Training Log Archive: fletch

Too short wu
run thrus
3 loops hard(er than last week) 3 min recoveries
7:37 7:29 7:28
Too short cd

only tricky to pick up hos lights and Anne for company. turnouts like that might make it an easy decision on whether to pull the pin on these sessions after state champs.

Event: Fred Jacoby Park
 

Event: Perth City to Surf
 

Got started much later than I'm used to, and with totally insufficient warm up after getting the family + 1 started on their VE course. Really felt the need for the WU after actually runnig for the last few days. Oh well.

GPS trace will make for pretty interesting reading. Didn't go anywhere near where I plannjed for #1, but got it OK in the end. Made a total hash of #2 in the rock detail. Had a few friends in there doing the same thing, so will be interesting to see how the detail matches where I actually went.

Slow to 3, but OK. Took a slide on a wet rock face on the way to #4. Have a pretty sore thumb and a hole in my hand now. 5 and 6 OK nav but both slow. Just couldn't get going in the terrain. Really needed to be feeling fitter and stronger to have any hope of getting aggressive enough to bach through at pace. Certainly not up to it today.

Got way off line on 7 and still missed even after relocation, then followed the wrong line of rocks up to 8. Was about 45 degrees off where I was meant to be going...

Super hesitant downhill to 9, but got there in the end after stopping on one wrong set of rocks on the way.

10 and 11 were long transport legs, but at least I got running a bit. Going past all the MTBers getting their bikes driven back to the top of the hill made me think I was doing the wrong sport for the day.

The rest was pretty bland, either straight line running or track options. At least I started to hold a straight line a bit better and the bush was more runnable, so felt a lot better physically. Stood around on the wrong side of the right rock at 15 and a bit hesitant down the hill into 16 where I didn't see the flag tucked in behind a shrub, but otherwise OK.

Knackered now.

H2 - Splits

Early run from work (yes, on a Saturday - silly open day to work at) out to the YB trail, north to Romeo Rd, along that just to confirm that it doesn't go all the way to Marmion Ave yet, then back again.

Felt OK at the start, major bowel issues again at 8km. Started to fade a bit after about 14-15km, but felt OK again when I got off the sand and back on some firmer ground.

Bit thirsty by the time I finished.

EDIT: Looks like Romeo Rd does go through. Shouldn't have paid any attention to the Water Authority signs :(

Easy morning jog. Felt surprisingly good after last night's intervals. Maybe I still have a tiny bit of residual fitness left.

Only issue was the sudden need for a dramatic bowel evacuation. Fortunately, there was a conveniently placed toilet block. I pity anyone else who needed to visit today.

Bit of a long warm-up showing Anne around the majority of the terrain loop. I only missed one turn... Also, now definitely have to leave the oval 25-50m earlier due to fallen tree making the top of that particular downhill impassable. Makes the times from today seem better in comparison to previous efforts than they actually were.

3 loops with 2 min recoveries. Intention was to make it a threshold type effort, but had forgotten how unrealistic that is on a loop with steep climbs, so just ran them hard but not flat out. Had hoped for 4 laps, but the second half of the last loop was pretty dodgy in the dark. Missed the track a couple of times and generally pussy-footed along a bit. Probably expalins most of the time blowout as I wasn't totally shattered.
7:51, 7:50, 8:00

13:50 WU
6 min CD

C • Fallen tree 4

Had a family picnic before the run. Didn't really warm up, and it showed in the splits for the first couple of controls.

Generally a pretty clean run. Didn't always take the shortest option, but never had to hunt for anything. Henry gave me a chance my running to the wrong control, but still ran me down by the second last control.

Felt pretty knackered afterwards. Dunno if it's because I've got the edge of a cold, haven't recovered fully from last weekend or something else.

Will need to find a little more mental intensity in the next week weeks before I have another serious race.

Long - Splits

Event: Caffeinated AR
 

Distance, time etc approx at moment. Will write up later.

Shortened and intensity-lowered 'intervals' session. Ended up doing the normal WU from Challenge to Crass farm start, met up with Brian, did most of a grass farm rep, one moderate rep up parabolic, which felt much harder than it should to run a 1:30, then cruised back to the cars to go home and start packing more stuff (started last night, but didn't seem to get much past putting everything on 'my' bike.

Having managed to not do my last couple of paddles, I headed out for a last bash before the race to remind myself what paddling felt like. Felt fine. Andre is marginally quicker than me. We stroke at a similar rate, so might be a good pairing in a sevvy. Will decide who gets the cruisy ride with Kris later.

Event: Murdoch (WA Sprint Championships)
 

Happy enough with the result, but not stoked with the run. Lots of little errors and not moving smoothly. About what I expected really. Had I been fit and in form a win might have been possible today, but I am neither and it showed.

Tried to skirt my way around the edge of the thicker bush to #1 expecting to see the control, but didn't and overran it slightly.
#2 happy with route initally, but missed the short way in to the control as it was hidden under the control circle.
Clean through 3,4,5, but on a crossover into 3 realised I wasn't really gaining on Shotrat at all
#6 was in the wrong place, but I saw it from about 15om away and ran straight to it.
#7 was long. Felt like I went the long way at the time, but in hidsight it may have been OK.
#8 had the potential to be a bit of a time loser and was happy to pick the route quickly and run it confidently.
Umm - will need to see map to jog memory.
#14 I ran well till baulking on my preferred route near the end as it looked a bit rough. Probably lost some time going the long way round.
#15 I was a bit lucky along the way. I had decided to go around on the roads but saw the clear corridor that led pretty much straight to the control on the ground, matched it to the map and took it, but then somehow ended up standing right next to the control but looking in the wrong direction (I think it was about 1-1.5m away from me), ran about 10m the wrong way before turning around and seeing it.
Last few were just running legs. Felt like I finished off OK, but not expecting great things.

Henry got me by a little over a minuter and I probably only got second due to illness of other potential competitors.

Lots of loops around the lawn looking at old sprint maps. Felt like it helped to get my eye in at the time, but then I botched the first 3 controls anyway. Probably looked at maps too much and didn't do enough higher intensity run throughs. Bit of a shock to the system getting started still??

Also less effective way of building concentration when so many people stop you to ask what you're looking at. NOT A MAP OF MURDOCH PEOPLE! CALM DOWN!!!

Long - Splits

Dunno exactly how long or how far. Grass farm loops trying out tow options.

First loop just ran with Shane
Second loop towing Andre with shock cord
3rd loop towing Andre with thin rope

Prett glad not to be smashing myself. Feeling pretty sluggish and unmotivated.