Training Log Archive: KatIn the 30 days ending Nov 30, 2007:
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Friday Nov 30, 2007 #
Running 23:38 [2] 2.49 mi (9:30 / mi)
shoes: Brooks 07
Two loops around South Parks. Very windy day, so I felt quite slow both biking to the park and running.
Strength Training (gym) 42:00 [1]
shoes: Brooks 07
Core, arms, abductors, adductors, back.
Stretching 5:00 [0]
Note
Flight to Sweden tonight!
Thursday Nov 29, 2007 #
Biking 15:00 [1]
Biking uphill to Shotover. I decided to spare my legs and try to take it easy this time. So I switched to lower gears and didn't pedal as hard as last time. It still wasn't easy going uphill on a heavy mountain bike, but at least my legs didn't feel destroyed at the top!
Running 58:22 6.14 mi (9:30 / mi)
shoes: Brooks 07
Ran around Shotover slowly to warm up and loosen the legs (18:13). I twisted my left ankle early on, but after I tightened my laces, it didn't happen again. Also, my right plantar fascia was very tight and I stopped to stretch my calves a couple of times. It felt ok after the first twenty minutes.
Then I did 4 long hill intervals to the very top of Shotover hill, with the jog down as recovery. The hill route is roughly 700-750m long, with about 70 meters climb. Times were 4:20 (3:22), 4:28 (3:31), 4:25 (3:31), 4:20. My legs were tired, but I actually felt like I was *running* uphill on the last one. And the best part was that these intervals actually got my heart rate up! On the last one I experienced that slightly light-headed feeling that comes from not having enough oxygen. For some reason that feeling is very hard for me to attain while running on flats, even if I am running quickly, but I feel it on the uphills!
For cool-down I ran around the top part of Shotover and then down to my bike (12:09). Felt great!
Then I did 4 long hill intervals to the very top of Shotover hill, with the jog down as recovery. The hill route is roughly 700-750m long, with about 70 meters climb. Times were 4:20 (3:22), 4:28 (3:31), 4:25 (3:31), 4:20. My legs were tired, but I actually felt like I was *running* uphill on the last one. And the best part was that these intervals actually got my heart rate up! On the last one I experienced that slightly light-headed feeling that comes from not having enough oxygen. For some reason that feeling is very hard for me to attain while running on flats, even if I am running quickly, but I feel it on the uphills!
For cool-down I ran around the top part of Shotover and then down to my bike (12:09). Felt great!
Stretching 6:00 [0]
This was done several hours after training, but better late than never. (Couldn't do it right after because I had to rush off to Warden's Collections.)
Note
Looked at maps from the Billygoat sprints and the actual long course itself from spring 2006. The mapping style still looks quite foreign to me (among other things the colors are brighter than what I am used to), but at least I understand the contours now.
Wednesday Nov 28, 2007 #
Note
(rest day)
Took a trip to London today to see Simon Costain. I found his name in Paula Radcliffe's book and after doing some more research on him, decided to book an appointment myself. I argued with myself for ages about this, because the price was quite steep, but I think it was worth it.
To date, in the last two years, I have seen 8 people regarding running injuries - three physiotherapists (all in Oxford, one through the NHS, two private), a sports doctor (in NYC), an Oxford professor specializing in knee injuries, an osteopath (in Oxford), a naprapath (in Uppsala), a podiatrist (in Albuquerque). I have also asked numerous other people for advice by email and in person. So it is fair to say that I tried, but did not meet with much success. Simon Costain and his associate Chris Williams are the 9th and 10th people and the best by far. They looked at my feet, my gait, and my three pairs of orthotics in detail and determined what would work best for me. Of course nothing is guaranteed and a pair of good custom orthotics will not necessarily make all of my problems go away, but at least I know this pair will be made correctly.
To date, in the last two years, I have seen 8 people regarding running injuries - three physiotherapists (all in Oxford, one through the NHS, two private), a sports doctor (in NYC), an Oxford professor specializing in knee injuries, an osteopath (in Oxford), a naprapath (in Uppsala), a podiatrist (in Albuquerque). I have also asked numerous other people for advice by email and in person. So it is fair to say that I tried, but did not meet with much success. Simon Costain and his associate Chris Williams are the 9th and 10th people and the best by far. They looked at my feet, my gait, and my three pairs of orthotics in detail and determined what would work best for me. Of course nothing is guaranteed and a pair of good custom orthotics will not necessarily make all of my problems go away, but at least I know this pair will be made correctly.
Tuesday Nov 27, 2007 #
Running 49:27 5.82 mi (8:30 / mi)
shoes: Nike Pegasus
To University Parks, did part of the OUCCC intervals session, then did some more easy running and went home. The intervals session I did was 2x{2', 30" rest, 2', 3' rest} followed by 6'. My legs were really heavy from the last two days, so these felt more like tempo intervals than real intervals. I doubt my HR got much higher than 165 at any point. Still, good to be outside with other people. That was the main reason I did this - to avoid being alone!
Stretching 6:00 [0]
Note
I looked at a map from Australia today. The navigation looks relatively simple (as in, not too much detail on the map), but I don't really have a feel for what it would be like to run there, what the gray areas or the vegetation is like. This is one of the many reasons I should go to Australia some day...perhaps next winter?
I also looked at a men's course on Siggeforasjon, a map somewhere near Stockholm. This map has lots of small detail and route choice is not always easy to figure out. With some legs, the route was obvious to me and I could choose hills, cliffs, or marshes that I could use to guide me. With other controls, where there was just vague contour detail and small marshes, I really had to force myself to come up with a plan of attack, because if left to my (current) natural instincts, I would just go on a bearing and hope I would recognize features as they came up. This is why I need to look at more maps!
And here is yet another article about Thierry. I like reading about him because it makes me feel like my own perfectionist tendencies really aren't that extreme.
I also looked at a men's course on Siggeforasjon, a map somewhere near Stockholm. This map has lots of small detail and route choice is not always easy to figure out. With some legs, the route was obvious to me and I could choose hills, cliffs, or marshes that I could use to guide me. With other controls, where there was just vague contour detail and small marshes, I really had to force myself to come up with a plan of attack, because if left to my (current) natural instincts, I would just go on a bearing and hope I would recognize features as they came up. This is why I need to look at more maps!
And here is yet another article about Thierry. I like reading about him because it makes me feel like my own perfectionist tendencies really aren't that extreme.
Monday Nov 26, 2007 #
Running warm up/down 12:30 [2] 1.43 mi (8:45 / mi)
shoes: Nike Pegasus
Jogging to/from the sports center.
Strength Training 1:10:00 [2]
shoes: Nike Pegasus
Did part of the OUAC circuits session, then did some more stuff on my own. My left ankle hurt, but then got better after the first half hour. I'll have to be careful with it this week!
I wasn't too impressed with the new circuits instructor. He did the typical exercises, but really overdid it on the legs and didn't seem to realize doing squats with legs far apart and feet facing forward is *not* good for the knees. Anyone's knees.
I wasn't too impressed with the new circuits instructor. He did the typical exercises, but really overdid it on the legs and didn't seem to realize doing squats with legs far apart and feet facing forward is *not* good for the knees. Anyone's knees.
Stretching 6:00 [0]
Note
This is the end of my two-week "training break". The break was mental more than physical - for two weeks I did only the trainings that I wanted to do and absolutely no weight training for my legs. I'm ready to move forward again now.
Last week I saw yet another physio, Graham at the Up&Running shop. He concluded I have plantar fasciitis and tibial tendonitis. None of these are surprise injuries. The first time I had heel pain was over a year ago and the first time I felt pain on the insides of my feet was actually over two years ago. So my feet problems are not new, it's just that recently the pain has flared up quite a bit and I really have to do something about it now. But the good news is that I have a plan of action and my motivation is back.
Last week I saw yet another physio, Graham at the Up&Running shop. He concluded I have plantar fasciitis and tibial tendonitis. None of these are surprise injuries. The first time I had heel pain was over a year ago and the first time I felt pain on the insides of my feet was actually over two years ago. So my feet problems are not new, it's just that recently the pain has flared up quite a bit and I really have to do something about it now. But the good news is that I have a plan of action and my motivation is back.
Sunday Nov 25, 2007 #
Running 14:30 [2] 1.45 mi (10:00 / mi)
shoes: Mudclaw 07
Warm-up before the start. Some of this time includes walking up a steep slope, but most is running.
Orienteering 1:04:24 [4] 7.3 km (8:49 / km) +390m 6:58 / km
shoes: Mudclaw 07
EVENT: OK Nuts Trophy regional event
COURSE: W21L, 7.3 km, 390m climb, 27 controls
MAP: The Devil's Punchbowl, 1:10,000, 5m contours
TERRAIN: Very physical. Steep slopes, half wooded (leaves on the ground and holly bushes) and half-open (heather, some patches of gorse). Marshes and streams were very wet (up to knee-deep in some areas).
MY RUN: Solid. Lost 10-15 seconds in a few places on minor route choice decisions, but always knew where I was and where I was going. My ankles started hurting in the second half, but otherwise ok physically. I said a personal thank you to the course-setter after the finish, because I think she did a very good job with the area. I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed the course, given that I encountered mud, bracken, brambles, heather, gorse, and steepness!
RESULTS: 2nd/16, just under two minutes back of Elin Dahlstedt Tysk (62:29), who was in England for the weekend visiting her sister. Splits here. Looks like Elin was faster than me on almost every single split, but made a 5-minute mistake on one control (which might have been slightly misplaced, because I remember being surprised at seeing it where it was).
NOTE: This is my third time running the OK Nuts trophy:
Nov 2005: 7.1 km, 125m climb, 19 controls, 77:20, 10:54 min/km
Nov 2006: 7.5 km, 320m climb, 16 controls, 66:37, 8:52 min/km
Nov 2007: 7.3 km, 390m climb, 27 controls, 64:24, 8:49 min/km
COURSE: W21L, 7.3 km, 390m climb, 27 controls
MAP: The Devil's Punchbowl, 1:10,000, 5m contours
TERRAIN: Very physical. Steep slopes, half wooded (leaves on the ground and holly bushes) and half-open (heather, some patches of gorse). Marshes and streams were very wet (up to knee-deep in some areas).
MY RUN: Solid. Lost 10-15 seconds in a few places on minor route choice decisions, but always knew where I was and where I was going. My ankles started hurting in the second half, but otherwise ok physically. I said a personal thank you to the course-setter after the finish, because I think she did a very good job with the area. I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed the course, given that I encountered mud, bracken, brambles, heather, gorse, and steepness!
RESULTS: 2nd/16, just under two minutes back of Elin Dahlstedt Tysk (62:29), who was in England for the weekend visiting her sister. Splits here. Looks like Elin was faster than me on almost every single split, but made a 5-minute mistake on one control (which might have been slightly misplaced, because I remember being surprised at seeing it where it was).
NOTE: This is my third time running the OK Nuts trophy:
Nov 2005: 7.1 km, 125m climb, 19 controls, 77:20, 10:54 min/km
Nov 2006: 7.5 km, 320m climb, 16 controls, 66:37, 8:52 min/km
Nov 2007: 7.3 km, 390m climb, 27 controls, 64:24, 8:49 min/km
C • Nice 5
Running 8:30 [2] 0.77 mi (11:00 / mi)
shoes: Mudclaw 07
Running back to the parking area. Again, part of the time is walking up a steep slope!
Saturday Nov 24, 2007 #
Running 49:20 [3] 5.64 mi (8:45 / mi)
shoes: Brooks 07
Run up to Port meadow and back along the river. Felt very unfit at first, but better as time went on.
Strength Training 23:00 [1]
Core, arms, abductors, adductors.
Stretching 6:00 [0]
Thursday Nov 22, 2007 #
Biking 10:00 [1]
Biked up to Up&Running again.
Wednesday Nov 21, 2007 #
Biking 10:00 [1]
Biked up Headington Hill to Up&Running. Then did a few more errands, but won't count that as training.
Cross-Training warm up/down (spinning) 10:00 [1]
Strength Training (gym) 35:00 [1]
Core, arms, abductors, adductors.
Stretching 6:00 [0]
While stretching, I noticed that the guy on the mat next to me was wearing some type of athletics/XC Oxford top and I started trying to figure out what type of runner he was based on his body type. He had too much upper body muscle for cross-country, and indeed after we started talking it turned out he used to do jumps and now does sprints.
Note
Boris brought me a cool selection of maps to look at last weekend, so I have been doing visualization and route-choice practice the last few nights. And tonight I also watched the Thierry Gieorgieu video. This is a neat way to see the different routes and the 3D-model looks good, although it might be even better if the colors were exaggerated a bit (make the marshes bluer/yellower, the paths browner, etc.). I especially like how Thierry says, "this was not too difficult" after almost every single leg. The one time he says he "had some difficulties," he adds that he probably lost only 5 seconds. If only I could complain about 5 seconds!
Tuesday Nov 20, 2007 #
Note
(rest day)
Another easy week. This rest has been very good for me.
Monday Nov 19, 2007 #
Running 45:54 [3] 5.51 mi (8:20 / mi)
shoes: Brooks 07
Running around the City map with Boris and Scott.
Stretching 6:00 [0]
Sunday Nov 18, 2007 #
Running warm up/down 20:00 [2] 2.22 mi (9:00 / mi)
shoes: Mudclaw 07
Running to the start (about ~12 minutes) and a bit of jogging after the finish (~8).
Orienteering 56:08 [4] 8.0 km (7:01 / km) +90m 6:39 / km
shoes: Mudclaw 07
EVENT: CHIG regional event
COURSE: W21L, 8.0 km,90 m climb, 24 controls
MAP: Epping Forest North West, 1:10,000, 5m contours
TERRAIN: Mostly fast and runnable white woods, but with lots of splashes of green and green slash on the map. Bits of bracken here and there and some fighting through brambles. Some bits of contour detail.
MY RUN: Decent. Might have been a few minutes faster, but I did the best I could with the generalized map and some mistakes were just inevitable (vegetation mapped vaguely and some unmarked trails threw me off a couple of times). Legs felt much better than last weekend, but still not as fresh as they could be.
RESULTS: 1st out of 12 on W21L. Splits here.
Some pictures here.
NOTE: This is my third time running the CHIG event:
Nov 2005: 7.8 km, 100m climb, 25 controls, 75:40, 9:42 min/km
Nov 2006: 8.3 km, 105m climb, 23 controls, 72:38, 8:45 min/km
Nov 2007: 8.0 km, 90m climb, 24 controls, 56:08, 7:01 min/km
Progress!
COURSE: W21L, 8.0 km,90 m climb, 24 controls
MAP: Epping Forest North West, 1:10,000, 5m contours
TERRAIN: Mostly fast and runnable white woods, but with lots of splashes of green and green slash on the map. Bits of bracken here and there and some fighting through brambles. Some bits of contour detail.
MY RUN: Decent. Might have been a few minutes faster, but I did the best I could with the generalized map and some mistakes were just inevitable (vegetation mapped vaguely and some unmarked trails threw me off a couple of times). Legs felt much better than last weekend, but still not as fresh as they could be.
RESULTS: 1st out of 12 on W21L. Splits here.
Some pictures here.
NOTE: This is my third time running the CHIG event:
Nov 2005: 7.8 km, 100m climb, 25 controls, 75:40, 9:42 min/km
Nov 2006: 8.3 km, 105m climb, 23 controls, 72:38, 8:45 min/km
Nov 2007: 8.0 km, 90m climb, 24 controls, 56:08, 7:01 min/km
Progress!
Friday Nov 16, 2007 #
Running 11:00 2.3 km (4:47 / km)
shoes: Nike Pegasus
Ran three easy loops around the track, partly on the grass. Then did three loops trying to keep just below 7 min/mile pace to see what it felt like.
Strength Training (gym) 32:00 [0]
shoes: Nike Pegasus
Core, arms, abductors, adductors.
Stretching 8:00 [0]
Note
My training is basically nonexistent right now, but it's part of the current plan. There are several issues I need to figure out before I can be really confident about moving forward with my training again:
1. My feet (which hurt in three different places)
2. My muscles (which feel abnormally fatigued)
3. My sleep and eating habits (which have not been very good this term)
So the current plan (common sense, really) is as follows:
- rest as much as I need to these next two weeks in Oxford, which should allow my muscles to recover
- try to see a good podiatrist (or several) about my feet (of course I won't be in one place long enough for them to make me orthotics until mid-January, but at least they could diagnose my problems)
- make sleeping and eating at regular intervals a priority
- look at maps and think about next year's schedule to keep me motivated
1. My feet (which hurt in three different places)
2. My muscles (which feel abnormally fatigued)
3. My sleep and eating habits (which have not been very good this term)
So the current plan (common sense, really) is as follows:
- rest as much as I need to these next two weeks in Oxford, which should allow my muscles to recover
- try to see a good podiatrist (or several) about my feet (of course I won't be in one place long enough for them to make me orthotics until mid-January, but at least they could diagnose my problems)
- make sleeping and eating at regular intervals a priority
- look at maps and think about next year's schedule to keep me motivated
Thursday Nov 15, 2007 #
Note
Finished reading "Touching the Void" yesterday (recommended by Scott) and am half-way through "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" (recommended by Wendy Carlyle). This has led me to Wikipedia, to look up words like "flutings" and "bivouac" and stare at pictures of tall mountains. Climbing tall things appeals to me (it always has) but the thought of relying on ice axes and crampons and risk falling into crevasses is terrifying. I think I'll dream about mountains without snow on top for now!
Wednesday Nov 14, 2007 #
Cross-Training 10:00 [1]
How is it that a few minutes erging can feel like forever?
Strength Training (gym) 30:00 [1]
Arms, core, abductors, adductors. Giving my legs a break.
Stretching 10:00 [0]
Monday Nov 12, 2007 #
Note
(rest day)
Time for a really easy week, I think.
Sunday Nov 11, 2007 #
Running 11:27 [2] 1.27 mi (9:00 / mi)
shoes: Mudclaw 07
Warm-up run. Legs felt dead from the Friday strength session and also felt low on energy in general.
Orienteering 1:12:09 [4] 9.1 km (7:56 / km) +220m 7:04 / km
shoes: Mudclaw 07
EVENT: West Woods regional
COURSE: W21L, 9.1 km, 220m climb, 18 controls
MAP: West Woods, 1:10,000, 5m contours
TERRAIN: Good visibility, mostly sloping gradual hills, runnable woods and lots of low brambles.
MY RUN: No real mistakes to speak of. Most of the controls just involved going on a bearing and finding a depression. Despite looking at my compass, I quite often had to correct by ~50 meters near the control. Very, *very* tired quads right from the start. Walked quite a bit on the hills and wished I could do the same on the flats, but wouldn't allow it. Completely dead by the end. Did the best I could on the day, given my tiredness, so I'm satisfied, but wish I might have been able to go faster!
RESULTS: 4th, behind Seline Stalder, Anne Edwards and Vicky Stevens. I might have possibly been second if not for the fatigue, but it would have been a close race.
COURSE: W21L, 9.1 km, 220m climb, 18 controls
MAP: West Woods, 1:10,000, 5m contours
TERRAIN: Good visibility, mostly sloping gradual hills, runnable woods and lots of low brambles.
MY RUN: No real mistakes to speak of. Most of the controls just involved going on a bearing and finding a depression. Despite looking at my compass, I quite often had to correct by ~50 meters near the control. Very, *very* tired quads right from the start. Walked quite a bit on the hills and wished I could do the same on the flats, but wouldn't allow it. Completely dead by the end. Did the best I could on the day, given my tiredness, so I'm satisfied, but wish I might have been able to go faster!
RESULTS: 4th, behind Seline Stalder, Anne Edwards and Vicky Stevens. I might have possibly been second if not for the fatigue, but it would have been a close race.
Biking 19:00 [2]
Biking to the big roundabout (up Headington Hill!). Tired legs, but made it up there for a sports massage.
Saturday Nov 10, 2007 #
Running 46:32 [2] 5.32 mi (8:45 / mi)
shoes: Orange Asics
Run up and down the river after helping out with entries for the City Race all day. Left foot was killing me - had to stop about ten times to stretch. Wish I knew what the problem was! No matter what combination of shoes or insoles I try, something with my feet seems to hurt. Either the arch, or the sides, or the heel...Argh.
Stretching 6:00 [0]
Friday Nov 9, 2007 #
Running 10:25 [2] 1.26 mi (8:15 / mi)
shoes: Nike Pegasus
Several laps around the grassy outskirts of the track. Feet felt mostly ok, but I am still very conscious of them.
Strength Training (gym) 40:00 [1]
The usual, except calves.
Stretching 6:00 [0]
Note
There's definitely something wrong with my feet, but I'm hoping that the present pain is just an aggravation and will go away as long as I'm careful. So lots of stretching, soaking in hot water, and possible massage. Will see if that helps.
Thursday Nov 8, 2007 #
Note
(rest day)
It was bound to happen. After forcing myself out the door so many times in a row, there was bound to come a day when I failed to train. Today was it. I got dressed and went out to go to the gym, but needed to stop by the Maths Institute first to hand in a form. By the time I left the Institute it was pouring rain and I only had 1.5 hours before a class. I decided it would be best to just go home, get dry, and do some work. I've done my fair share of training in rainy, cold, or otherwise miserable conditions. Some days it just isn't worth the effort.
Wednesday Nov 7, 2007 #
Running 43:06 [2] 5.22 mi (8:15 / mi)
shoes: Nike Pegasus
Four loops around Christ Church meadow. Felt pretty quick, probably both because I was moving fast and also because it was dark. The outsides of my heels (especially the left one) hurt. I forgot to mention this on Sunday, but I had bad foot pain for most of the race, and I suppose this is why I'm still feeling some now. Usually my feet are ok, but if I land hard on the outsides (which happens constantly when trying to jump over heather), there is sharp pain upon contact with the ground. I have experienced this problem throughout the last year and have no idea exactly what's wrong. I'll just stick to running on more even surfaces for a while and hope it goes away for the time being.
Stretching 5:00 [0]
Tuesday Nov 6, 2007 #
Running 51:05 [2] 5.52 mi (9:15 / mi)
shoes: Orange Asics
Very slow shuffle today - didn't have any energy in the legs. Ran to the Maths Institute to drop off a problem sheet, then three loops around University Parks while looking at a 2005 World Cup map. I saw Scott strolling around the park and checking things out on the updated city map. The map looks pretty and the courses should be fun, but I do wish the map wasn't printed on the waterproof paper that seems to be gaining popularity recently. Personally, I despise it. The map does not stay folded and drawing routes on it is difficult (most types of ink will smudge). Also, when I fold it, the corners are lethally sharp and dig into my palm. Ugh. I want a return to the plastic covers or the nicer version of the waterproof paper (e.g. as used at the MV National event on Feb 25, 2007).
Stretching 5:00 [0]
Note
Yet another compromise has been reached between maths and orienteering. I can't afford to take a week off from lectures and classes, yet I really want to do at least part of Linne's winter training camp in Portugal. So just now I purchased tickets for a four-day weekend (Thursday-Sunday) including two days of training and two races in early February. I'm looking forward to it already!
Monday Nov 5, 2007 #
Running warm up/down 12:00 [2] 1.41 mi (8:31 / mi)
shoes: Orange Asics
Running to/from the Sports Center.
Strength Training (Circuits) 1:12:00 [3]
shoes: Orange Asics
OUAC circuits. Learned a new and effective exercise! Resistance running - you run with someone else holding you back (in my case, with a pair of warm-up pants wrapped around my waist) while you try your hardest to make forward progress. Good stuff.
Stretching 6:00 [0]
Sunday Nov 4, 2007 #
Running warm up/down 5:00 [2] 0.59 mi (8:30 / mi)
shoes: Mudclaw 07
Meant to warm up for 15 minutes, but didn't have enough time after buying new O-shoes. On the bright side, I saw Seline Stalder, who Sandra had introduced me to in Switzerland, and we did a few loops together.
Orienteering 1:09:14 [4] 9.5 km (7:17 / km) +285m 6:20 / km
shoes: Mudclaw 07
EVENT: November Classic 2007 (regional event)
COURSE: W21L, 9.5 km, 285 meters climb, 14 controls
MAP: Lucas Castle, Highland Water Inclosure, & Acres Down; 1:15,000
TERRAIN: Typical New Forest terrain. White woods very runnable (except for the bracken), top half of the map open heather.
MY RUN: Solid. Made a few small route choice errors and at two controls I was in the right place, but just didn't see the flag (once it was right behind me, another time it was hidden in tall grass), but these were pretty minor. I doubt I could have done this more than 2 minutes faster unless the course was streamered. Seline started two minutes behind me and caught up to me by #1 (which was a leg all the way across the map). Then she made a mistake to #3 and I punched #4 just before she did. Then she took a slightly worse route choice to #6 and I was still not too far back. It was only at #7, the dot knoll where I just couldn't immediately spot the control, that she got away from me for good. She wound up beating me by quite a bit, but given that she's ranked 20th in the world, I'm pretty happy with that. I'm also pretty happy about the fact that most of the course ran through heather and I managed to keep up a good pace through that, without becoming discouraged or making silly mistakes. And I'm *really* happy about the fact that while this was definitely a good race for me, it did not feel like it was a special, lucky day. It just felt like this is the way it should be.
RESULTS: 2nd place! Beat a number of good women too, including Lizzie Adams for the first time. Full results here:
http://www.newcombej.plus.com/071104_SOC/
COURSE: W21L, 9.5 km, 285 meters climb, 14 controls
MAP: Lucas Castle, Highland Water Inclosure, & Acres Down; 1:15,000
TERRAIN: Typical New Forest terrain. White woods very runnable (except for the bracken), top half of the map open heather.
MY RUN: Solid. Made a few small route choice errors and at two controls I was in the right place, but just didn't see the flag (once it was right behind me, another time it was hidden in tall grass), but these were pretty minor. I doubt I could have done this more than 2 minutes faster unless the course was streamered. Seline started two minutes behind me and caught up to me by #1 (which was a leg all the way across the map). Then she made a mistake to #3 and I punched #4 just before she did. Then she took a slightly worse route choice to #6 and I was still not too far back. It was only at #7, the dot knoll where I just couldn't immediately spot the control, that she got away from me for good. She wound up beating me by quite a bit, but given that she's ranked 20th in the world, I'm pretty happy with that. I'm also pretty happy about the fact that most of the course ran through heather and I managed to keep up a good pace through that, without becoming discouraged or making silly mistakes. And I'm *really* happy about the fact that while this was definitely a good race for me, it did not feel like it was a special, lucky day. It just felt like this is the way it should be.
RESULTS: 2nd place! Beat a number of good women too, including Lizzie Adams for the first time. Full results here:
http://www.newcombej.plus.com/071104_SOC/
Saturday Nov 3, 2007 #
Running 10:00 [4]
Running from Leeds University to the train station as fast as possible through crowded streets. I left as soon as my GRE exam was over, ran as fast as I could, but still missed the train by several minutes. Very frustrating, as I then had to waste two more hours waiting for trains and also pay an additional £22. Scott saved the day (or at least the evening) with his good company, tiramisu, and atlas.
C • Huh? 2
Friday Nov 2, 2007 #
Running (track) 37:17 [2] 7.0 km (5:20 / km)
shoes: Orange Adidas O-shoes 07
Ran loops around the track while reviewing GRE math. Very productive through the first 25 minutes and was about to stop there, but then I started talking to some guy running loops around the track as well and we kept going for another 12 minutes. Beautiful weather, so it's probably all for the best that I stayed out a bit longer.
Strength Training (gym) 36:00 [1]
Stretching 6:00 [0]
Thursday Nov 1, 2007 #
Biking 15:30 [3]
shoes: Nike Pegasus
Biked to Shotover. Legs felt *very* tired during the first (longest) uphill.
Running 51:35 4.69 mi (11:00 / mi) +275m 9:18 / mi
shoes: Nike Pegasus
Running at Shotover. Explored some options for hill intervals in the coming weeks, doing three hills hard. My favorite was actually the longest uphill route, which took 4:35 and had 70 meters climb. Perhaps next week I can attempt to do some proper intervals there. Today my legs were just too dead to do much of anything, especially after the bike ride over.