Training Log: Frostbite

Arches

Round the park and the Hollies. Not too bad. Hot.

British Relays M50 Torphantrick

A bit tired, but kept going ok. At first I thought the gaffling was working really well. I was finding all my controls ok and groups formed and then split up and I could see other groups nearby. It was only after the spectator control when things seemed a bit wrong, when my gaffle took a huge short cut and I caught a group including Martin. Tim Griffin and David Eades. Martin took 8 minutes from the spectator to the finish, I took 4.5 minutes, and he hadn't made a mistake.

Checking the course lengths they varied from 4.4k to 5.05k. Mine was second shortest at 4.5, and most of the difference must have been in the loop after the spectator control. It made me look good, but it wouldn't make for a fair race on the last leg.

Anyway, a good area with lots of interesting navigation and tough underfoot with brashings everywhere.

British Champs M50L Balmoral.

Started well and went through 1-10 just fine. Then I found the long leg to be bit of a slog on the road, and after that I was knackered and started making mistakes.

#1 I went around the hill to the right along the deer fence. Only Dave P took any time out of me on this leg so I think I got this one right.

#2 - #9 all good

#10 I ran on the road so I could think about #11

#11 - took the road and path route to the right of the line and descended the path all the way to the wall before cutting across the slope. I should have come down through the green like Martin did but I didn't like the look of the green stripes. I lost 2.5 minutes on this leg, probably at least a minute and a half of it just on running speed on the paths.

#13 stupid stupid left the control along the wrong path, cut into the forest and nothing made sense until I found the path I should have been on. 1 minute lost.

#14 used the path to climb the hill, well off the line but it kept me going. Very tired by this point and barely moving up the hill.

#15 wandered all over the place on the way down the hill, just couldn't decide what I was doing. Found the control ok but should have been half a minute faster.

#16 I could not see the boulder, went right past the control and started looking randomly along the slope until Nick Howlett (who I first passed at #8) found it. Can't believe I didn't see it first time. 30 seconds lost.

10th place, 11 minutes down on Dave Peel.