Training Log Archive: Old Daniel

Plod around Purdown and Frome Valley, very good for clearing the head, good for planning what to say in another e-mail, but as training.....
Good to be out of the house

Did not run today. I could feel ankle

Standard warm up

MLS at Mytchett - a top area to orienteer on , this one described itself as Congo Stream. I was really focused at hoping to do well. However I was very messy, ran straight to 1 but actually it was the nearby 4 which was quite a surprise, then too far right to, way off on route to 3 seeing 26 and then 4 via 1.
All in a small bit of wood and others also had trouble. Was cautious through the next few, which allowed me go get into the race. No real mistakes but did collect a few bananas as the race went on. Lost time at 12 , not beating myself up about this as many of the pits are probably not in quite the right place and hard to see. In retrospect plodding along a bit slower than recently and min/km quite long -not surprising that a couple of guys who were around pulled away.
Alice beat me by 1 min. The difference being that I did not see the path under the red line and took a circuitous route

Blaise not usual route ankle a bit sore after yesterday

Decided not to run today - the bad news is that I cannot stand on one leg so (Irish!) ankle must be a bit knackered. Good news is that I can stand on the other one which is quite handy for such activities as well standing up etc,

Warm up

BOK Gallopen at Stock Hill -always a tricky area and without doubt care is needed.
Ups - disaster struck today.....
Clean through short legs 1-3, and then next onto a path run which allowed some pre-planning. Could not make head or tail of veg changes, on E-W path so went in a bit late and straight into adjacent no. 5, code checked but seemed ok as had next two in my head. From pre-planning I knew I needed to use line of planting but instead of doing this from 6, I did it from 5 and headed vaguely towards 7 but suddenly started to realise what was going on???? Had to retrace around the controls properly. Not good for morale. But actually not navigating too badly until on the way to 108 and in retrospect must have misread the paths, went through 107 thought this confirmed I was too far west and navigated east to a pit, no control, perhaps correction was wrong. Area is however diffuse and what is on the map and particularly paths not easy to interpret, tried several times and failed. Realised I must have made a parallel error mistaking small and big paths and needed to go to the adjacent block - no joy but I did find a control ….I wonder - back to back maps..... there it was 104 I know where I am, Hurray! carefully retraced steps through now familiar forest ticked of features and there it was 'plain as a pikestaff' 108. I am pretty sure I was initially within yards but did not have the confidence to believe in myself. Leg took 16.46. (At one time I could cover 5 km and get my breath back in that time not 500m !)
I was now in a bit of a plod, concentrate, navigate and went through the next 18 controls ok, except my saviour 104 where I went along a parallel set of holes.
So dead last when I finished and disappointed to have messed up with completely self inflicted wounds on what was a well planned and technically challenging course.....what day is the beginners coaching???

C • You have to.... 2