Training Log Archive: Nails

Tiomila. Long-natten. This was abit of a beast. I was set off in 45th place, about 40secs down on a pack of about 8 runners including Kalevan Rasti (TG's team). My aim was to stay with the pack. I really put the boot in and it took me the first 2km track run to catchup the 40 seconds. The next was a 3km leg, and i just sat back to recover and let the others fight it out at the front. The front runners missed the 2nd control and i hit it first and then led round a small control pick and for the next long control after that. I wanted to go faster so then put the boot in across some easy running to try to speed up the pack, but they weren't having any of it so I slowed and ate jelly babies while they caught back up. We then had another long leg -along a road for about a km then there was a left and right route choice. I picked left and the pack followed. I was prepared to switch to the right if they went that way and was checking back to see where they went. We then went though another tricky area and caught a small pack of 4/5 runners who had gone out a couple of mins in front. Leaving this control Eric Rost (who had the fastest time on the leg) came past and everything sped up. I felt good -and me an another guy who had been with me since the 1st control went with him. The course went back through the arena with around 2km of lightning running. The pace was probably a bit too fast for me as they began to drop me. I hung on but they got 50m on me going up a steep climb after the spectator. It then got green and tricky and I lost them. Rather than doing what I probably should have and slow for the pack behind to catch back up I dived in. Everything seemed to be fitting but I'd made a massive parallel error. I found myself facing back towards the arena (relocated by sound). I reckon I lost about 4 mins here, and of course the pack behind me had passed by. Hindsight is such a great thing. I then proceeded to get to number 18 (as I missed a indistinct path) before 16 and 17 -bugger (another 2-3 mins at least). Went off towards 16 and saw a large pack descending on it. Followed in for the rest of the way and pretty pissed off with myself. Should have finished in the pack that was 5mins down not 12! Finished in 45th so no places lost but should have been 35th, with a top 20 time on the leg.
Both me and OJ pretty peed off with our runs. If only... Jukola to make amends and with Craney running we should do much better.

Great arena and event though -the King came to see we weren't churning up his front lawn too much. You'd never get permission for this in the UK, it was like having the run in on the lawn in front of Chatsworth.

Warming up, and no warm down. Went straight to the Sauna. Proper indoor saunas too -a little cramped though after long night. Infact so cramped that one guy was stood up stretching -not a pretty sight -fricken weird swedes.

Event: Tiomila 2008
 

Course from a regional event around Piltorp after I got whisked off the plane and into a car. Took it steady and ran with the new headlamp.

Steady run with OJ to the start of the orienteering and then back from the finish to where we were staying.

Had a really nice and massive dinner. Good choco caka.

Legs were knackered last night so walked into work today.

Gentle run home.

No track tonight -me and OJ are off for some nighto practice ahead of the tiomila. OJ first and Langa-natten for me.....

C • long night 2

Into work

Home

Night session in Wharnecliffe and Greno with OJ. A bit of last minute training for the weekend - I'm on langa-natten and OJ has first leg. Ran together and didn't really enjoy it, the forest was as bad as I expected and I managed to come away covered in scratches.

No seriously I had some fun but was knackered -i'm gonna take it easy for the remainder of the week.

Jogging about waiting for it to get dark and then back from the end of the orienteering. I have a feeling that the darkness in Wharncliffe with an ambient Sheffield sky at 8.30pm may not be quite the same amount of darkness as a Swedish forest at 2am.

Into work

C • felicitaciones en selección 10

From work to meet Mr Middleditch then warm up and slow warm down jog.

Trunce