Training Log Archive: ba-ba

Back home. Resting up before Ennerdale, hopefully I can feel good by Friday. Been feeling very tired and lumpen since Island peaks - tent and eating a lot after Jura I think, but I'm still running OK so hopefully with a bit of rest I can shift this feeling and soon be flying again!
Lots of washing, so needless to say the washing machine has thrown a wobbler.

Trying to keep the waffle to a minimum on here, but done a blow-by-blow account of yesterday's relay. Also a Todd-esque write-up of SIPR a few weeks back if you want some entertainment (start on the Friday). Jura was ace. 2 tumblers down, 19 to go!

feeling very sluggish - I've eaten quite a lot of heavy food in the last week, and then OUOC filled me to bursting last night - you'd never get left overs with ShUOC!

Peter had made himself available earlier in the week. This meant our M16 Champ Aidan was bumped out of the team which I felt a bit guilty about.
I felt really sluggish beforehand. Of late I've felt this quite a bit, but am still churning out OK results. Despite these factors and having a feeling Peter would come back in the lead I'd managed to block any anxiety out so only had the short time between him being announced in the lead and changing over to get worried. Was looking forward to the fast open terrain.

Out of the field to Rhys extolling the virtues of focusing on the navigation and not the running. Half way up the hill I could vaguely hear INT being announced in 2nd. A quick thought on leading the BOC relay and how long until I see Hector before getting back focused on the race.
My rough bearing out of the gate was good and I hit my AP then #1. Used the pylon as an AP to #2 and worked out I could pick out rough shapes well from a distance and my direction was working well for once, seeing me through 3 and 4. Direction out of 4 a bit off and was a bit low on the crossing point, 20s.

Into the far western corner. Couldn't really tell what was what from the map, but I managed to simplify well, helped by controls on at the end of obvious plateaus. I was getting that seldom-sensed feeling of 'If a kite doesn't pop out here I'm fucked Oh look there it is!' and flowing well - this is Orienteering! This is why I do it, to get this feeling! Even if I am blowing out my arse!
Used the boulders to good effect to #7 and took a few wide line to be absolutely sure. Hector caught me at 9 but I out lined him to 10, punching first, before he took a slightly more aggressive line to 11 as I visited my boulders again - unaware of how common the course was.

The hill out of the quarry was a bugger and Hector was pulling away with ease. Across the wall from 12 I dropped a bit low and below the path, so had to rectify (10s) as I had the higher control in the 13 gaffle. A hesitation to make absolutely sure before dropping in and spotting the boulder just left of #14. Punch spectator (#15) and hear breathing beside me. Shit, I've been caught by 3rd. Quick look - no, it's Hector again! He pulls away again but I make a slightly better fist of keeping closer through the last 2 controls of any technical note before trying to get the legs turning for the run for home and the heavy finish chute. Tag Duncan and collapse, almost kicking a similarly postrate junior on the head, much to the excitement of the assembled runners.

Alas Duncan was up against the racing snakes of Murray, Poo Boy and GG, the latter 2 catching him on lightning fast terrain. Still, 4th a good result and the best CLOK has achieved in BOC or JK. Feeling good I think I could have maybe eeked a minute quicker out of myself, but we were 4th by 100s so no difference made.

Brilliant. Everyone was very complementary about a fairly average (time-wise) run. Last run for CLOK, enjoyed the last 3 years but only got Duncan, Peter and myself together with me running sensibly this year - and me feeling a bit guilty about keeping Aidan out of big relay experience - the kid's good. Now need to try and break into the ShUOC 1st team to get my hand on a premier relay medal in the next 4 years!

Event: British Orienteering Championships
 

Out to Callaly he area to turn on the 2 furthest radio controls. Found a nice deer-track between the 2 amongst all the underfoot bracken - even saw said deer. Baps out, which may have shocked the cadets on the water points. Put in a bit more effort on the way down the hill and felt pretty OK.

Collecting a few blocks of controls on the hill. Easy when you've visited them before!

Checking controls on the hill in Thrunton wood. Again stuffed up the first few but then got going a bit more. Found a few nice bits. Maybe.

The jog out time has gone missing so I'll estimate. Checking controls on Callaly. Tough. Messed up the first few on Castle hill but then got going a bit better nav wise, even if I was just strolling about. Caught up with the planner putting boxes out for the last few so stopped watch then before jogging back.

Would like to have checked out the Red Pike ridge ahead of Ennerdale but was so buggered and the clag was on it. Staggered up Scarth gap and onto Haystacks before beating a retreat.

Up Skidaw with Hully and Rhys. Matt and I were there to make Rhys look good - it was one of those days where you wanted a shirt saying 'I'm actually a fair runner' on the way up and 'I'm actually a downhill specialist' on the way down - everything hurt!