Training Log Archive: ba-ba

Yorkshire Champs. SL: 12.2km/290m(?!) Winner: Ben Windsor 73:00 (103.4%). 1st fella from Yorkshire club so laughably Yorkshire Champion!

Felt much more lively and strong today, I'll put this down to less curry in my system, a fair nights sleep and a longer warmup. Started in the far area of yesterday's course and, at 1:10 I dealt much better with only a few hesitations and no blatant small losses in the circle. Feeling better physically up the same hills as yesterday too. Took a long time coming up the hill out of 10 to plan the route to 12. Went left but maybe could have got the climb done with in one go.
Only mistake of note was 14 where I spotted Ben Stevens (~4min) on the horizon (and on my bearing). Map away, ran to his point but then went direct uphill instead of maintaining the bearing, hitting the Limestone pavement quite a way from the crossing point, getting re-caught by Mark Bown in the Process. Probably 30-45s lost. After that I reeled Ben in with a better RC/faster running to 18 an he guided me into the last few controls, controls of the type I can easily fluff.

Also, when did Ben Windsor make the leap? I always remember him being more punter than me. I'm presuming he's O'd longer than me so is a better navigator, but he seems to have found some running legs!

C • Windsor 1

C • Windsor. 1

Over the hill towards Kettlewell. I had designs on continuing on to Great Whernside but there's a line between useful training when tired and flogging it. With the plan of a Kinder Dozen/Derwent Devil this week figured it prudent to keep it a bit short.

C • dozen eh? 2

Event: Dales Weekend
 

SHI/Northern Champs. SL: 13.4/440. Winner: GG 1:09:58 (130%).

I'm really looking forward to the JK classic next year (hopefully it won't clash with Edale!) so this weekend was a no-brainer. I was a bit tired still from Pyrenees and probably not sleeping enough this week, as well as wondering how last night's curry would affect me (I can not comment on the poor lass who went in to the portal after me...) but wanted to smash it around a bit, see what needs work on and what the terrain's like.

A poor start where I overshot 1 by confusing the walls mid-1st and 2nd legs. After that I was mainly reduced to small misses in the circle and a few dodgy directions out of controls. A 20% time-loss to #4 suggests I wasn't moving quick enough (I know this) but also that I need to work on RC on longer legs on these kinds of areas. I managed to invert the contours here early in the leg.

Up and over Fountain Fell for some OMM prep. Tired. Left glute and bits downstream of it a little niggly but passable. Got sunburnt.

Longshaw, Padley and Burbage, from Cassa del Hartmann in Hathersage, with Shmint Dee Oh Double-Gee

The Pyrenees Haven time trial. Knackered, hr unable to get up and 30s behind the ladies record. Ergh.

Started just above Appy before a long slog up to the Col d'Appy, where Gary left us. We stuck on a few extra climbs before working our way back to Pyrenees Haven. Unfortunately a lot of the descents were very chossy, it was warmer than it had been all week as we dropped into the valley (not too warm though) and we had no water until about 3h in. A bit of a struggle-fest and MMB and Pez shot off on the runnable track back from Caussou.
Felty rubbish on the first climbs. However, only a couple of mins behind Ad, Martin and Gary, who said they were pushing on well.

Did the route of a vertical km before heading along another nice scrambly ridge up towards 2500m. Don't think I'll rush to do a vertical km race.
Martin was wearing white arm warmers. I couldn't ne seen with this so stayed a bit behind him, Ad and Gary, who joined us today.