Training Log Archive: BrandNewMe

Martin's session - first time in probably about 2 years. It doesn't change much though does it? Although my pace has slowed somewhat. 5 x 1k. 5 years ago I was doing all in under 3:30. Now they were all about 4mins ish. The last one was 3:55 though, and I was holding back a bit early on as I wanted to do all 5. I think this will be a one off alas as it doesn't fit with my logistics.

I've changed (again!) to w21e at the British. W40 last weekend didn't really sit well with me. I suspect w21e won't suit either. Oh well!

C • 4 races in 4 days then intervals... 4

Old ladies course. First leg.

Not feeling perky. Still lots of crap in my throat. And not feeling agile at all, so was picking my way at the start through the terrain. The moor was a bit dull. I just stuck with Helen W, getting ahead going to 7 only to stuff it up and get recaught. So just tucked in for the next few then she had a longer last split to me so by the time the gaffle rejoined, she was nowhere to be seen. Didn't know if she was ahead or behind, to find she was behind as I took the glory coming down the run in, to get the shame a few mins after as it turned out I didn't punch number 2, one of the bridge controls. I can't really remember whether I tried to punch the control or not. The guilty shame of the mispuncher :-( I hear Rog did the same though. Bummer!

The mini relay was somewhat trickily planned, and was still very much ongoing when I got back, which was good news for me as I didn't want to miss the action, but bad news for the juniors. It was quite a bit trickier than a yellow, and the team had some difficulties. Laurence is determined though, and has a habit of sorting himself out eventually, so after a 16min mistake on one control he managed to make it to the finish, and due to the multitude of mispunched teams they came 6th and in the Easter eggs. The sorrow of a big mistake was instantly forgotten. Chocolate solves all sorts of problems.

Jk day 2. W40L

This was slightly more fun than yesterday. You could get into the course more, even if we did go over the same ground twice. A big mistake at 2 cost me 2 mins, a smaller one at 4 was at least 20secs. 11 must have been 45secs, 14 10secs, and getting caught in the shite halfway to 17 cost me 30. Too many mistakes to beat Rollins.

Bit of confusion at the start. I was a punching start, and there was a separate lane for punching starts. So the lady gave me a start time after looking at her start list and asking if anyone particular was around that I shouldn't be near. Sarah had already gone and I presumed she was checking to see that no one on my course was around me, so I said no. The punching starts were at 30secintervals to the main start and we were in a seperate lane with the start official handing us our maps individually. As I was about to punch to start I looked over at the map boxes and realised there was a m16 poised to start the same course 30secs after me. That boy is on my course I told the starter, who looked nonplussed, so I started anyway. With my mistake at number 2 I was caught and had company the whole way around. V tiresome for me indeed, and quite possibly for him too. I should have just not started, and waited but when you have two secs to decide you can't make a considered decision. Trying to out run him at the start didn't help my early focus. He must have thought I was nuts though. I did a lot of crazy straight routes through total shite. I got away from him going to 5 though, so he didn't join me in my worst moment (breaststroke in an eggy bog) but popped up going into 5 as I was coming out - sigh!

Lozza moved up from 6th to 2nd with a good run today. I an v excited for him, even if he has beaten me on the run in by 1 second every day so far...

Jk day 2. W40.

I understand why I came second today - I dropped lots of time, but I don't really understand much else about today. I didn't understand a lot of the mapping - the large open bit, then the marshy foresty bit, and then the end bit, well all of if really. It wasn't talking my language at all. I struggled to make anything fit. Most of all I don't really understand why such an area was chosen - is that good orienteering around here? Who knows. And I still don't understand why I am running W40. Or why I am running at all.

Jk sprint. W40.

Meh! Still feeling shite. Burning up on the way there. Tired, tired, tired. So tired infact that when Lozza and I got to the start (300m jog from assembly) and he said he had forgotten his compass, I just lent him mine as I couldn't be arsed to jog back and get his, even though we had open starts.

But once you start, it's hard to go easy. So I went around, determined not to fall for any of the traps, feeling dire. I even nearly walked when the course got a bit easy after 10. Sarah fell for one of the tricks, so I beat her because of that otherwise it would have been v close. After us two there was a fair gap. I think my chances of beating her tomorrow in her home terrain are slim, very slim. Blah, blah, blah. Can't quite bring myself to care. Still trying to work out if it is more pointless to run W21e when unfit or run W40 when it doesn't feel right.

C • W40 2

Headache, fever, cough, runny nose - sinusitis is a persistent Sodding illness. Dropped down to w40 at the weekend but even that might prove ambitious. Hmm.

Great news for juniors at the weekend though - prizes for top 6 in m/w16 and under. How exciting. Such good work JK team! Kids love winning anything (Laurence was thrilled with the Belgian comic book he won at the sylvester 5 day this year - in Flemish), and if Laurence comes close to winning chocolate, Lucy will start training like a nutter for JK 2018.

Looked at the Bof website for the first time in ages today. Intruiged by the bit in the enews thing about coaches not acting responsibly on social media. My imagination has hit overdrive. Who's been posting what on social media? Beer racing? Juniors they'd like to snog? Best places to buy class A drugs? Get your EPO here? Hacking IOF computers to sneak a peek at the woc courses?

The sport England funding cuts are kicking in too. That people are losing their jobs through this is terrible. Sport England funding has shaped the way that we approach performance and development (and treat athletes, esp juniors) though. It will be interesting to see how/if the reduction in sport England changes the decision-making processes within Performance orienteering.

C • Class As 1