Training Log Archive: OJ

Some running at last. Ran around the Yorkshire sculpture park in a big group. I was waiting for the guys to pick up the pace and head off for some 'real' training, but unusually everyone was happy to potter around the Henry Moores and Andy Goldsworthys. It's a pretty cool place and I'm afraid it was impossible to look at it without 'orienteer vision' - it really would make a great sprint area. Felt OK and no ill effects afterwards, but totally overheated wearing two thermals and tights on a warm sunny day.

Still sick, but feeling a bit better at least. Yesterday was the worst day yet and I spent it almost completely in bed. The turning point came with a red hot Manzil's Madras in the evening.

C • Good to hear that you're st... 2

Feel like poo. Good to be home though.

Night train back to Moscow last night and not much fun with a sore throat. Hung out in Moscow for a few hours and then headed to the airport and home. The journey seemed to go on for ever with queue after queue to stand in. Most stupid of all was when we arrived at Heathrow; straight off the plane and into another security check to get to the connections. How I could have acquired a deadly weapon in the space of leaving the plane to entering the airport I do not know.

Airports are designed to make you feel as intimidated and inhuman as possible - and does any of it really help? Surely it is still possible to hijack a plane, it's just that not many people chose to do it. Did it really happen that much more often in the past before all the stupid new security measures? No, because people are generally civilised. But by treating everyone who wants to travel like suspected criminals and infringing on personal freedom it makes even civilised people snap and do extreme things. Traveling is no fun when you're sick.

C • I love it when I get to rea... 5

Woke up today with a sore throat, very predictably after the last few days of constant activity and lack of sleep. Decided to run anyway and see what happens. Day 2 of the race and a middle distance on some similar terrain. Still feeling pretty rusty, especially in this kind of terrain, but got into it pretty well. Had a good race, not pushing 100% but much cleaner than yesterday. I was only 6 seconds down on Garik today...

Couldn't be bothered to warm down. Didn't feel too much worse after the race, but the sore throat is definitely still there.

'Sprint' race on a 7500 map in some detailed forest terrain near Zelenogork. Really nice course through loads of extreme negative moraine and then finished into a crumbling pioneers camp for a few controls amongst the buildings. Garik (a guy I used to do a lot of training with) beat me by 7 seconds.

Jogging about in the rain. Followed by an full afternoon of tourism visiting Zelenogorsk and Kronshtadt.

Very tired after the train journey, but had a bit of an explore in the city centre. Things have changed a lot since I was here last.

Night train to Petersburg tonight but decided to go out to the evening orienteering event first. Glad I did because the area was really good (deep gullies and really nice forest), and I actually managed to follow the course in the right direction. A pretty good run with a few smallish mistakes and felt pretty good. Everyone at the hostel is ill so I feel like I am on borrowed time.

Instead of getting lost during the race this evening I decided to get lost during my warm up. I really had no idea at all where the start and finish were by the time I asked a couple of complete beginners where I was. Pretty embarrassing considering I was wearing a GB squad top.

Hmmm, I actually intended to go for a run this evening, but stumbled across a film premiere of the new movie by Mikhalkov (very famous over here). Watched everyone arrive on the red carpet and somehow managed to blag a ticket into the press screening!

Mosmeridian evening race at Izmailovskii Park, a massive forest park not far from the city centre. I had a terrible race - managed to punch number 19 instead of number 2 but didn't realise until I got there again later on. In the mean time I had run another loop the wrong way round, I backtracked that whole bit and did it the right way loosing about 10 mins. Oh well, it was good training - very tricky bushy terrain with so many paths it was almost impossible to read them all. My technique felt rough at best...

C • Counting lessons 1

Just running around. Nice to escape from the city for the evening.

After two days in a row of running I thought I should have a day off. Lots of waling around though, I went to explore a new part of town near the Dinamo stadium.

Moscow club relay champs. Since I have no club here I ran independently. Typical Moscow terrain - flat and bushy with loads of tiny paths and vegetation details. The course had the added bonus of a labyrinth half way round - they do this 'orient-show' thing all the time here. I had a pretty bad run with mistakes on the first 3 but much better after that. It was a bit of a shock for my legs to move fast after so little running and so much walking in the last few days.

Jogging with Gleb, and afterwards a nice meal at his new flat.

Well my bag turned up finally at about 1am on Friday morning. Got out for a run at last this morning - ran down to the embankment and ran along the river past the Stalinist 'wedding cake' Hotel Ukraine and the White House (site of the failed coup of 1991) out to the building site of 'Moscow City' a huge new complex of skyscrapers and the planned business hub of Moscow. Some of the towers are already so high that the tops were hidden in the clouds. There's always something interesting to look at when you go running in Moscow.

Hmmm, still no bag, still no training. Managed to do a bit of shopping today so I now have two pairs of boxers to my name and three whole pairs of socks! Missed the orienteering training tonight though, shame. Lots of walking around all day as usual. This has actually turned into a quite a good rest period for training, probably no bad thing really.

C • bugger about the bags, hope th... 8

C • Don't you look a bit funny.... 1

Travelling out to Moscow. Had a very early start and didn't arrive until about 2230 so no time for any kind of activity at all. Except arguing with the lost luggage about when my bag will arrive...

No training today and off to Russia for some research work tomorrow. That's it for this season, a couple of weeks more-or-less off now and then we'll see...

BTW, sign up for the Sheffield group in 'community.'

The 'exterminator' fell race at Totley. I woke up feeling very sore this morning - my back, arms and shoulders were completely screwed. Just about convinced myself to head out with Mike and once I was there it was easier to get a bit up for it. Actually felt fine once the race got going.

I should say first that I really enjoyed the race, it's a great route and it was a tough battle all the way. But much to Craney's amusement I got in a Stuart Bond-influenced boo. First of all, he followed me from start to finish, running sometimes 1m behind, sometimes 2m behind and once actually trod on my shoe and made it fall off. It's a navigational race, you have to carry a map - he didn't and he didn't have any idea where to go, despite the fact that he must know some of the route better than I do. Occasionally I slowed right down for him to pass, once even to a walk. He just walked along behind me.

I had a crack at sprinting away from him at the end and got a good 20m before the finish field. But I'm rubbish at sprinting and he came back at me across the field, I dipped for the line and he ran ahead up the finish corridor. Now I reckon that we crossed the line together, maybe with a photo finish you could have split us but this was a fell race. The 'line judges' were stood a good few metres away having a chat. They told me that Bond (a member of the organising club) got it because 'the brim of his cap crossed the line ahead'. Did Bond acknowledge that it was too close to call? No, because he's a cock.

On the way home we passed his car - a silver sports car with a number plate S B8ND. Says it all.

C • Good race Oli, awesome effort ... 9

C • The name's bond, cock bond 5

C • computing genius 2

Event: Great Kinder Beer Barrel Race
 

I was unconvinced by our preparations for this race, especially when, with about half an our to go all the other teams had constructed their beer carrying apparatuses (ladders, stretchers, scaffolding poles, gates) and we still had just a beer barrel and half a team. I needn't have worried, Nails was on the case and rocked up with an aluminium ladder (borrowed from Rob D) and a load of climbing ropes and slings.

Set off fast and for about 10 mins (flat) it seemed easy. Don't know if someone else was carrying all the weight (ben?) but it certainly wasn't me. Then we set off up the steep climb and gravity kicked in. Amazingly, our team proved quite efficient and we were swapping sides and positions all the way up and leaving other teams in our wake. Over the 3 minute crossing in about 7mins and then plummeted off the other side. We started off trying to maintain some control over the ladder but it quickly became apparent that the ladder was perfectly able to get to the bottom of the hill very fast on its own, harder was trying to keep up with it and make sure no one died. Team was Pete, James, Rob B, Rob L, Ben, Nails, Middle and me. James was the driving force, Nails got angry, Middle threw up and Craney offered some great support.

Anyway, we beat the long-time winners, the over confident team Gladioli, and got a new record in the process. Then sat in the sun and drank our winnings before heading off to a great party at the Candy's. What could be a better way to spend the day?

Recce-ing at the start then running around looking for the car at the end.

Tapering for tomorrow's big race.

Headed out to Higger for a run in the Peaks with Mike. A bit more of the exterminator route, dropped down to Mitchell Farm, through Lawrence Field, Grindleford Station, Longshaw, then hunted around for trods off Houndkirk rd. It's going to be long and painful on Sunday, that's for sure.

C • Painful 1

Out to Myers Grove and back.

At Myers Grove with Mike and Rob. Rob taught us some new silly walks and we did the sprints on grass for about 100m. Felt a lot better afterwards this week and I can still walk this morning. Grass felt like a nicer surface for it but probably not as effective.

Easy (apart from the hill) with Rob up the ski slope and exploring a bit.

Don't even feel guilty.

First orienteering for a while at the Lincoln race. An oxymoronic long-sprint around the old town and university, some tricky bits but also lots of long running legs with plenty of time to plan ahead. Felt surprisingly good after a posh evening of wine tasting-maybe expensive wine makes you less hung over, since I'm yet to be convinced it has any other advantages...

Bit half-hearted.

Legs still stiff, but went out to the Fox House for a gentle run along White and Froggatt edges with Mike and Rob. Talked training all the way.