Training Log Archive: brycec

Event: WA Middle/Long Distance MTBO State Championships - Turner Hill
 

After coming with an hour to spare almost missed my start time!

1) Had a good leg to 1 and hit it flush

2) Gave Jen a bit of stick as I overtook her on an uphill to 2 - was fully expecting her to motor away from me when I had seen her on my exit to 1. (almost stacked it behind her in the pea gravel - recovered nicely though)

Proceeded to miss my turn off and go some extra ground - might have been worth it - took the green link - I think?! and then single trail - once getting past someone I booted it most of the way to 2. however decided to stop for a while when almost there just to make sure... wasteful!

3) might have made a new track by accident - it looked like a track/open ground to me. anyway quickly down the west path - and back again - not full tilt but reasonably fast.

4) really enjoyed the single trail to 4 - could have gone harder/faster on it but held back a bit as brakes where being a bit dodgy and back will was slipping around corners.

5) had a major mistake on this leg - cost me a decent amount of time - around 5 minutes. I just wasn't confident when the track started to descend and went back then rode on white area clearly not the track then back to main junction, looking at map I was certain but trying to convince myself - Ricky came sailing past. Well that confirms it and I chased after him up to the flag. I must have been very close to the track when I turned around the first time!

6) what a painful uphill - still made a reasonable crack at it.

7) Went reasonably hard at this a few hesitations but generally a strong leg to the control and rewarded with a 2nd fastest split :P

8) The tapping didn't help massively - came off the track a number of times - horrible little leg up the hill - but once through was pretty quick around to 8.

9) - opted against the road #SILLY - got to corner didn't see track - climbed the full hill to the corner and back down again - what a waste. would have been heaps faster on the road - nav mistake cost me at least 2 minutes

10) I was cautious going into it but didn't loose too much time

11) on route passed Paul - he was either going for home or still chasing me. Increased my effort - Almost made a wrong turn but got to 11 nicely.

12) Went hard on the down hill - slammed on brakes on corner and went along to 12 - probably could have gone faster post the corner.

13) Reasonably fast but very clean leg.

14) Clean. - Almost gave Richard a jump shot... if only I had known.

All in all felt really good out there today - a few mistakes cost me some time and no doubt positions - but its the first time I have been firmly in the mix in the field. only 2:20 down on Paul and 5 min down on Dave. And got Dalto's scalp! woo there is a first :P

Closing the gap between Paul and I with the ice cream challenge at the next MTBO... feeling like it might be game on!

Tomorrow should be fun I will be chasing everyone rather than being chased.

Also Richard's nav in the car on the way there saved me from another Google maps rant :P

C • Richard's nav 1

M21A - Splits

Was tempted to not go at all this morning but pulled myself out of bed.

Feet where numb from he cold wet ground getting my boat onto the car, and worse after getting it off at claremont jetty.

I headed out and didn't feel too unstable and though a little tippy to start felt reasonably good.

First km was pretty cruisey just feeling it out. Breeze was behind me and heading towards peppigrove

On the 2nd km a coach roach popped up next to my left foot but I thought it was a bee when I first saw it and scared me momentarily - putting my left leg overboard in reaction... yes that got some water into the seat area and made it wet and cooler. oh well - after having a laugh and getting rid of the roach I continued but interestingly my left leg now started going numb badly! had to stop at least one time and put both legs over to get feeling back. Also the leg where I crossed freshwater bay from pep grove side to midway to Dalkeith against the breeze so was a bit slower.

3rd KM completed the leg across the bay to Dalkeith and got into the smoother/protected water where paddling was quicker and certainly was getting more speed and into a rhyme. Again and to stop because of leg/foot numbness.

4th km/ home Dalkeith to claremont jetty - mainly in calm/protected water - certainly got better stroke rate up and started getting purchase. Left leg went completely numb but as it was spitting rain and I was running late I refused to stop to get the blood back. Ended with a better split because of this - however struggled to get out of kayak and almost fell out as I couldn't lift or move my left leg... far from ideal! took several minutes for ti to become useful again and I did feel like I was going to pull/rip a muscle getting out of craft. was a long time before ti felt fully right.

I think I am going to have to move pedals further away still to reduce the strain - I found also I was banging my knees with the paddle - probably bad paddling technique more than knees to high - but maybe if legs slightly straighter less straight, less numbness, less knee bashing = more speed :P who knows. looking forward to next paddle though quite enjoyed it.

1km splits:
1) 10:03
2) 11:51
3) 10:57
4) 9:33

Timing was bad and made me quite late - ended up full tilt run for the train and as a result my shins have been sore all day :(

Went to physio to sort out my shoulder/neck. They where surprised at how tight I was and dry needles the hell out of me. Was twitching hardcore!

Mentioned my knee pain so she had a quick look at my quad. "You have the tightest quads I've seen this week - infact the tightest in a while... That's not a good thing" sigh. More needling. Mind u feeling a heap better post it. But definitely need some more sessions.

C • Coincidence? 1

Fresh from a physio needling I got back into the training plan.

Was a bit of a mental battle to convince myself to go as it was cold but it was an easyish session aimed at seeing a fitness improvement.

Almost 1km intervals with recovery the goal is 1 easy km rest until near full recovery one decent paced 1km then rest until near full recover then 1 full tilt km.

I changed it slightly to a low medium and hard. with 2 min breaks in-between.

I felt like my hard to full tilt certainly had a bit in it but not a huge amount.

Low 1km - 6:14 - HR ave 138 HR max153
Medium 1km - 5:20 - HR ave 155 HR max 164
Hard 1km - 4:31 - HR ave 166 HR max 176

Rained on the hard attempt which wasn't that nice. also quad a tad sore from the physio. Shins where sore at end and did ice.

Certainly an improvement from my first test where I did go full tilt out of the blocks and got 4:49 - 4:31 and felt I could have probably shaved off at least another 5s had I just put in a bit more.

Rest day 3 - starting to feel slack ahah.

Back in Perth now so restart tomorrow. burn off some of the junk I ate last few days.

Tempted to go to physio this afternoon to talk about my neck/knee/ankle . one session might not cover ti haha.

As per schedule.

And thank god, knackered!

and thank god - left ankle 2nd dayitis - wow!

Low week - cause it says so... and cause the last 2 low weeks weren't supposed to be haha.

Melbourne with a work training course. Junk food galore :P

Event: Malmalling SW - Standard Bush Event
 

So left ankle was still sore going into this event and - sure enough I gave it a few rolls and a few bangs along the way - but it held its own which is the good news.

I went reasonably well and for the most part pretty clean:

1) hit it cleanly given the distance I was worried about an early nav error especially considering I wasnt being very on bearing today was just gliding up and down slopes to try do it a bit more by feel. So happy when I hit ti reasonably cleanly.

2) Went down towards the river then hooked back up to use the open areas Paul encountered me here telling me I was going the wrong direction - which i was fully aware of! as I was correcting back tot he direction I wanted as he said that. Used the knolls effectively to guide me pretty much right onto the control with little issue.

3) yaya a short leg this will be easy... Pulled up short hunted around the wrong rocks, went back then went back on bearing and found ti eventually - at least 2 minutes dropped here but happy with the correction.

--- it was also about this point that I thought could they possibly pack more blackboys into a square km, I dont think so. Also the point when I decided that boulders under 2m high surrounded by blackboys >2m high was the new SFG. SFG 2.0 if you wish.

4) Went straight at 4 and used the granite cliffs along the way to align me. I came in just south of 4 but knew it was up there and head up and grabbed it easy.

5) Super clean

6) just went straight at it again and came in south of it and had to move up the spur slightly to get it but was pretty happy with it as I had been nervous on the approach.

7) Clean and bang on it

8) Clean with my plan, a bit high but pretty much flush

9) Having seen this coming from 1 I knew I could see it from the gully/watercourse so used the yellow to get me close then snuck through and found it pretty easy.

Was feeling pretty good now - had been pretty clean the whole way.

10) NOT CLEAN! Didnt go far enough up and was off to the right. I went right to make matters worse, luckily saw the granite and relocated reasonably quickly and hit the control from there but feel like I lost a few minutes in there too.

11) Didnt have strong features (to my mind when i started this leg, but used the 2 granite patches, the knoll and the gully to the right to swing straight into it. Assisted slightly by someone stepping on a plastic cup 3 blackboys to my left - not that it would have helped much as I was pretty much on it. This leg also was the leg the left ankle took the biggest beating!

12) DEAR GOD! Approach straight at it. Through the gully, up to the rocky knoll, slightly to the east of it, over the fence in flat ground, east of the enxt knoll over rocky ground, into the gully, hey this green stuff looks crap - west to the granite and back around to spur, back on bearing over some more rocky ground, 200m to go, spur to my right hit the bounders 50m to go... slide east without realising it and hit the double boulders with the clearing. slide 40m east of the control. Then thoroughly confused. back tracked and used ridge line and went majorly east.. no this next spur does not feel right, bakc I went to where I was pretty much... mmm maybe I head west towards 13 and it will make more sense. 40m later oh here is my rocky spur. lets take a quick bearing turn to bearing - oh hey look there is an orienteering control there SIGH #15-20 mins loss. Up until this point I was thinking sub 2 hours was possible.

13) with a crushed soul I now trudged onwards. 13 was easy

14) Went high on 14 used the garnite to locate and then slid down straight onto 14 flush.

15) long leg, roughly on bearing. Actually hit the pine plantations directly on the drawn line, happy days - mad my way to the road folk on the other side and the granite cliffs, scooted up there and then down the the control (as craig glided past me).

16) I thought I was a good 10s behind craig on the punch and figured maybe I will drop into the yellow a bit more even ground and open the taps a little. Apparently the tank was reasonably empty as I didnt mow down the mother daughter combo infront of me let along Craig who opened 18s on me. Too slippery I say!

All in all pretty reasonable, felt good out there, SFG2.0... SIGH

H1 - Splits