Training Log Archive: awk

A weekend to think about.
Positives: had fun both days. Courses well planned in terms of challenges set. Delighted at way leg held up for races, even if uncertain of longer term effects yet! Not sure if able to sustain training on it though, but will see.

On converse side, weekend proved how badly training has been disrupted over past few weeks. Managed to mix it during sprint races when technical challenges predominated, but as soon as physical ability became predominant, well off what is needed, both in terms of speed, and endurance. Plus side is that when it does sort out (and it is looking better), am in good position to make most of it: weight at best for a year or so, and there is definitely something to build on.

Weekend also proved that multi-level mapping is a problem! Maps simply didn't hold up when this kicked in, and the Bath map was just wrong in a number of details. It's all good fun, but just underlines why the IOF doesn't allow it for 'serious' competition.

Extended warm up. Not certain I was going to run until a couple of minutes beforehand.

BOK Blast Urban Race: Bath. MSV 4.5km 110m. 13th 35|:35 (Philip Eeles 29:54).
A bit of a downer really - more off pace than thought I would be, although pleased to be running at all! Warming up, had been uncertain whether would start, but during last few minutes, muscle spasms and knee pain eased off, so decided to give it a go.
Steady through first three (nice route choice on #3), picked best line for #4, but found alleyway blocked by locked gate. Had to double back, going round and losing around 45 secs. Also lost another 15 secs on #6 as hadn't properly looked at it, turned down wrong road still trying to settle down. OK on multi-level at #8, although map wrong, stopped for 10s on bridge at #9 as failed to spot stairs off. Only other technical issue from then on was at #12, where went across river as thought could drop onto path by railway bridge at end of out of bounds, but had to go beyond and come back. Otherwise, problem became one of endurance, dropping badly off pace from #16 onwards, and losing a minute between there and finish.
Disappointed organisers didn't void leg #3-#4: apparently it wasn't locked, but had obviously jammed shut as I wasn't the only one to find they couldn't get through (I shook it hard!); one or two had got through earlier, others got through later. Looks like Gavin lost race because of this, so definitely affected results significantly! From personal point of view though, I know what I did, and result would have been poor whatever, so write it off as one to learn from rather than fight over spirit of fair play etc.

Event: BOK Blast
 

Lots of warming up to see if leg could stand running: definitely improved, and decided could manage it.

BOK Blast Prologue. M55 1.9km 16:13 (Gavin Clegg 15:51). Set off fairly steadily, reckoning it easy to lose silly seconds on first three controls in parkland, and kept good rhythm whole way. Seem to have lost a few secs at 15, but don't know why, and perhaps 5-10s on 16 with route cutting corner across woods rather than round by road all way, but otherwise not a lot. Very pleased with both time/result, and condition of leg, which held up well.

BOK Blast Sprint Final MSV 2.3k 6th= 18:46 (Gavin Clegg 16:24)
With the start team having mispositioned the start, everybody was able to spot the first three controls round the early parkland, so just a straight XC race to start, and 10 secs down at #3. Went right on #4, largely because contour line going across stairs on left route looked like uncrossable boundary! Fortunately, proved a good route. Lost 10s on #5 stopping and try and see staircase for #8 as planning ahead (should have just risked it). 10s on #7 with 2 girls obscuring control, and ran to next tree. Section #12-#14 was first crunch point - lost 5 secs on #12 as trying to work out #13 under hand-drawn corrections, then another 5-10 secs on #13 as uncrossable fence blocked most of route and not certain could go (Philip, catching up 1 min) prompted me through, which all meant not sure of exit on #14, and lost 10-15 secs going wrong way out and then round lake! Another 10 secs on exit of #14, as still reading stairs (see #3-#4) as blocked, only to see Philip bounding up them! Ran well from there to #17 but then completely missed seeing #18 on straight line to #19 in dark grey, and overshot, to see Philip running back having done same. Still managed to lose 30secs as result.
So not cleanest run ever! Pushing too hard too soon, not clear enough on technical stuff? Very enjoyable though.

Horrible journey to Bath: puncture to start with, M1 clogged to the eyeballs with speed limits from Leeds to Tibshelf. Arrived almost 11pm, having tried to set off at 1.30!

Decided to take two days off to give legs, especially knee, a chance to recover. At podiatrist today - going to cast new orthotics next week. In the meantime, he did some wondrously effective manipulation (barely a couple of taps) on the ankle, which seems to have freed up a lot of movement.

Short perimeter of High Royds. Left knee sore (yesterday kicking in?), leg twinging over first km or so, and never quite right: just feels all unbalanced in terms of power, foot placement etc. Not certain if should keep running, but whilst not good, it doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Stick to short runs for the present, and discuss with podiatrist tomorrow.

Intervals in Menston Park: 6 x 500m with 60s jogs: 2:15, :20, :19, :20, :22, :17. First session for a while, and found it pretty hard. Partly testing leg to see if it could cope with something like this, and it just about held up, but had to favour it on a couple of the inclines (all of 5m!) as couldn't fully push off on it on those. Underlines how little quality have done this summer, and really need to build some in on a regular basis. At least it's a start.

Before and after combined. Felt much better on warm down!