Training Log Archive: Thraws

As I hadn't done any for a while I was worried about the running and forgot about the navigation. Left the start in a rush and failed to relocate on the sandy open, so wasted 2 mins sorting out where I was when finally realised I wasn't where I thought. Leg 4 was brilliantly planned and completely caught me out, costing me 3 more mins. Left 4 wrong way and en route to 6 vaguely intended to use open areas to relocate on again but got them muddled up. A quarter of the time I'd been out so far had been time wasted, but thankfully I was alright after this amateur start. I was in a bit of a race for most of the rest but concentrated on doing my own thing, sometimes taking completely different routes. There were some tricky reentrants on LV South but I found most of them because someone else was usually either leaving or arriving, although most of the flags were where I'd pictured them. I was occasionally a bit careless near the end but had no more big misses and, surprisingly, never really felt tired either. I know I can be much more consistent and perform well when it matters, but I need to forget about running faster and not get put off by other people.

Hated this area last time we were here, but thought planning might be better and I'd know the map was unreliable. For some reason - christmas carols and The Great Beyond - felt blissfully happy getting ready and was totally relaxed and focussed at the start, in spite of the bitter cold. Vegetation (mapped and unmapped) made holding a bearing really hard, and I lost a bit of time at 2 because the prospect of finding a distinct veg boundary seemed remote as I flogged uphill through the saplings and random holly. Then went too high leaving 4 and ended up in wrong clearing, but soon realised. But the rest of the flags came up pretty well in spite of the difficulty of devising decent ways to reach them. Kept heaving sighs of relief when codes matched. Appreciated path runs to 11, 13 and 14 then fluffed the small depression at 15 through rushing and lost another two mins running between holes. Time wasn't quick but I mostly avoided the potential for major misses which the course offered. Cold was ok, but never really ran much because of all the climb and vegetation. Glad I went, felt competent.

Wasn't sure about doing Brown as legs were a bit tired from yesterday, but I'm glad I did as the area was really fast and enjoyable and I was OK while I was in my bubble and not trying to race the M21s. Took a gamble and went straight for 1 and it was fine. The flags were hung high and the navigation was pretty easy through 4 but got a bit carried away running to 5 and went straight past the flag (which I thought must be on another course) and through an uncrossable marsh. Then realised and had to cross the marsh again! As it had rained a lot I was expecting to get pretty muddy though. Was careful and clever into 8 but overshot 9, went round the paths for 11, and made biggest mistake on 13. Trying to avoid the longer heather and gorse on mapped paths, I picked up an unmapped one then ran right past the AP again. Had to double back a fair bit. Really enjoyed 15 to 20, which were all in open or v. fast forest. Visualised and spiked pretty well every flag and felt comfortable running (3.5k in just over 20 mins). We were lucky with the weather though because it rained hard in the morning and was drizzling in the cold afterwards. Good old New Forest!

We did the 'controlets' (long legs) first so Sam could work on concentration. The paths had all been taken off the map but there were plenty of big features (hills and clearings) to make collecting them easy-ish. You just had to be careful on the compass. We weren't always. Speed was about all I could manage following and would have been slower leading. Control pick was really fast and mostly accurate and we worked on flow a bit. That went well. Did the visualisation last and messed up 1 because of following track. 5 was on the wrong spur and 6 in the gully instead of on spur so didn't bother looking for 7 when it wasn't in the ditch (might have been on adjacent earthwall?). Saw 8 from a bit away but massively overshot 9, probably from rushing. Good exercise done at a proper lick.

Peg relay in the afternoon. Coaches had to go to A first so no pegs left at 1 or 2. Overtook some of those with pegs to 3 but those still ahead got the last one. I should have been first to 4 but bonus control didn't add much length and I was about third, but got first peg. Was with Ali and Sam now but just missed out at 5 again and should have led to 6 but got path on hilltop all confused and only realised when the others overtook me. So just missed peg at 6 but avoided the long bonus leg. Was out in front now with Ali and Sam and got pegs at 7, 8 and 9 and stayed ahead even with bonus controls. Including finish peg ended with five. Really enjoyed the fast and furious racing but couldn't really go as quick as some of the youngsters in the terrain.

It was pouring on Tuesday, we had an ofsted inspection on Thursday, and on Wednesday I slept through my alarm! (so drove in).

... after returning minibus.

Drove the minibus back home.