Training Log Archive: fletch

Learnt the hard way that years of inconsistent orienteering and two years of achilles protecting hill avoidance has left me very ordinary at climbing hills. Quite depressing looking forwards to South Australia in 6 weeks. I suppose the two hills sessions I did earlier this year were never going to be enough.

I also learnt that I can't maintain 10km race intensity for an hour, particularly when it is quite warm. Thought I had been pacing things pretty well through the flattish first 2km and then through the relentless climb that lasted till 6km. Until there was a steeper pinch at about 4.5km and I realised that I couldn't keep running without redlining. I dropped from 2nd to 4th around here being passed my TB and Sean Ralph (the Mainpeak Multi winner).

I kept walking the steeper ups through to the 10km mark, when there weren't any left and then struggled through to the finish. SS came through with about 3km left and I had nothing left to go with him.

So 5th this time (Eric was off the front again), but still 1st 35-44 (despite being behind the 45+ winner). Prizes were stepped up this time, and despite being the last group up to the prize table, apparently people don't like envelopes, so I walked away with a voucher for another pair of shoes. Pretty stoked with that.

After a couple of days off, I had been planning on a significant cooldown jog to boost the weekly kms / aid in recovery, but I was toast and feeling quite dizzy, so just had a long lie in the river instead.

Happily I didn't feel my toe until about 8km in, and it wasn't really an issue, so I think I'll be right to keep running on it.

C • Good result 5

Much better than expected. Walking is pretty much pain free. Swelling goes down 4th toe into foot and it looks pretty purple, but I can weight bear on the ball of my foot and it feels pretty normal, so all looking up for the weekend.

May never play hide and seek again ;)

Pairs sprint O intervals. 2 approx 3 km courses (which were a bit long apparently) split in half with a 2 min rest. Half the controls on each person's map. Focus on reading the terrain and matching to the map.

Good turnout again, but traffic snarls on the way (accident on the narrows) meant some were late. That, added to the longer session and more spread out pack up made it a little later than ideal getting home.

Martins x 4 +2, Rob, Rachel, Mum and Dad, Rosemary, Mike H, Eoin (special visit), Richard and Nicole, Tash, Heike, Cameron, Shane, Andre, Sten (back from overseas), Alice, Ann S. = 23 unless I've forgotten someone.

EDIT: And tRicky = 24
And in other news, I may have broken my toe playing hide and seek with the kids just before I went and did this run. Having trouble walking now. Crap.

C • You forgot the most important person 6

Seeing as part of my prize from the first PTS race was a roll of Rocktape, I looked up how to tape for patella tendinopathy to see if it made any difference. Either I got the tape a bit wrong (not stretched enough?) or it is totally useless. Will add another strip for tomorrow, and then probably cry about shaving my knee for nothing.

Bit warm and sticky this morning. Feeling like I'm starting to get on top of my cold now.

Quick trot to pick up the car. Needed a bit more done than I'd wanted to pay for :( Wish they would charge less and give it back to me without washing it...

Usual beach jog. definite head cold but didn't affect running. slightly more effort and a teensie bit faster than normal because...

I had to get the car to the mechanic. Then I ran home.