Training Log Archive: fletch

Warm-up, 3 downhill courses and walking uphill between the courses.

I was woeful. Got gradually better in parts, but overall bombed all three courses. Felt like I was making good plans, but dismally failing to execute. Real trouble actually seeing what was around me and matching it back to what was on the map.

In hindsight, I think I can put a lot of it down to not feeling comfortable moving through the terrain and spending a lot of time looking at my feet instead of my surroundings. Hopefully be better for the run and bush with less undergrowth may be less of an issue next weekend. If not, I will need to run more conservatively and make a real effort to hold straighter lines, as I was all over the shop today when essentially meant to be on a bearing.

Warm up was OK, then lost focus between the end of the WU and starting, not helped by trying to start without clear-and-checking, leading to a bit of a scramble before I picked up the map.

Not happy with this one at all. Was feeling pretty good before the start, then turned over the map and felt visually assaulted by the colours. One the way to the first control I changed my route because I couldn't make out whether there was a track under a north line or not. Started to run from 1 to 8, then from 3 to 7. Realised my mistake each time when I realised the lines didn't actually come out of the control I had just left. I didn't actually find a number on the map till I was nearly at #4. Took a crap option on the way to 12, then finished the job by running down a dead end path, before totally not seeing #16 and skipping it totally.

Pity that the printing was a bit weird and more importantly that I was totally crap and really let it get to me, as it was a really interesting course.

Was a bit more measured in my approach and a combination of this and having been to 2/3 of the controls previously meant this was pretty clean. A little miss in the circle on 3 and a hesitation heading into 10, but probably 10 seconds or so all up.

Didn't feel pressured by people chasing me down and managed to largely ignore the people in front, except for nearly colliding with Graham on an in -and-out at 4 or 5. Probably helped by knowing tRicky was just jogging and I had 90 seconds up my sleeve to fenry.

Long - Splits

From work, down to the beach and along to Jindalee and return. Felt a little weary early on, but better in the second half, other than the final climb.

A couple of km on my own before the session, plus about 1km each of WU and CD with the group.

Session was nominally 10 x 600m. Apparently when you added on the double U turn it was a little long.

Technique-wise it was a simplification map, where we looked at an M course from Gunapin last year, ran the interval, then attempted to redraw the map on a blank bit of paper (the bits we needed to use to navigate by). Interesting exercise to see what stood out as important to each person. 1 leg at a time for most people (me included)

My guts had had enough after 7 reps and I pulled the pin after the 8th. Not totally unexpected as eating etc was pretty disrupted at work today, so I'm not expecting a recurrence.

Time and distance approx.

Martin clan x 4, Josh, Mitch (with Michelle helping Josh and Mitch thru a simpler activity), tRicky, Tash, Shane, Sten, Mike, Alice, Matt, Ann, Me.
Think that was all.

Yes. I've just had 3 days off. Not planned, but not overly concerned either.

Monday I needed the sleep, so skipped the morning recovery run and was still feeling flat in the arvo, so just decided not to make it up.

Tuesday slept in again, then after standing in the sun all day at a swimming carnival I couldn't face running in 34 degree heat, so skipped again. Figured that would be my 'rest day'.

Wednesday still couldn't face getting out of bed and by the time it cooled down enough for me to be tempted to run, P was out of the house for the evening and running wasn't an option.

On the bright side, starting to feel more energetic and generally motivated again.