Training Log Archive: AliC

Jog over to Frisbee Cuppers and back to Sainsbury's to food shop afterwards.

Ultimate Frisbee Cuppers competition for the Frisbedials (= Remedial Frisbee) the astrophysics ultimate team. Good fun, and hard at times, I'm very competetive but not so quick on the instant speed side of things so I did lots of attempting to chase people down, which was tiring!

I'm also a bit tired from yesterday, I'll admit.

20 min before 1500m, some jogging inbetween the 1500m and 5k, a good 10 minutes inbetween the 5k and the 2k steeplechase, and then not terribly much afterwards- just a lap I think.

1500m race on the track. The two girls from Cambridge took it off, with me and Marina behind them, which was fine by me since it was way windy and I wanted the shelter, being much taller than all the other girls. Marina and one Cambridge girl dropped off somewhere on the 3rd lap, and Clare and I came around with 400 to go together. She had been leading the whole way and I knew I needed to make my move somewhere soon as people told me she had a quick kick for the finish. So I pulled around with 300 to go and didn't look back! Apparently I had 40m on her by the finish!

5k race. This was run with the seconds team, so there were 8 runners in the race instead of just 4. Oxford dominated. We started slow, but by the 3rd lap, it was 4 Oxford girls and one Cambridge girl in a pack. We kept switching the lead to break the wind. Around lap 7 I took the lead and sped it up a bit which broke the pack, which needed to happen since points-wise, we needed our two first team girls (me and Courtney) to break from the one Cambridge girl. I led a lap, then Courtney, then she totally broke away from me with 1k to go- she's a stronger runner- I had nothing to respond with, espeically after the 1500m.

Very happy with 17:53, however. 8 seconds off PB, in wind with some slowness at the beginning for tactics, and after having done a 1500.

To finish the day off, I offered to do the steeplechase instead of Cathy, who was slightly injured.

Lots of fun! I'd never really hurdeled anything before, except for the occasional tree in the woods or something, but a friend showed me the basics right before the race, and then was off! The water barriers were difficult, but really fun. I only landed on one foot once (landing on two is much slower!), but I know I could and keep more momentum if I practiced at all at it.

It's probably the track event most like orienteering. There's stuff to get around, and it's a bit more mental- I kept forgetting that I was supposed to run really hard because I was often thinking about just getting over the next barrier!

Bit tired afterwards. Think I competed over the most distance of anyone at the varsity match.

C • steeple 2

Taking it easy for tomorrow!!!

Easy light session on the track. I'm trying to rest up and prepare for varsity on Saturday. I did two 200s at a fast but easy pace, and visualized a 1500m race as I ran it on the track.

Swimming with Helen in the early morning. Wow, I haven't been swimming in forever! Since before my shoulder surgery last summer at the very least, and not for training of any sort since highschool?

Definitely worked my upperbody and shoulders and was more aerobic work than I remember swimming being...

Jog home from Iffley after swimming.

To track, a few warm-up laps, some drills, warm down, jog home.

A wierd track session.

I haven't ever run a straight 1500m race before (as opposed to a mile, which is very similar, but not quite the same), so I emulated it with a 400 at 5k pace, 200 jog, 400 at 5k pace, 200 jog and 300 at 1500m pace to finish off. It was really more mental preparation than anything else. I thought about what I wanted to think about at each part of the race- unlike orienteering you can completely mentally map out a track race!

Finished it up with a 600 at 5k pace, and then a 300 at 1500m pace with Cathy.

Run with Helen before circuits. Intended to be a recovery run, but probably slightly quicker than true recovery pace. Uni Parks + backwards Woods Workout loop, ending at New College Sports Ground.

Felt easier than normal for some reason, not sure if it was the exercises we chose or what. Still good though, and I'll be less sore which is good for resting up for varsity athletics.