Training Log Archive: BrandNewMe

Home alone on Saturday night so bed at 9 with my book. Lucy woke me at 1 and then insomnia got me - stressing about my niggles....

All orienteering should be at the trossachs. That should be the new rule. Its so beautiful and such a good test of strength, fitness and navigation. There was a WRE in Trossachs in 2010. I skipped elite as Lucy was only 2 months old, and had lots of fun beating Ray by 20secs on short blue (he had the fitness, I had the strength and navigation).

This WRE looked like fun though, so I dug out the map and gave it a go. I needed some sort of focus for the training, otherwise it would have been tough to get going in such terrain. Even so, it was hard to push without the adrenaline of the big race, but it was so so beautiful, and the map is so good, and the contours are so pretty, and the terrain really is perfect for me. So nice. Navigated well, felt a bit unfit, but most people do in this terrain. 80:55 would have been respectable in the race, though I missed the last control as it was looking really brambly.

Notes for future trossachs races - the yellow open areas in the higher bits often means that it will be heathery, and best avoided. Marshes are good running usually, as the heather doesn't grow in them. When you run on the road, it is amazing how quick you shift along the map, compared with the inching along that you do when in the terrain.


http://www.scottish-orienteering.org/doma/show_map...

Sore hamstring and calf. Hmmmm


On the way home Ray tells me that the Balmoral race is his Dad's 70th birthday, and plans were afoot for us all to drive (!) to a centre parcs (!) near Milton Keynes (!) for a weekend of fun with all of the inlaws (!). Cost for four of us for the weekend - £600! I felt restrained, merely telling him that I would sooner rip my eyelids off and eat them. I'm going to have to come up with a plan to get out of this one quick...

C • Plan 5

Running to the start and back from the finish.

Blackford hill, braid hill summit, golf course, fields and home on the road, past Cameron toll. V nice and muddy. Thought this was a bit further than it was. Next time I'll add a loop in braids to make it a decent length run. Calf was hurting, but not massively. I don't think it liked the 5k. Achilles fine.

Trossachs tomorrow afternoon anyone?

Running to work. Tight calf and slight heel pain. Not achilles. Running has felt hard work all this week.

Home from work. This was pretty swift out of necessity, rather than because I was feeling good. Friday afternoon stress!

Morning off work with an ill Lucy. Also the reason for a lack of sleep. Tired today.

Supposed to be doing the 5k tonight. Feeling coldy. Hmm. What to do...

Cycle work to silverknowes. Not v nice route.

Silverknowes scottish 5k champs.

This was always going to be v painful. First non-o race for ages. Paula Radcliffe counts to forget the pain. I was thinking of reasons to drop out (mainly pain-related) and then why I shouldn't drop out (I'd paid £6 for the privilege of experiencing this pain, it says 5k on the training plan, Ray went running v early this morning so I could get the evening to myself, how hard could running 5k be, I'm not injured - I should be celebrating being able to do a 5k). Painful. Not esp fast. Sub-18 by woc Ray says. Hmmm.

Training going to plan so far. 10 days in, 10 days ticked. Perfect. Tomorrow another easy day. I am getting bored of the rest days though.

Warm up. Half hearted. Legs felt shit

Cycle home from race. Nice route.

I felt horrific all afternoon, so was a bit concerned I might not make this cycle. I had visions of me having to stop for a nap by the side of the road and waking up hours later.

I had to drop the van off for a service and to get some bits fixed the far side of West Calder. It was a surprisingly pleasant cycle home along the cycle route 75 once I had navigated my way through the Almondvale centre in Livi, and down the river almond, then Kirknewton, Currie and home. There are some nice roads in West Lothian direction. Maybe I should investigate more to make my 10 milers from work more interesting. Avoided being hit by any vehicles, buses included.

Canal run. I scratched my eye on Saturday half way around. It is still really sore. Dr Rollins gave me 50mg diclofenac and some 8mg cocodamol last weekend. I raided my own 30mg cocodamol supply this morning as well as the diclofenac. All of which has left me feeling really quite gah. Legs like cotton wool. Head like cotton wool. Generally a bit out of it. On the plus side, I could get hit by a bus today and not notice.

C • hit by bus 2

Ran BEOC middle course 1998 at tarn hows, then added a bit of a training exercise on a contour and rock only map from a squad weekend in 97. The first map was a bit out of date. The second map was perfect!

Then ice creams and scrambling at silver Howe. Great weekend! Bit unhealthy though. Beer, cake, ice cream, fish & chips, pizza, pies, chocolate, croissants. Oh dear! Healthy this week!