Training Log Archive: ba-ba

SL:23.7km/1700m

Good night in camp, although my toes started hurting badly in the night due, I think, to the cold. I took more bulky shared kit today and got a good glimpse of the guys in 2nd place - glad I did as there was a pair on the A wearing the same coloured tops but on 3/4 length legs - our competitors were in full length skins.
Claggy today, would I lay the demons of yesterday?
Hit #1 dead on (albeit steady as it took a while for my feet to feel good) with some company from Clare and Heather.
We then had a perfect bearing to #2 as we hit the stream before the control. However the marsh looked very different to when we passed it yesterday and we saw Karen and Rowena (leading ladies) coming down the hill. Thinking they were coming from the control we went up to them, but got the mistake early and lost only 3mins or so (they had been right to the tarn on top of Wild Boar Fell). Looking at splits lots of people had big problems here.
Took a safe handrail-route to #3 and as we left we saw the guys who started 2nd, 5mins ahead, heading back up the hill into it always a nice sight!
Hammered it to #4 and pulled away from them on the track to #5, helped along by Treb and Willy who had joined us for the ride. Passed Natalie White in the 1st Mix pair going up to #6, but lost 2 mins trying to discern where marsh became stream end as I was being overly cautious not wanting to miss the kite stupidly - should have looked at the spur next to it though!
As we clambered up to #8 I glimpsed 3rd place at the bottom of the hill as we were near the top. Contoured into Bowerdale and I took Andy's bag for the steep 200m ascent over to #9.
We had (eventually) plumped for the correct RC to #10 (I think taking Andy's bag gave me the final piece of leverage to go via Cautley Spout and not round the tops - had Rhys's words from his first MT win in my head - always go as straight as possible as round is normally a bloody long way!)
Took Andy's bag again for the climb out of 10, but passing score course people kept morale high. Descending into #11 past a pair sliding on their bums - we were much quicker. Andy was paggered but knew we were safe.
I wanted sub-5min for the last split (1.25km downhill). Andy was infront the whole way but called for a sprint as we hit the last field. I dropped the hammer and he conceded, only to shoot past me as showboated 50m out. And to think I carried his bag up 400m of vert today!

2 mistakes today cost us 4-5mins, as opposed to yesterday's 30-40mins. I seem to perform better on day2 of MMs it would appear - maybe I get all caught up in trying to win on day1?

Event: OMM 2012
 

SL: 29km/2700m

Paired up with Andy Blackett from DFR. We're fairly well matched over shorter stuff (albeit when I'm often tired on midweek races), and whilst Andy hasn't raced much over longer distances he has done a BG this year. Minimum aim was a podium, with 3rd being a bit embarrassing (especially after tomtom had to pull out), with the aim of trying to trouble Crickmore and Bray, give them something to think about.

Set off at a steady pace, using a bit of knowledge to cut the corner of Calders (albeit that was an obvious choice without knowing the Sedbergh Hills race trod) and, despite me initially trying to take the wrong path off the Calf we only dropped c.1:20 to Pete and Jonny up to #5, leading by just under 4 mins.
From there we slowed quite considerably as we hit Wild Boar and Baugh Fells. Took food on up to #6 but only lost 40secs, but lost 4mins to #7. Went high early (and told Morgan and Pyke where they were on Elite. They then went off in the wrong direction...) but were still in touch but it was obvious we were slowing. Leaving 7 however we were back to feeling OK.
There then followed 2 hours of dicking about with re-entrants on otherwise empty hillside - i.e. the bread and butter of a MM. Took a bearing from the tarn near 651 but drifted way left along with another pair. Found a re-entrant to the east that wasn't big enough to map (but felt it!). Took a long time to relocate off the gulleys on the other side of the valley (good job it was clear!) and lost 13mins.
To #9 we lost 28mins for several reasons:
1.) I was seething and hared off in a not-great direction into the crap S of Holmes Moss - 5mins?
2.) We then set about on a very reedy contour and struggled in the tough terrain, with more tiredness adding. 10 mins.
3.) We had gained height (about 50m). I knew this. I think the faffing through terrain and previous mistake had got to me and, not seeing the small sheep-pen AP down the hill I angrily set off up the hill, thinking I was below it. Ranged over the stream above the control thinking it was the one leading to it, taking a lot longer to realise there were in fact 2 streams on the map at the same angle. At this point Andy was knackered and wasn't thinking straight enough to yell at me. 10mins at least.
To #10 (1km due north and downhill) I took andy's bag on my front. This, and a group ahead of us (being passed for the 2nd time...) lead to me not keeping tabs on my bearing and we all drifted well left, shipping another 6mins or so.

So, 9 gimmie controls with no danger. 3 slightly testing controls and the first error lead to a compounding and ruined our chances of fighting for the lead. 3rd by 5 mins, and with teams 7 (CB-G) and 14 (Jethro) mins behind we actually had something to run for on day 2

Seething when we finished, but perked up once in camp as the weather was good, I'd packed an extra jumper to keep warm, and there were lots of people to talk to.

The terrain towards the end really affected us - Whilst for a fell-runner I'm OK through terrain, lifelong orienteers are, I think, that much more efficient though it. Handy on a short course, but indispensable when you hit reed-beds in the last hour or so of a long day!

despite working from 6.30-5 I felt pretty good on this shake-out. Weather's closing in, bring on the weekend!

i've had pink-eye since Hamsterley on Sunday.

C • Who she? 2

Legs a bit tired as expected but felt better as I went on.