Training Log Archive: Quirkey

to work

grassmarket to Leith Vic
Horrible, horrible rain.
Not as many drivers being maniacs as there usually are when it rains.

Absolutely Easy-Peasey tonight!

She even gave slightly harder exercises than usual for the 'experienced' folk. Trying to balance (without putting hand down) for Torpedo's was about the only challenge.

Perhaps getting to the point of needing to do my own thing or find a more advanced class to go to soon.

The one private class a week (sat am) is enough on the wallet.

hame fae Leith
Giving a few cars a run for their money!

Event: FVO Regional Event, World Ranking Event & Scottish O League 1
 

to start of O race

WRE at Trossachs
Feeling drained before i even started W/U etc so decided I'd walk and see how things went.

Even walking, the Nav was tough. Seemed as if mental energy was as low as physical energy.
Even managed a 180 somewhere, after leaving 2 in the right direction.
Almost retired there and then, but talked sense into myself to keep going because it would at least be some of that nav practice I have so desperately craved.
Tried jogging the odd bit where slightly more runnable (beside marshes or on slight downhills), but that turned into a sure fire way of losing touch with the map.
The Trossachs punishes you hard for navigation errors. Severe shortage of definitive line features makes it hard to relocate, and you usually end up with extra climb on account of it too.

Since i didn't have a watch, i had no idea how long was out, so decided i keep going to 12 (the road crossing) and then cut short picking up remaining controls towards the finish (20, 21, 22)

Sunday PM: Had thought the legs were feeling quite heavy during my run in Touch yesterday , but just put it down to lack of tough running. However, considering how tired I was in the evening afterward, and the fact that all of my splits were in the slowest 10-15% of the field (compare to Gullane for example), i should have realized there was something up.

Todays complete lethargy, and difficulty concentrating were just more obvious versions of the same thing (The drive home was much slower than my usual.... and everyone knows how i usually like driving that wee car on country roads!!)
Suspecting something to do with the Acupuncture.... and there perhaps being a reason why she said 'no running'.....

Event: FVO Middle Distance Race
 

Middle Distance Race at Touch Estate.

Missed my start time so had to wait for the next free slot, which was a full 20 mins after my proper start time. No punching start so official time from the official start time (So 77:00 officially)

Never been to this area before. Result shows complete lack of practice.

Cautious to no 1, and no plan to no 2 so climbed way too much and made a rubbish attack from above. Managed to pick myself up a bit after that, but always struggling to simplify / control by the right amount (went both sides of that line plenty of times)
Did a 90degree out of 8.
Switched off out of 12.
Made a fool of myself hunting at wrong re-entrant on final control (didnt think to look out for tapes! doh)

If i could run on an area like this every week, I'd be an awful lot better.
Waste of time practicing for terrain like this running around familiar local parks !!!!!

2 short spins to / from Leith either side of acupuncture treatment.

I was delighted that my bike was still there, completely untouched when I came out!
Some kids passing by saw my bike in bits on the ground before i put it back to together, and asked with a concerned look: Is that your bike mister? What happened? Why is it all in bits? Ha.... envy the innocent world that young kids live in.

Not feeling full of beans today at all.
The half-assed but incessant rain outside didn't help my mood or motivation to train either.

Eventually talked myself into the idea of a short easy head torch run after flat viewing tonight.

Acupuncture treatment targeting this mysterious knee problem of mine.

Suggested diagnosis of microscopic crack in cartilage. Not hurting on hard runs vs hurting on easy runs explained by greater muscle tension on effort sessions (holding joint and controlling motion better), but relaxed on easy runs allowing greater mis-alignment.

-Noted muscle imbalance between quads (knew this already)
-Located a few painful nodules in calf muscles ,especially R. (these had not been pointed out so acutely by physio /sports masseuse)
-Commented that core was strongest seen in a long time.

c 30mins with needles in back of BOTH legs (hips, hamstrings, LOTS in calfs) then c. 30 ins with needles in front of (mainly) R leg. Majority of these focused in soft tissue around rim of knee cap.

Advised not to run over the weekend .. DOH
Thought about this, but No Way I'm missing this weekend's extravaganza. Might perhaps take the intensity down a notch, but that about it! Will miss tonight's run and just do easy cycle tomorrow.

Looking like this will be a decent series of weekly treatments anyway.
Wondering if they'll get into stuff about diet, other lifestyle topics as we get into it?

To work

from grassmarket to Royal High nr Davidsons Mains.

Only two rounds of the circuit stations this time followed by comedy relay.

Roger sung the praises of my apparently 'exquisite' one legged hopping ability, so everyone insisted they be provided with a demonstration.... which almost ended with me smacking my head off the end wall.

Good Map exercise: Map with Score Course on it at one side of the room and blank map on the other, 6 mins to get highest score you could. Only permitted to do one control per shuttle run. Third to Rhona and Andrew.

home via cycle paths

to / from inverleith park

MY WORD: I HAVE BECOME A BIG LUMP OF LARD!!!!!!!
Cannot Believe just how slow I have become......

6 x 1000m with 500m jog recovery (in 3 mins)

3:50
3:47
3:45
3:45
3:52 (Trying to hold back a little petrol for the final one, but held back a tad too much)
3:45

I could do this distance on grass a full 1 minute faster 10 years ago!!!

Quads / ITB complaining a little after that run..... what would they be like if i actually ran fast?

On other fronts my 'research' has lead me to some new technique training, which i hope will help with route choice in Street-O :-)
http://www.3run.co.uk/tutorials.html