Training Log Archive: Parkino

EMOA League Event, Shining Cliff
that was not fun, too physical, too many climbs through rocks and bramble straight up hills

the last two events here had moved anti-clockwise around the area, so it was no surprise the planner chose to go the other way this time, but this meant going up through the rubbish, where previously you'd have gone down, there was very little opportunity for fast running until the end, and there were so many slower competitors on the narrow paths, you couldn't really get going, one SI box malfunctioned, another control hung on the wrong boulder 50m from where it should have been,* and the map ... couldn't work it out in places ... so many pseudo-pits and dubious boulders

I confess I started poorly, losing 2 minutes on the first control (mountain bikers digging pits put me off a bit), for the rest of the course I was within sight of a lad from SLOW until he messed up the last control in the wood, almost pulled the 2mins back over the last loop, and third fastest split for the run in ...

apart from that, a write-off!

(23rd: 20mins behind Shane Lynch, and 13 behind John Duckworth)

*make that two controls misplaced, and one control feature mismapped

Carsington Water
my sister's been offering to drop me off out here before she picks the kids up from school, beautiful day for it, clear and still, but boy was it hard work, a fast undulating track, but could only muster 5mins per km and didn't feel I could run much faster, definitely below par at the moment, gyp from my shins too, wonder if they're 'splinting' ...

tomorrow is definitely a rest day

The Dimple
another of those vague, easy runs around the manor, trying to get the frequency up, also got to plan a few 'loops' for next week's O-club, so I ran a few possibilities, and it ended up being a leisurely intervals session (?), jogged about some unexplored corners of the new area too

legs are beginning to complain about the training, shins are quite sore and the soles of the feet have been noticeably stiff every morning for the past week or more

Matlock O-Club, Arc Centre Fields
shadowed my niece around some zig-zag courses for compass work, very stop-start, but she runs quite fast when (she thinks) she knows where she's going ...

Matlock Bank, Bottom Moor, Jaggers Lane, Farley Hill
phew, that was tough, it might have been the sunshine, but I was dripping with sweat before I got out of Matlock, reached Bottom Moor thirty seconds slower than my last modest effort - at least, I'd made it that far and most of the climb was behind me, but it didn't get much easier ...

the legs were fine, it was the breathing, I was wheezing a little, not getting enough oxygen or something, clearly not over the cold

jog down to the bottom of the new estate and around the playing fields

The Dimple
felt pretty good after yesterday's exertions and thought I ought to get out there, the sun had set so couldn't really go my usual routes and decided to try some hill intervals on the new estate ...

didn't feel so good when I got to it, barely lasted the first one, same again on the second, so off I went home, having worked up a sweat, and I've found a good place for the intervals though: 350m with 35m climb: 1.40 (on a bad day)

going to have to take fewer rest days, get out there more frequently, even if it's for an easy session