Training Log Archive: R Anderson

A really nice, crisp morning.



Although slower than yesterday, I'm much happier with this race, since I was very clean and in control for most of it. Up until control 13 I felt I was doing really well, but then blew it again on the slope to 13 and 14. I really suck at downhill/contouring legs, gotta figure it out. Lost upwards of 5min there.

After day 1, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to simplify the map in order to run fast in this terrain, as it seemed Ross and Sergei had figured out. Looking at the splits though I was still quite slow on day 2 on the long legs. I was running decently fast on those legs but I was pretty much checking off every hill and swamp the whole way, which is not the way to do it.

Wasn't fast enough on some of the other downhill legs (ex. 7) and the short legs (8,10,11,12). Was too conservative and should have attacked them more. On a positive note, I was strong on the uphills, and had the fastest split on the uphill slog to 18.

Forgot to bring a gel with me, don't know if it would have made a difference in the end or not.

Ended up in 3rd over the two days, which was surprising. Feel like I was more like the winner of the "strugglers' though, those of us behind Ross and Sergei.

Overall a really fun weekend on an amazing map. Would like to have another crack at it some time. Perfect Scandinavian terrain training I think.

C • Hard training always pays back :) 3

Day 2 Blue - Splits

Event: US Two-day Classic O Championships
 

First 3 controls were good, then saw the leg to 4 and the rest of the map, whoah....

Lost contact midway to 4 after some map confusion. Kept my speed and direction hoping to hit the trail but never saw it. Plan was then to just head for the big swamp but ended up at a big set of cliffs which were right next to the control. Lost over a minute from all the stopping trying to figure out exactly where I'd gotten to, but it could have been a lot more.

Got into the map more after that, and was running ok. Lost over 2min though at 15 on a parallel error. On 18, going down the massive hill, I ended up stopped for about 2min scratching my head after reaching a very distinct inward-facing cliff, trying to figure out where I'd gotten to. Saw Ross run past me and realized I was only 50m from the control. Not impressed with the map here...

Very surprised being 4th on the day, since not happy with my run. Over 5min of mistakes.

Routegadget soon hopefully.

Day 1 Blue - Splits

4x 40s

Easy run down the canal and around the arboretum.

My vegetarian stint ended last Sunday in style!

C • Aww... 3

30min hill session (18 loops completed)

+

5min of light post sprints.