around the fringe of Joensuu in the morning, pretty stiff and sore early and never really got to be inspiring at any time. MTBO long distance today, with Adrian Jackson a close 6th.
Tuesday Jul 11, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 1:17:21 [4] **** 9.6 km (8:03 / km) +400m 6:40 / km
spiked:13/16c
Much more technical and traditional Finnish terrain than the last two days, particularly in the first half with a lot of rock and very few tracks. On my first visit in 1998 I would have been blown away in this stuff; this year I can navigate through it, but not with the confidence to be able to run aggressively. A pity that I've learnt to navigate here five years after I stopped being able to run fast. Another solid performance, an annoying one-minuter on the first control after leaving the difficult stuff, and continuing to hold a solid 7th place with 2 days to go. Also 2-0 with one tie against Liggo on the finish chute splits....
Monday Jul 10, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 47:30 [4] **** 7.2 km (6:36 / km) +230m 5:41 / km
spiked:15/16c
Another good run technically with only one 20-seconder, and a bit stronger than yesterday. Had the best of the conditions, starting last instead of first and with a bit of cloud cover. Plenty of tracking. A physically easier area than yesterday and the field wasn't quite as spread out.
Sunday Jul 9, 2006 #
Event: Fin5
Run race ((orienteering)) 54:30 [4] **** 6.9 km (7:54 / km) +370m 6:14 / km
spiked:11/12c
Didn't miss a thing but struggled physically on the many short hills, probably inevitable after a hard racing program (and being out in 30 degrees all day watching the mountain bikes). Quite a respectable placing, 6th.
Friday Jul 7, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 1:15:51 [4] **** 10.6 km (7:09 / km) +390m 6:03 / km
spiked:23/29c
WMOC final, 22nd. Again a bit sloppy in the detail early but no big time losses, and missed nothing in the second half. Lacked a bit of energy at times, particularly in mid-race - perhaps the heat (about 30 and pretty humid) but much stronger at the end. A better race than either qualifier, but would have liked to have cracked the top 20 - top 10 was probably beyond me. Nice area with a lot of detail, especially early on.
Thursday Jul 6, 2006 #
Run 38:00 [3] 8.0 km (4:45 / km)
Some casual shaking out of cobwebs. Didn't feel too bad after getting rid of initial stiffness.
Wednesday Jul 5, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 1:11:51 [4] **** 9.4 km (7:39 / km) +370m 6:23 / km
spiked:18/25c
Again scrappy but did the necessary, avoiding any disasters with nothing bigger than a minute, which was more than what a lot of the opposition did. Conservative in my route choices, particularly after hearing of Eric and Eddie's big mistakes before I started. Felt like I had a bit in reserve physically. From the times it looks like I've been in the deepest heat and look like qualifying about 9th from it with two so-so runs, so top 20 still looks a decent chance, maybe top 10 at the outside. Nice area with a fair bit of detail - certainly very little of the bland central European terrain that I was expecting big slices of.
Tuesday Jul 4, 2006 #
Run race ((orienteering)) 1:08:40 [4] *** 8.9 km (7:43 / km) +360m 6:25 / km
spiked:13/17c
First WMOC qualifier. A solid first two-thirds, although as it turned out I took the wrong option on the epic 2.5k, 200 metres climb second leg and dropped 2-3minutes. Became rather erratic in the closing stages but nothing disastrous. Would have liked to have been a bit higher than 13th - a time of 64-65 was defiitely in range - but well inside the cut (M35 being one of the easier classes to make the cut in).
Monday Jul 3, 2006 #
Run ((orienteering)) 40:00 [3] *** 5.2 km (7:42 / km) +220m 6:21 / km
spiked:16/16c
Model event for WMOC. Went out with Eric Morris and navigated alternate legs. Lovely forest with very little on the ground - hills are the only thing to slow you down, and map was excellent. Felt pretty smooth. Went for a map walk later on another model area more relevant to the final, which is a bit tougher and greener.
Sunday Jul 2, 2006 #
Run 45:00 [3] 10.0 km (4:30 / km)
Planned as a fairly casual run before the park race. First 10 minutes was very hard going with a lot of stiffness, but the second half was terrific - definitely the best I've felt on a run since arriving in Europe. Must have been the inspiring industrial-estate-on-the-edge-of-nowhere scenery...
Run race ((park O)) 19:45 [4] *** 3.5 km (5:39 / km) +20m 5:29 / km
spiked:26/28c
A little slow out of the blocks but running pretty strongly at the end. Fairly easy for a European old town race with only a couple of major route choices. One annoying mistake where I didn´t realise an electricity box constituted a ´building´. Managed to avoid injuring myself, which is something given that I have a somewhat unfortunate history with park races before major events (and that there is an unfortunate family history with park races in this part of the world). 7th in a field of 55, which is unusually good for me in a park race and suggests there may not be a lot of depth in the M35 field.
Saturday Jul 1, 2006 #
Event: WMOC 2006
Run 1:01:00 [3] 12.0 km (5:05 / km) +330m 4:28 / km
Neglected to enter the warm-up event, which was probably no bad thing as I've been in the terrain a fair bit. Went for a track run instead which meant that I got to see what the green stripe looks like (not very nice) without actually having to run in any of it. Warmed up faster than on most recent runs and handled the long grind in the first half (300m climb in 4k) pretty well; got a bit of a stitch on the downhill but not a bad run on the whole.