Training Log Archive: mikeyA

Spent the day half asleep staring at my laptop. Only thing that kept me going was Game of Thrones tonight #WinterIsComing

Event: Scottish Spring Middle Distance (WRE)
 

To the start, again no garmin.

WRE event on Bonskeid. Was the first starter where they started to check for GPS watches so had to surrender it up. Started way too fast and missed #1 by being too high, +15 seconds. Bannanad a bit to #2. #5 had poor direction out of #4 and ended up on the path west of #5. For some reason thought this was the path that was east of #5 and navigated to the control as such, completely ignoring every other feature that clearly told me I was wrong, +1.30. Maybe should have gone straighter on #6. Ran all the way around the boulder on #12 losing a bit. #18 I wasn't at all sure where I was through the green and I was right on line but veered right to make sure by seeing the white forest. Think I was moving through the green really slowly compared to most. Good on the rest till #27 where I went really low, hit the path that #28 was on and tried to come up into it. Overshot and had to spend waaay more time in the dirt around the control that I should have, +1.30. Bad run really through a stupid mistake on #5 but I think I was mainly just too tired. Don't think I recovered from Friday night all weekend and just slow for pretty much every race. Got to get some good recovery in before BOC.

Results - http://obasen.orientering.se/winsplits/online/en/d...
Routegadget - http://www.interlopers.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#32&a...

Had to go back to the start to pick my watch up but it turned out it had been returned to assembly, great.

Event: JOK Chasing Sprint
 

To/from the start/finish. No garmin as it was running out of battery.

Prologue. Missed #2 too low, bad compass +20 seconds. Slow on #8 as I thought I was running to #7 so was trying to work out why my compass was pointing the wrong way but still ran in the right direction, +10 seconds. Missed #11 too far left, bad compass +15 seconds. Missed #12 completely. Line went straight from #11 to #13 and #12 was kind of near #9 and so just didn't see it. Would have maybe taken another minute maybe. Ran too far along the path on #14 so didn't get a great line into it. Stupid mis-punch meant a very late start for the chase and no one to run with, great.

Results - http://obasen.orientering.se/winsplits/online/en/d...
Routegadget - http://www.interlopers.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#30&a...

To the start by myself..

'Chasing' start. Saw absolutely no one the whole way round which was fun. Was generally ok actually. Missed #2 a bit left but I think everyone did which may mean the boulder wasn't quite in the right place. Stupidly decided to drop to the path on #3 so had to climb back into it, +20 seconds. #5 misread the crags and so climbed to early and was faffing south of the control for a while. A point where had I been with people I imagine I'd have been lead nicely into it, +1 minute. For some bizarre reason thought I was going to #9 on the way to #6 and went quite slowly trying to work out why this lake was in my way, +30 seconds. #7 I neither went down to the path or over the hill I just contoured in the crap like a tool, +40 seconds. Fine on the rest. Think I probably lost a lot of time through not having people to race and picking bad lines and routes like #7. Time suitably far down on where I should have been.

Results - http://obasen.orientering.se/winsplits/online/en/d...
Routegadget - http://www.interlopers.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#31&a...
Looking at this lost waaay more time on bad direction than I'd thought (1, 2, 3, 6, 7...)

Event: Dark Thistle
 

Dark Thistle on Craig A Barns. 9.2km mass start night race. Bit of an epic really. Lost pretty much everyone on the way to the start flag by taking a really bad line through the trees. Didn't look at my map until I appeared at a control that wasn't mine and even then just headed off into the other train. Still not sorted myself leaving #1 and went round the green to #2. Better to #3 but still no idea who was around me or where anyone was. Bit right on #4. Fine for the rest of the first loop and then heading out to #9 ended up on my own. Oleg came past coming into the circle on #9 as I was a bit right. Had a good race with him through to #15 where we'd alternate the lead and both miss in the circle by a little bit. I went way too low on #15 and actually ran through #16 where I saw a pack which I later found out contained Ali and Murray so doing alright at this point. Fell behind Oleg here and couldn't really catch back up. Good through to #19 all by myself. Could see a few lights up ahead which kept me going nicely although I was beginning to tire coming up out of #18. Went as straight as I could to #20 which I'm not sure if it was best as contained quite a bit of climb. Then stopped short of #20 and spotted Tim and Iain Embrey coming up out of it so went where they'd come from. Met Tam here as well who I'd thought I'd caught but turns out he'd caught me. Led initially on the way to #21 but as soon as we came off the path completely lost what I was doing and blindly followed Tam. He spotted Tim and just ran to him I believe and of course Tim had no idea either. We both followed Tam until he'd relocated and found #21. No idea what went on. Bad direction to #22 but not as bad as Tam meant me and Tim left him. Ended up on top of the crags near the finish and I worked out what had happened whereas Tim hadn't so got away. It was at this point that the Lindsay train snuck through, never to be seen until the finish. Okayish through to #26 where Iain caught me going up to #27. Blindly followed him this time and went badly wrong and went on a rather maverick route choice through the finish to #28. Then coming into #28 stopped too short on the slope and faffed around a bit before I heard Iain punch and thus found it. Continued to blindly follow him to #29 where I passed a very broken Ali. Followed to #30 and then towards #31 where we caught Oleg and Andrew Llewellyn. Followed them into #31 instead which was the right choice as Iain messed up. Then had the cheek to take them both on the run in.I reckon in total I've lost around 13 minutes so really a pretty bad run and far too much reliance on other people. Would definitely have had a better run if I'd just done the whole thing in the forest by myself. Just never felt like I was racing (or navigating for a lot of it) at any point. But still I had a ridiculous amount of fun. Possibly the most enjoyable race I've done this year.

Results - http://purple-thistle.co.uk/dark/results/
2dReRun - http://3drerun.worldofo.com/2d/index.php?idmult%5B...

To da gym.

Back in the gym at 7 am. yay -_- Nearly didn't make it after I thought it was at 8.30 but thankfully heard my phone dinging after Ali sent a message reminding us about the sauna which occurred afterwards. Picked up 3 50p Frijj's on the way back which topped off a nice morning.

Sunny run on the seat with with Tim, Tam, Ali and Raptor.

Up out to the crags and checking out the loop.

2 x 5 of ~ 330m with ~ 210m recovery. Nice little loop on the crags and basically wanged the 2 uphill sides as effort and then the downhill side for recovery. Weather was alright so we all went skins giving the audience some good entertainment. Pretty tough session and curled up at the end in pieces so must have been a decent session. Times were: 85, 94, 86, 89, 88, 90, 90, 88, 91, 91. Got stuck behind Raptor on the second ;) Otherwise running with Tam and well behind Bash and Ali.

Wanged a couple of downhill strides. First one was 110m and 17.62 seconds. Second one 290m and 42 seconds so 2:26 mpk's. Felt so so rapid and when you think that that is roughly the same pace as for the 1500m world record you realise how filthy that is.

C • 290m in 42s 1

Had to put our shirts on and run back. Shame.