Training Log Archive: BrandNewMe

I went out with a friend last night. This friend is a functioning alcoholic. Bad move - we drank so much. It was a fairly restrained night for him. Any foot pain this morning was the least of my problems.

I'd been saving up my 'wreck my foot again' running for the weekend, and this took us to an ELO event at Saltoun and Humbie. The forest wasn't great, just like anywhere in England outside the lakes, but I was in the mood for some fun. All went smoothly apart from some lace tying at 8 and 9, and number 11. Number 11 was not where is ought to have been. I ran to the middle of the circle, in which there was neither a feature or control. After jogging around a bit making sure, I saw that the description was a shallow reentrant so I went to the shallow reentrant about 50-100m west of the centre of the circle and found it.

Ray had less luck, and milled around until he found it, then set off to number 12, navigating from the centre of number 11, which was not where he was in the forest so got confused. He dropped 5 mins, I dropped a minute or so. Managed to avoid getting Rachel Browned, as did he by a few secs. Phew! The majority of competitors didn't have a problem with 11 which makes you wonder what their usual navigation technique is. Go in the direction that sort of feels right for a distance that sort of feels right, then sweep search the terrain???

All good clean fun, with, juice, cake, balloons and stickers at the end. Top notch hosting.

C • No 11 4

Tempted to go running after work sent us home at 3:30 (it's a sunny day and it's a bank holiday on Monday so leave when you like) but still a bit crippled so picked the kids up early instead.

Yesterday was fun but my foot is too f*ed now as a result. Lucy has a raised bed, and last night I had to play tooth fairy, and it took me ages to work out how my crippled body could climb up high enough without waking her. I don't seem to have been fitted with wings.

It makes it easier to look at the woc long courses without getting jealous when you can't walk accross a room. The courses looked fun enough - I loathe long legs like that at the start though - total brain overload. The terrain was better than the middle, but why did the map disintegrate? I thought we had to have map bags at woc? And all of the trains forming was ridiculous. The fun of long for me is the solitude. The world cups in Sweden / Norway last year were in cool terrain, and had there been a selection race in Norway a few weeks ago I would have rocked up and tried to make the team (hahaha!), but no regrets. That didn't look such fun.

C • The print hadn't fused at a hugh enough temperature 12

Cycle to work in the morning, then at lunch time do some jobs on the bike, drop it back home, and run back to work through the meadows. It is v handy working in town.

Run to the orienteering, and home, with a nice little chat with Tessa.

Orienteering around Steils. Great fun. I felt ok and was going well. I think I run best when not wearing compression socks, but they definately help, so race without them, run with.

Tessa beat me, as did Ackkers - not Graeme but James. What a great series - thanks Graeme and Paul and all that put events on. The hosts of tonight's event, the Amblers, really did well today. A cup of tea and home baking at the finish. I would have lingered and eaten more cake had I not had to race back to let Ray go out running. And I didn't get to stay for the prize giving - all to play for tonight.

C • Prizegiving 3

Along the canal to HP, up past Myreside then along and up Morningside Road, doing a few errands.