Training Log Archive: Big Jon

Steady run on paths - new snow! about 6-8" but lovely and fluffy powder. To Venås then to Høiås, revisited the control where I smacked shin on Thursday - spotted offending juniper bush stump - a nasty sharp end and very hard, did the sensible thang and didn't try to break it - in case it broke me further.

Faffing on skis at Venås, skating skis balled up and wouldn't glide so changed to classic and they didn't grip... I blame the snow - it was +0.5C so getting a bit sticky.

Jogging behind E on short O course

Bit of a walk picking up controls. About 50 minutes

Leg very tender and still swollen despite compression bandage on all night. Went shopping to Sweden but parked in Norway and walked across border, to save the tolls - I wasn't born in Aberdeen for nothing ;-)
About 40mins walking.

2.5 hours surveying - lovely bright sunny day but a bit chilly (-12) especially in the open areas with a strong breeze. Most of Svinesund Fjord is frozen over with just a narrow channel down the middle full of slowly drifting slush and ice flows.

HDNC on Høiås. Start on road to north, finish at hut on hill. Tough course - started into felled/green area and I really struggled to fit anything. Forest started at 3 and things were far better from there. Lost 2 mins to Jo S on first control - didn't go far enough to find control and did a loop back to check. Slow on second and then didn't have a clue what was happening on way to third until I looked back and spotted power lines that I had already passed under... Map is a very new map but I suspect suffering from Lidar sickness.
Only error after that was to bash left shin against stick or stump leaving second last control. By the finish the muscle on upper outer part of shin was hugely swollen and then we had to run back home as a warm down...
Very sore by time we got home, about 12 x 6cm and 3cm deep lump.
10 minutes down on Kjetil, but beat all girls apart from Jo.

Started with jog to Hjotsberg to club pick up point for remote start for HDNC decent warm-up, ca 15 mins but still cold at start.
Warm-down back along Lyslop to home. Struggling by end.

With S to try the Erte artificial snow - not fully open but we managed to devise little loop na went round a few times. Pretty awesome - 4 large snow cannons, 1 tractor (moving them around to cover the track and 2 piste-beasties pushing the snow out. Probably need another 2-3 days to get enough snow. They are pumping out more now due to the drop in temperature (-12 as we skied and -15 last night) and the snow cannons work 24 hours/day!

With S south of Festooning, on paths through woods and across to final ridge by coast - some great views and lovely swimming/picnic spots.

Bit of a walk fail - E got cold feet. Tried to drive in towards a National Park but new bom on road, so found a wee footpath and headed along that.
Second attempt was to visit Halden Sluse - thought it might be a little sluice gate. It was a huge set of canal locks on a big hydro dam. Locks were empty and about 15-20m deep.