Training Log Archive: Thraws

Felt like the coldest day of the lot, but nothing was going to stop me running first leg of the JK relay. However, felt terrible right from the gun and was soon dropped by almost everyone, regardless of age/gender! Tried to focus on navigation and realised by about 4 I was overtaking all those who went to wrong controls. Had identified a group by 5 and was able to use them to try and get a bit of speed up and locate my controls. Had useful help with 8, 11, 12 and 15 and stuck with a crowd I was fairly pleased to hang on to. Thought I'd handed over in quite a high position but was actually 26th! I'd kept the gaps to a minimum though and good runs by team mates brought us through to a respectable 12th in the end

Felt marginally fitter at the start, but the combination of physical and mental exercise completely did for me today. The rough ground put me off through 1 to 3, then lack of confidence made me hesitant for 4. Head was aching trying to devise path route to 7 and in haste turned off up wrong path and ploughed on even after map stopped making sense. Eventually reached western boundary road about 300 metres too far north, and thought I knew where I was but jogged 400 metres to go and check. Reckon relocating and wrong route cost me about 8 mins here. Was OK through 11, but got stuck in green near 12 and lost over 4 more mins through being too far left. Proper fed up by now. Should have been nearly finished but still had a lot of rough terrain to get through. Walked for most of 16 and 17 and went to two wrong flags before getting right 18. You can't do well on day 2 of the JK unless you are in something like peak mental and physical condition. I should have been in bed.

Felt terrible at the start and didn't bother warming up. Could hardly run, but most of first leg was downhill. Walked uphill to 3 and all of the steep uphill sections on the long (almost 2km) leg 5. Found map to be a perfect picture of the ground so spiked pretty much everything, probably helped by lack of speed when attack points weren't obvious. Felt really rough, but managed to run the downhills and enjoyed the superb forest - and, at one point, sunshine.

Event: JK 2013
 

Pulse was below 60, but was still feeling way off race-shape. So never ran hard because chest was tight, but was spiking controls and making good route choices. Thought I saw a cut-through between 7 and 8 but overprint had obscured the 'thin' building underneath so my preferred route didn't exist and I had to use plan B round to left, when should have gone right all along. Probably lost an invaluable minute here. Again, was clean through the rest and actually quite appreciated the 'easiness' of the course. Couldn't stop coughing after.

Definitely not fit for JK but have paid a small fortune to enter so will try and run easy. Suspect the everlasting cold will finish me off by Sunday.

So, very reluctantly, had to give final Corporate Challenge race a miss. Went to watch Lu and team mates but deep cold brought on a hacking cough which lasted till I got back in the warm.