Training Log Archive: Jon X

Event: British Middle Champs (UKOL)
 

To the start and all that.

British Middle Champs, M45L, 8th place.
Winner Bill Edwards 30:47.

Felt okay running to the start but just not fast or bouncy, maybe caused me to force it a bit much - not the right thing for a course with 31 controls in 4.2km.
Which by the way is a control pick not a middle distance - although nonetheless it was still enjoyable.

#3 - sloppy direction leaving #2, took wrong path (-40s)
#4 - sloppy direction leaving #3, wrong thicket (-10s)
Going okay until #9 but then
#10 - short leg, poor direction, crossed to wrong hill, didn't believe it even though should have been obvious immediately (-2min30).
Saw Bill from 2mins back pass while I was faffing.
#13 - poor direction initially, should have cut back not taken bracken track, had to run back up fence to crossing point (-30s)
#17 - decided to go straight, slightly low, caught in brambles (-30s)
#26 - in green, needs care to go to right hand knoll, looked up and saw knoll so ran to it. No flag and puzzled. Only afterwards did I see that it was off to the right hidden under the overprint (-30s)

Four minutes quicker would have been far from perfect but acceptable as everyone was dropping bits of time. And would have been third - Bill's time out of reach.

Did better in the second half and felt a bit less rusty. Need to be much better next weekend though!

Tirano-Milan Malpensa, flight to Manchester.

Great walk along the Via Alpina in the morning, high for quite a while then through the Forcola (2768m) next to the WW1 emplacements below Mt Braulio, followed by a long gradual descent. Finally saw some of those pesky marmots after listening to their whistling all week!
Down to Grasso di Solena (2000m) for lunch and parting of the ways with Huw.
Then down into Bormio just in time to catch the bus and miss the downpour!

Tabaretta Pass and down to Rifugio Borletti for coffee - except it was closed!
Down into Trafo valley and then climbed all the way back up the ridge, past the almost non-existent Lago d'Oro and on to the Garibaldi refuge up above the (famed of the Giro) Stelvio Pass.

Over the Madriccio (3123m) in the snow, down to Sulden at 1800m, back up to Rifugio Tabaretta at 2556m

Down to the Martello Valley and up alongside final stretch of decisive stage of 2014 Giro. Stopped in cafe that was very proud that route had gone that way for first time this year. Up past grotesque abandoned Hotel Paradiso and on up to Rifugio Corsi.

St Gertraud up and over Flimjoch (2896m) and down to just short of Ganda.