Training Log Archive: Quirkey

Rest in a physical, sporting sense only.
Otherwise, it's still pretty hectic.

Need more sleep!

22nd of 32 finishers on M21L at Loch Ordie: Final Day of Tay 2009

Although glad of no massive climbs it was still heavy going with the options being either through thick heather or wet marshy stuff most of the time. I do generally find that my nav suffers when i cant get into a running flow.

Surprised not to further down the field considering errors.
Perhaps other made lots of errors too.

5: Lost 2 mins plus for not taking a bearing out of 4 and heading for the wrong hill top AP
7: Having tried hard on 6 to regain concentration (aced that one) i relaxed again and didnt tick off OR pace.... ended up looking for the control a few hundred meters too early .... what an ass i felt like! (Lost c 3mins here)
8: Went straight line (i.e. didnt aim off) so ended up doing a ACW loop past it. (Another 3.5 mins minimum here)

Quite enjoyed 'belting it' down the slope for the last few controls, especially after 21. Went for a few flying rolls, but that added to the adrenaline rush!

Some on the way to the start.
More, the long way round the parking field back to the car.

Walking round Craig Leach, nr Inverness checking terrain against map and taping (some) control sites for ScotJOS training in 2 weeks.
Didn't get round as much as i wanted as quickly as planned as ended up simultaneously 'coaching' Barbs for the first hour.

Wee cursory stretch after loch ordie and again after craig leach.

19th of 34 finishers on M21L at Barry Buddon - Day 5 of Scots 6-Days

What a cracking area!

As yesterday, I took it especially careful to no 1 and similar with no 2, and then felt comfortable, really enjoying my running thereafter. Could probably have run a good bit faster in places without losing anything.... esp in long bearings to larger features etc

Felt like a slightly better performance than yesterday when i finished, but looking back on the map the repeated 19th place was probably justified.

3 identifiable but not massive 'errors' compared to other days:
Mis-read control desc on 4 so ran the wrong side of knoll ...proceeded to do a big loop ...2 mins max (Doh!)
Looked at control code for 9 when confidently approaching 6 ...."oh no wrong control"...ran on for c 50m before realising (c 1min)
Slightly dodgy bearing coming out of 19 meant covering a little more distance to 20 (c 30 secs)

Winsplits suggests i lost time on 5 too. I was taking it easy and aiming off properly, so perhaps aimed off too much or just not running as fast as others.

Must add that on the way to 6 a road crossing was marked. A little confused as to why it was marked, i used it. However, it would have been much faster just to run along the road, or even just stay on the side i was on for a few hundred meters further south. (winsplits reckons i was 2 mins off the pace of those around me here)

Wee bit after race, and more at / on car later

Mostly WU ... on the way to start etc

19th of 35 on the M21L at Tentsmuir - Day 4 of the Scottish 6-Days.

My best run of the week (so far...).
Took it really carefully for the first two controls so i got into the map. Then learning from errors earlier in the week finally managed to get in control my speed and technique.
Winsplits shows me slow to the first one, on leg i visited the water station, and on leg (9-10) where i did have my one and only wobble...so, all as expected.
Interestingly however, it says i was slow on 3 of the several controls in thicker green blocks.....i.e. the ones where i slowed down properly to make sure i kept my bearings and hit the feature. Think I'd prefer that than deal with huge potential time loss had i not hit them first time.

Most of the course was in the northern end of Tentsmuir, which i'd not run in before. It's given me a much better impression of the place; that is as a place i actually enjoy running in!

W/U round the assembly field and along track to start.

Some after race and more later by car.
Think my body is coping far better with O than with driving

North Berwick Law Hill Race

Having agreed to work today, in the middle of the '6-days' week, in order to attend an important meeting: i get to work today to find out it's been canceled ...... fantastic!

Not being able to do today's sprint race, this hill race was a fairly good substitute. Nice route through middle of town with crowds cheering and a pipe band playing (on the return). The Law itself is not overly high, just steep enough in several sections to make running pace become slower than walking pace (on the way up). Felt limited on the way down due to a combination of hesitation from other runners in front and the disorganised spread of ascenders across the full with of the pathways (picking one side or the other would have helped us and not hindered them) so didnt get to gain very many places on the decent as i usually would tend to do. Made a fair bit of ground once we got back onto the road though, especially on the downhill sections in the last 1200m or so.

Think i might be back next year, but with stronger ankles and more suitable shoes!

BTW Beat Doug from work by at least 4 mins!!!

either side of NBLHR

R knee still achey.
Strangely: It's much worse just standing about than when covering ground at speed.
An injury that encourages MORE activity?? If i have to have injuries, then let them be of this kind.
Oh sooo glad i'm getting to keep going with 6-Days!!!

23rd of 32 on M21L at Tullochroisk - Day 3 of Scots 6-Days

Very Wet Day, but not cold. Traffic was rubbish and getting into the car park took an absolute age. Ended up about 30 mins late starting.

Surprised i'm even that far up the results list after the stuff-ups I made in the forest.
Perhaps i made up for those errors with super confident (mostly) running once we got out in the open (?)

Very Good course today..... full range of skills tested i think.

(Distance estimating is clearly my weak skill ..... in that i somehow keep forgetting that such a technique exists!!..... or i could at least use tick-off featuress.... even one of these two as a minimum would have helped ...but oh no, not me)

Will eventually make time for route gadget stuff . Hoping i remember where i went on the meantime.

Really not in the mood with all the rain!

27th of 31 on M21L at Kinnoull, Day 2 of Scots 6-Days

Decent start, but a branch knocked a contact lens out fairly early on, so i was instantly slowed on several fronts. Had to run slow as i couldnt read the ground well enough to run confidently with this dodgey ankle. Lack of perspective meant that I couldnt see fast approaching branches, (often until it was too late!) Also, not a hope in hell of reading anything on the map without coming to a full stop...great!

Perhaps i should have retired early, but then i'm stubborn like that.

Despite the above i still think this map needs to be re-survey / re-drawn.
At very least the minor paths network either needs completely revised or removed altogether for senior courses.

Event: Scottish Six Days Tay 2009
 

Event: Scottish 6 Day
 

26th of 39 on the M21L at Dalrulzion - Day 1 of Scottish 6-Days
Tons of stiff needing to get done this week...but i'm just determined to do the full 6-days, if even just this once!
Recording of training and other 'minor' things maybe taking the brunt instead.

Collecting Controls pretty much straight after my race.

Lots during the day whilst manning Red Start .... (mostly the elite punching start)
More after control collecting whilst waiting for lift back to assembly.

R Knee gradually getting achey as the day wore on ..... perhaps due to standing on slope?

Despite feeling so tired, now cant sleep.
Putting that insomnia to good use looking ahead at calendar of events etc.......Whaay-hayy .... First Person to enter SOL4!