Training Log Archive: Duncan

Start: Had a bit too much breakfast and wasn't feeling great
1: Not in the zone, should have bearing-ed into the control site from the final hill
2: Not really concentrating and getting distracted by other people
3: Bit straight at the start, some following and a parallel mistake on the marshes
4-6: Obvious routes, with a few other people
7: Train starting to form, sitting in 3rd/4th with a Tampereen Pyrintö guy leading it. Should have been more confident in the circle but we all ran to the other control first.
8: Punched seven before the Pyrintö guy but waited a couple of seconds for him to get going so I could raw-hang properly. Didn't have a clue where we were for the next 1.5km to control 8. At one point we passed a massive boulder which I thought might be on the map so I looked at it, I then tripped, so decided it was better not to look at the map and just follow. It got pretty busy around the control as we caught another train (with Petter in it) which had messed up.
9: Dropped down a bit further back.
10: Not sure where we were going but we hit the track well downhill. Also made a schoolboy raw-hanging mistake here as I started following the leaders of the other train instead of the Pyrintö guy, but they weren't as good. They left the track way too early but me and Pyrintö kept going and overtook a load.
11: Via drinks point, 2ft behind Pyrintö
12: Via drinks point, 2ft behind Pyrintö
13: Early on behind Pyrintö but later on he slowed so I navigated the little train in.
14: At the front, slightly left
15: A strong OK Orion guy appeared which was perfect timing for the marshy uphill finish.
16: Followed him round the bottom of the ski-lift and overtook on the uphill
17-F: He got ahead though the mud but he didn't put much effort into sprinting so got him before the last control and got one more on the run-in.

Moved up from 51st to 30th.

Fairly decent running but fairly poor orienteering from me. Maybe letting tiredness get to me.

Easy round last night's course on Ralph's map.

Middle race. Wanted to attack but orienteer properly which I largely did. Swapped from a stable to a fast compass at Jukola but I'm still not holding it still enough every time which caused a little weaving in the open. Lungs at capacity on the Ilkley Moor legs but went fast on the downhills. Little off to 7 not spotting the open under the unseasonal marsh, think. Then running fairly straight trying to read the features in. Didn't do the compass or the reading in very well though on 12 or 13, losing time. Wished I'd pushed a little more on the uphill legs in the forest but generally running was dead good. Orienteering was never perfect but good enough to have a decent race and get a decent result

C • Compasses 3

Fast start, then really tough physically round the middle part running slowly. Followed by running fast but not orienteering fast...

Was 5 minutes down just before half-way. But almost 20 down at the finish.

Alright to number 1 though it was uphill and just hard work. Got going to 2 but drifted right at the end and lost 40+s. Slooooow to 3, 4, 5, 6. Was pleased with my navigation however. Not sure how but lost a shed-load of time to 7, did stop for some stretching. Got caught here by a scandi who was really not very good at navigating. The weather had cooled down by this point and he gave me some motivation to run hard - managed to claw back 40 places from here to the finish. Followed him out of the control but beat him to 8. He overtook me to nine but then there were some contours. Then kept pushing to the end. Bit confused to 12 and 13 and 15 losing time on hesitations, being too focused on the line (I thought) I was running on and not really looking around enough I think.

15 minutes down by number 7, but only dropped ~90s over the remainder of the course.

Little jog

With Jonny, Josh, Cherry, Ralph, Louise. Put some effort in on some uphills to remind me what it's like.

"My hamstring's gone" - Huw Stradling. "Where's it gone Huw? Where's it gone?"

Proper night out in Chamonix

Beautiful over Col de Fênetre. Dodgy final descent in the dark!

Loaded up with gin for the sprint stages.

Down the river Tarn. In a boat with Cherry. Good upper body workout for me, not for Cherry though as he did bare all paddling.

Made more of the way round three course.

Not feeling it. Start to 1 then the final 4 controls.

From Hope round the peaks. Missed 10 hours again :-( a few struggling knees (my left top) and my stomach did us in.

7.50am flight tomorrow

Upset stomach, no appetite.

Pottering down into the Gorge, over the Bridge and back, up and down the strip and back over Wrekin View.

Steady around. The town bit was fun, especially with the market going on, though more effort could have been made into converting the buildings properly. The last half was suburban, the lowest form of orienteering.

Travelling to St. Affrique

Worcester. 1500m. Very slow start 73s first 400m, 5s off last time. Everyone was still together after 800m but with 650 to go it blew apart, I didn't blow up but was struggling but beat my 4.30 aim.

Dunno time

I think they probably went a bit overboard on the no-entry signs, once you'd got over that it was okay and a decent forest to run around.