Training Log Archive: BrandNewMeIn the 31 days ending Dec 31, 2013:
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Tuesday Dec 31, 2013 #
2 PM
Off-road running 2:00:00 [3] 10.5 mi (11:26 / mi)
slept:7.0
From James's up stoodley, then along to withins gap, round a reservoir and back. Found some amazing tussocks, so at least 10mins of this time was spent staggering around.
Monday Dec 30, 2013 #
12 PM
Orienteering - race 49:22 [3] 7.8 km (6:20 / km)
slept:9.0
Ray was off first today, and did well so I got to the start with 10mins spare. Luxury!
Today's course was bearings looking for pits for the first 5 or so, a v long leg through an open area into the jwoc 97 long / relay forest, a few controls with more interesting / contoured terrain, then another v long leg back into a maze of trenches, which was nuts but great fun, then a rather dull finish, when I was tired.
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
One mistake of a minute, then the predictable wobbles in the bingo bits. Buzz was lacking today, feeling a bit drained. Took the overall win though, and a pair of socks as a prize, home.
So the five day overall was good fun. It's in that time of year when you can feel at a bit of a lose end. The terrain was nice enough. V much bearings, which was good practice for me. The maps in Belgium seem to be affected by seasonality more than a lot of areas, and they were mapped for summer veg which meant a lot of the stuff that was on the map was not noticeable on the ground.
Every day had some good string courses on a proper map. The assembly area every day was indoors with seating, showers and a cafe serving soup, sandwiches, coffee, cake and beer, all good value. The entry was €57 for two of us inc emit hire which must have been one of the cheapest multiday events anywhere. The organisers were v friendly, giving us split starts and helping us find accommodation.
The only minor moans are an 10-12 start block meant early starts every day. The other thing was urinals. I can't say I have had much experience of urinals until now. I've led a sheltered life. It was a bit of a shock to have to queue in the middle of the urinals to pick up my bib on day one, then every day the loos were shared with the gents. Nice. An education..
Today's course was bearings looking for pits for the first 5 or so, a v long leg through an open area into the jwoc 97 long / relay forest, a few controls with more interesting / contoured terrain, then another v long leg back into a maze of trenches, which was nuts but great fun, then a rather dull finish, when I was tired.
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
One mistake of a minute, then the predictable wobbles in the bingo bits. Buzz was lacking today, feeling a bit drained. Took the overall win though, and a pair of socks as a prize, home.
So the five day overall was good fun. It's in that time of year when you can feel at a bit of a lose end. The terrain was nice enough. V much bearings, which was good practice for me. The maps in Belgium seem to be affected by seasonality more than a lot of areas, and they were mapped for summer veg which meant a lot of the stuff that was on the map was not noticeable on the ground.
Every day had some good string courses on a proper map. The assembly area every day was indoors with seating, showers and a cafe serving soup, sandwiches, coffee, cake and beer, all good value. The entry was €57 for two of us inc emit hire which must have been one of the cheapest multiday events anywhere. The organisers were v friendly, giving us split starts and helping us find accommodation.
The only minor moans are an 10-12 start block meant early starts every day. The other thing was urinals. I can't say I have had much experience of urinals until now. I've led a sheltered life. It was a bit of a shock to have to queue in the middle of the urinals to pick up my bib on day one, then every day the loos were shared with the gents. Nice. An education..
Road running 15:00 [3] 1.5 mi (10:00 / mi)
Sunday Dec 29, 2013 #
Orienteering - race 44:42 [3] 7.0 km (6:23 / km)
slept:10.0
4th day running of stress at the start. Got there 30secs late, grabbed description and map and set off.
The course was a few orange controls mixed in with some hunting around for ditches / pits. Fun nonetheless. Kept trying to shake off some punter who was on m40 but I never fully managed it. We got to the end and he shook my hand and said 'you run very fast', which was odd, as I was thinking that for someone who was carrying an extra 20kg than necessary he could shift surprisingly well.
A 45 sec mistake and a few 20secs and a few 10. Standard stuff when hunting for bingo pits etc.
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
The course was a few orange controls mixed in with some hunting around for ditches / pits. Fun nonetheless. Kept trying to shake off some punter who was on m40 but I never fully managed it. We got to the end and he shook my hand and said 'you run very fast', which was odd, as I was thinking that for someone who was carrying an extra 20kg than necessary he could shift surprisingly well.
A 45 sec mistake and a few 20secs and a few 10. Standard stuff when hunting for bingo pits etc.
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
Saturday Dec 28, 2013 #
12 PM
Orienteering - race 44:45 [3] 6.9 km (6:29 / km)
Day 3. Accidental lie in made it the third day in a row if sprinting to the start. Legs felt empty and achey today. Sciatica playing up too. Great forest, a big control pick of a course. If my legs were up for it it would have been awesome. It was fun enough though. Ditched 1 min looking for a pit in the green at 2 (I must have been within a metre on my bearing going in and didn't spot it, then 3 mins later by being silly at a control. 3rd, 1min down. Need to concentrate more tomorrow. Earliest yet start though and 2k to the start. It is not looking promising...
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
Road running 15:00 [3] 2.0 mi (7:30 / mi)
slept:10.0
Friday Dec 27, 2013 #
12 PM
Orienteering - race 39:01 [3] 5.3 km (7:22 / km)
slept:10.0
Belgian 5 day 2. Wre
Laurence cut his chin v badly last night so after getting up at 3:30am we got out of a&be at 10:30. So ray sacked off his early start and we had a lie in. Still nearly left it too late, arriving to the car park w 20 mins before the start time, with a 750m run to the start...
Picked up map and regretted not bringing a magnifier. V detailed. The bloke I started with caned it off which was quite distracting. Wobble to 1. Went around the path to 3 when others went straight. The brambles on the map had died back. Others went straighter 4-5 but I don't think I dropped too much. 7 was odd, as was 9 where I probably dropped at least 20secs. 12 was odd. On a gulley, which I couldn't see on the map. Still can't now, but it must be there. 14 caught up a Swiss girl and let the distract me. 25 secs maybe. 15 dropped a bit by rushing. Got away from the pack 16 - 19 when I misread my description and ran past my control. 30secs. Bummer. So scrappy, but I haven't been in the forest consistently for ages. 2nd to Amelie is no disgrace. I thought my form just now would have me much further down.
GPS on the interweb somewhere apparently. Ray had fun watching the action on a big screen in the assembly area / bar. That's the way to do gps!
Won a big posh expensive bag of bath stuff / scented candles, as did the Amelie and meik. The guys got a hamper of 15 different Belgian beers. Ray was gutted, as was I a bit. I wouldn't have minded a hamper of choc either. Beats a buff though!
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
Laurence cut his chin v badly last night so after getting up at 3:30am we got out of a&be at 10:30. So ray sacked off his early start and we had a lie in. Still nearly left it too late, arriving to the car park w 20 mins before the start time, with a 750m run to the start...
Picked up map and regretted not bringing a magnifier. V detailed. The bloke I started with caned it off which was quite distracting. Wobble to 1. Went around the path to 3 when others went straight. The brambles on the map had died back. Others went straighter 4-5 but I don't think I dropped too much. 7 was odd, as was 9 where I probably dropped at least 20secs. 12 was odd. On a gulley, which I couldn't see on the map. Still can't now, but it must be there. 14 caught up a Swiss girl and let the distract me. 25 secs maybe. 15 dropped a bit by rushing. Got away from the pack 16 - 19 when I misread my description and ran past my control. 30secs. Bummer. So scrappy, but I haven't been in the forest consistently for ages. 2nd to Amelie is no disgrace. I thought my form just now would have me much further down.
GPS on the interweb somewhere apparently. Ray had fun watching the action on a big screen in the assembly area / bar. That's the way to do gps!
Won a big posh expensive bag of bath stuff / scented candles, as did the Amelie and meik. The guys got a hamper of 15 different Belgian beers. Ray was gutted, as was I a bit. I wouldn't have minded a hamper of choc either. Beats a buff though!
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
Road running 10:00 [3] 1.0 mi (10:00 / mi)
Thursday Dec 26, 2013 #
11 AM
Off-road running 15:00 [3] 2.0 mi (7:30 / mi)
Orienteering - race 47:51 [3] 4.8 mi (9:58 / mi)
slept:4.0
Belgian 5 day. A pleasant enough bramble fest. Sapping soft forest meant no 5min/k. Thought I would be penalised for a late start too but it was a punching start (a rather ambitious split start). Leffe and frites to recover.
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
Wednesday Dec 25, 2013 #
11 AM
Road running 43:03 [3] 5.62 mi (7:40 / mi)
Good tempo road run.
9 PM
Road running 36:36 [3] 4.91 mi (7:27 / mi)
Felt ok. No Achilles or calf pain, and just managed to finished before the stomach cramps got too bad.
Tuesday Dec 24, 2013 #
4 AM
Road running 1:24:00 [3] 10.5 mi (8:00 / mi)
slept:8.0
Such a bad stomach. Legs felt bad to start with but didn't get worse so ok
Monday Dec 23, 2013 #
Note
Tweaked my back quite innocently trying to dress Lucy. Excruciating. Off to a show in London tonight so the training was walking there. Was probably about 14 miles in rain and wind. So drenched I had to buy new clothes when I got into town.
Sunday Dec 22, 2013 #
9 PM
Road running 44:31 [3] 5.7 mi (7:49 / mi)
9:30pm run tonight. Too busy otherwise. Achilles better than yesterday so running a bit more freely. Felt good, though I have no right to. Tired, unfit, fat, hilly, windy, niggly. Tried to do some drills but my legs didn't want to.
It feels a bit pathetic running anything less than 10miles on the road now I've got used to running further. Maybe tomorrow I'll get running a bit earlier and therefore can go further.
It feels a bit pathetic running anything less than 10miles on the road now I've got used to running further. Maybe tomorrow I'll get running a bit earlier and therefore can go further.
Saturday Dec 21, 2013 #
8 PM
Road running 1:16:00 [3] 9.2 mi (8:16 / mi)
Very much suffering from not leaving it long enough after having a big dinner. Legs felt great. It was breezy, but the breeze felt like it was behind me the whole way - legs felt that good, but Achilles is inflamed again. Bummer. I think it was hacking up to regents terrace and nipping through the bog on Thursday night. Both v muddy, and I had flats on, and slipping around is the worst for it.
Friday Dec 20, 2013 #
Note
We were supposed to be setting off for London today. We left the wassail at 2, and I was forced out of bed four hours later. Needless to say it was a tiring day, trying to pack with two overexcited kids, so we finally set off at 5pm. No time or energy for running at any point.
Thursday Dec 19, 2013 #
8 PM
Road running 1:30:00 [3] 10.0 mi (9:00 / mi)
Trotter wassail. The least healthy 10miles ever. Fabulous fun though and some great new songs. The lion sleeps tonight was the best ever.
Wednesday Dec 18, 2013 #
8 AM
Road running 1:30:00 [3] 11.0 mi (8:11 / mi)
Running commute. Got some sobering news from a tisaren friend just before I set off home. It's been a bad week all round.
Tuesday Dec 17, 2013 #
Note
Was so tempted to write a response to that guy on nope sport who was looking for sympathy as he has broken his fibula. I didn't as it might have come across a little unsympathetic.
If you are going to break your leg, surely the fibula is the bone to go for. And if you are going to injure yourself, you could do worse than a simple break. I can assure you, bones heal loads better than soft tissue. And I managed to go from the twiglet legs i got from lying completely still for a fortnight back to prop forward legs in about a week, just from walking around. And there are very very few orienteers who's technique wouldn't benefit from six weeks of armchair orienteering followed by a few weeks of walking around courses, and gradually over the weeks picking the pace up. In fact I think next August I might give a broken fibula a go - anything to get skinny legs again!
If you are going to break your leg, surely the fibula is the bone to go for. And if you are going to injure yourself, you could do worse than a simple break. I can assure you, bones heal loads better than soft tissue. And I managed to go from the twiglet legs i got from lying completely still for a fortnight back to prop forward legs in about a week, just from walking around. And there are very very few orienteers who's technique wouldn't benefit from six weeks of armchair orienteering followed by a few weeks of walking around courses, and gradually over the weeks picking the pace up. In fact I think next August I might give a broken fibula a go - anything to get skinny legs again!
8 AM
Road running 45:00 [3] 5.5 mi (8:11 / mi)
Jog to work. V slowly.
7 PM
Road running 45:00 [3] 5.5 mi (8:11 / mi)
Run home. Wanted to do more but no time. Bring on 2014! Actually January is looking pretty hectic at work too. Maybe we'll just skip to February.
Monday Dec 16, 2013 #
1 PM
Road running 46:19 [3] 5.5 mi (8:25 / mi)
Ran from work to fran's to pick up the van. No time for a long run. Full on at work.
9 PM
Road running 1:04:00 [3] 8.0 mi (8:00 / mi)
Late night jaunt. Roseburn, Frandy's, home. Achilles / calf tired but not sore.
Sunday Dec 15, 2013 #
1 PM
Off-road running 1:24:06 [3] 7.5 mi (11:13 / mi)
slept:7.0
Run with graeme. Pentlands from hillend. Don't think I have ever run in such a strong breeze. Just as well graeme and I have a bit of 'ballast' otherwise we might have taken off. Got blown off my feet at one poibt on Allermuir at the end. Needless to say it was brilliant fun.
Saturday Dec 14, 2013 #
Note
Just another crazily busy day. Feeling drained and stressed and not 100%, which is just as well as I had no time to go running in. On the plus side the children had the longest ever non-campervan lie in. Didn't get woken until 6:55
Friday Dec 13, 2013 #
6 AM
Cycle commute 1:00:00 [3] 4.0 mi (15:00 / mi)
Another nuts day of work frantically until lunch, pick Laurence up, lunch, his guitar lesson, Christmas shopping, nursery nativity, nursery Christmas party, home, feed the kids, put them to bed, tidy up, and it's now 8:55. Peace at last. Can I get off the sofa to go running?
9 PM
Off-road running 34:42 [3] 4.3 mi (8:04 / mi)
Ran to fran's, had a cup of tea, and ran home. Had to walk the end bit as I was feeling very drained of energy, and my legs wouldn't coordinate. Weird. I think I have to stop eating nothing but toast.
Thursday Dec 12, 2013 #
Note
No training. Bad day.
Wednesday Dec 11, 2013 #
8 AM
Road running 54:47 [3] 6.36 mi (8:37 / mi)
slept:7.5
Run in. Slow. Bag full of stuff for tonight. Legs managed the morning run ok though.
6 PM
Drills 10:00 [1]
Off-road running 15:00 [3] 1.5 mi (10:00 / mi)
Orienteering - race 46:35 [3] 3.9 mi (11:57 / mi)
Fvo night event. Mine woods. Oh what fun! Feeling quite fresh. Set off 5 mins after the pack. Was wearing my oldest x talons, which I wear usually just for sprint as they have a bit of grip. Great in the urban bits, spent most of my time in the forest on my face, or bum, but I don't think I was the only one!
Orienteering well, enjoying the forest. Buzzing.
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
Old dog, new tricks - etc etc. give me 10 years and I might work out how to get that ANT thing working to let me download my garmin.
Orienteering well, enjoying the forest. Buzzing.
http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...
Old dog, new tricks - etc etc. give me 10 years and I might work out how to get that ANT thing working to let me download my garmin.
Tuesday Dec 10, 2013 #
5 PM
Road running 47:24 [3] 5.95 mi (7:58 / mi)
slept:6.5
Home from work. Easier day. Tired. Legs felt good but calves cramping.
Drills 10:00 [3]
Glutes and upper legs very much complaining. They felt ok running.
Monday Dec 9, 2013 #
12 PM
Off-road running 2:10:00 [3] 13.03 mi (9:59 / mi)
slept:7.0
Work, hw, currie, the harbour hill / bells hill col then left over the tops. I cut down before Carketton as I wanted to avoid the steep descent, then decided Swanston and Braidburn valley park would be a nice route home and it was. Achilles held up well with the hills. Glutes much better than yesterday. 55:38 to the col.
Sunday Dec 8, 2013 #
Note
Sciatica is back. Nice. For those uninitiated in sciatica, it just means your hamstrings scream at you whenever you go running. It doesn't do any long term damage running with it, as its actually only the nerves which are affected, It just saps all the joy from every training session. Drills drills drills is the only way I know to get rid of it.
Road running 1:51:07 [3] 13.61 mi (8:10 / mi)
slept:6.0
Couldn't sleep last night.
Afternoon run. Duddingston portobello Joppa, the all along the front into a headwind to crammond and up to barnton to get a bus home.
My glutes are v sore from yesterday. Ouchy! They were getting v tight towards the end. Tried to get my legs to do some drills. They refused.
Afternoon run. Duddingston portobello Joppa, the all along the front into a headwind to crammond and up to barnton to get a bus home.
My glutes are v sore from yesterday. Ouchy! They were getting v tight towards the end. Tried to get my legs to do some drills. They refused.
Saturday Dec 7, 2013 #
9 AM
XC / road / hill race 19:12 [4] 5.0 km (3:50 / km)
Park run. Edinburgh.
I knew I wasn't going to get a pw here, as I did a park run a few weeks after having Lucy (26mins) but this was never going to be a fast one. Aiming for sub 20. Started steady and held strongly, rather than my usual style of sprint off and gradually slow. Was feeling tentative as I was waiting for the Achilles calf problems to kick in but they never did. Yay! V pleased with this race. The time is fairly irrelevant. I can see myself running more races soon. The last race I ran in brown was the national XC. I knew this as the bib was still pinned on my vest.
I knew I wasn't going to get a pw here, as I did a park run a few weeks after having Lucy (26mins) but this was never going to be a fast one. Aiming for sub 20. Started steady and held strongly, rather than my usual style of sprint off and gradually slow. Was feeling tentative as I was waiting for the Achilles calf problems to kick in but they never did. Yay! V pleased with this race. The time is fairly irrelevant. I can see myself running more races soon. The last race I ran in brown was the national XC. I knew this as the bib was still pinned on my vest.
C • 1
C • bib 2
Road running 15:00 [3] 1.5 mi (10:00 / mi)
slept:8.0
Warm up and down. First time I have weighed myself for ages. Oh dear!
Friday Dec 6, 2013 #
Note
(rest day)
Was due to meet sula at 6:30 for an early morning tempo session, but pulled out as my Achilles was inflamed, and one thing guaranteed to make it worse is running hard, early on a frosty morning. I've done enough running recently, and if logistics work I plan to do the park run tomorrow, so the rest will do me good.
9 PM
Physio - achilles 5:00 [1]
Physio - general S&C 15:00 [1]
Physio - general S&C 10:00 [1]
Did some new back stretches too, trying to unlock stiff thoracic area.
Thursday Dec 5, 2013 #
8 AM
Road running 1:12:33 [3] 8.42 mi (8:37 / mi)
slept:7.0
From the nursery, through the meadows to the west end. Sat an exam, then onto the water of leith to the canal and down to work via hg. Sorbothane heels in. Felt good.
Physio crunched my back yesterday. Ran with a bag today. Thinks achilles is in many ways still in the acute stages. Not good. But I am not too worried as running doesn't hurt, and it is only painful (very) on pinching.
Physio crunched my back yesterday. Ran with a bag today. Thinks achilles is in many ways still in the acute stages. Not good. But I am not too worried as running doesn't hurt, and it is only painful (very) on pinching.
5 PM
Road running 47:00 [3] 6.5 mi (7:14 / mi)
Fight a headwind in the morning, no tailwind in the evening. Not fair! I felt good though, dispite having a bag. So good in fact that I managed drills up and down the street when I got home.
Drills 10:00 [2]
Wednesday Dec 4, 2013 #
1 PM
Road running 1:10:00 [3] 9.1 mi (7:42 / mi)
slept:7.6
Mmmm. Road running. Holyrood, Meadowbank, craigentinny, portobello prom, then turned back along the prom. Left at the beach house. Home via Duddingston village.
Training will become more orienteering relevant in the new year, I'm sure.
Training will become more orienteering relevant in the new year, I'm sure.
Tuesday Dec 3, 2013 #
8 AM
Road running 30:35 [3] 3.56 mi (8:35 / mi)
slept:8.0
Jog around the meadows. Then tried one 2k rep. Calf / Achilles survived it, but it was v slow. very slow is an understatement. very very slow. hmmm. might have to do a race soon to remind me what breathing hard is all about.
Feeling under the weather today.
Feeling under the weather today.
Drills 10:00 [3]
3 PM
Road running 1:32:53 [3] 11.4 mi (8:09 / mi)
Study day for a boring exam, so needed to get out of the house. Holy rood park, regents terrace, canon mills, inverleith park, pilton, granton, new haven, leith and back up Easter road.
Still feeling pretty shit. Had to drag myself up Easter road, suffering from a major energy outage.
Still feeling pretty shit. Had to drag myself up Easter road, suffering from a major energy outage.
Monday Dec 2, 2013 #
9 AM
Road running 1:32:00 [3] 11.5 mi (8:00 / mi)
slept:7.0
Ran to the drs with l cycling, then back to school with him, then duddingston, the prom at porti, leith links, Easter rd, through the park back. Leg hurt at 5 miles but settled. Took strapping off after.
8 PM
Physio - general S&C 15:00 [1]
Physio - glut specific 10:00 [1]
Physio - achilles 5:00 [1]
Sunday Dec 1, 2013 #
Note
Bad day. No training.