Training Log Archive: bradc

Event: SOL 4
 

SOL4, Loch Vaa, M35L. Ah, Loch Vaa. Scene of many a high high and low low. You can work out for yourself which were have occurred most frequently in my personal history of orienteering there.

Mindful of the fact that it is always my wont here to run myself into complete loss of map contact without any hope of relocation before sunset - and given the fact that I have been navigating in a very Quixotic manner of late (or, at least, in the manner of his chosen form of transport) - I set off at the sort of pace that even I could navigate at. After 30 seconds of that, I decided to risk actually moving forward. I was sloooooooow. But I was also pretty accurate and stayed in near constant map contact. Sure, I was slow through the controls, and hesitated in the circles, but I only made a couple of 90s fluffs and was pretty happy when I finished. I wasn't surprised to be 15 mins down in 5th place. Sadly, due to the dearth of M35 runners, 5th place also equated to dead last, which was a tad disheartening. OK, so I could have run a lot faster and, in retrospect, I could have run just a bit faster and still been able to navigate well, but for once I was trying to walk before I could run. Och well. Good craic in the tea shop afterwards to finish off what was a very convival weekend.

C • Comments on your route 2

Event: 11-Person Relay
 

11-person relay, Loch Vaa. I was bumped to run Jack B's leg 3 Orange for the first team at the last minute, courtesy of some ludicrous pedantry that saw a last-minute decision to make juniors who had trained on the area over the summer non-competitive for this family fun event. Obviously the juniors shouldn't have been allowed to take part in this important family fun event because they would have a HUGE advantage over everyone else who has also probably run here a gazillion times in the past. Nice one, Mr Jobsworth.

Whoops, danger of me morphing into Forest Grump!

N-E-way... my Orange was very pleasant, very easy, and very short. Not exactly a challenge. It's a shame that the weather was a bit dour, as it dampened the general sunny socialising that would have made up for the decidedly brief amount of exercise. I did have a nice 30s or so to chat to the changeover marshal whilst waiting for Euan to turn up, though! He did rather make up for it by absolutely killing everyone else on the Green.

Top cakes on sale in memory of Eric Langmuir, who was Mr Mountaincraft and a personal hero.

Easy jog around Trevor's famous patented FVO Polmaise multi-terrain time trial course with the posse of eager triallists, putting out the controls and mini-kites to mark the route. Not that that stopped SOME people getting lost... tsk tsk, call themselves orienteers... :-P. Actually, it's more likely that it just shows the effect of oxygen debt!

Trevor's fantabulous multi-terrain time trial at Polmaise. What a jolly wheeze. Great idea, Trevor! The course was:

1) Fast flat on track
2) steady gradient ascent on track
3) short steep ascent on track
4) shallow descent through terrain
5) shallow ascent through terrain
6) fast descent on rutted muddy path
7) flattish terrain
8) fast descent on difficult muddy paths to start.

Mindful that I had two laps to do I set off at a pace that I thought I could maintain, only to be caught up by Roger and Ross (who'd started about 15 and 30s behind me) by #1! Nor could I see JonX who'd started 20s ahead of me. Oh dear. Are they going too fast, or am I going too slow? Well - I've run enough races over the years to be good at pace judgement by now, so stick to the plan.

I went steadily uphill, really got into the terrain and loved the descents on the paths. I hadn't felt that fluid at the start - nothing like as swift as I felt last night - but was going OK. My pace judgement was pretty good, as on the second lap I put in very similar splits and didn't fade at all; slightly slower on the initial flat bit but as good uphill and very similar on the descents, despite being a little held up by Stalker who was moving v swiftly and thus hard to get past! Had a slight ankle tweak just near the bottom which slowed me down slightly but there was no pain afterwards so it's OK.

Pretty happy with my time, on track with where I expected to be. Roll on a decent winter and let's see the times come down.

Postscript - analysing the splits, whilst I am still well off the pace on the flat and the uphills, I can hold my own well on the downhills, even through terrain. Need to work on strength!

WEE at Polmaise, courtesy of Trevor, and Francis who kindly offered to look after Jamie whilst I went out for a run. He was asleep when I left but this was probably not a great idea as when he woke up later neither his mum nor his dad was around... cue one teary-eyed toddler when I got back. Many thanks to all for holding the fort until I returned!

Things started out well as I headed off to #1, the legs felt terrific and faster than they have for ages. I then pounded on to #2 and found myself at #5. Ah. It WAS on the line to #2, but it was a stupid mistake. Things went rapidly downhill from there. Way more tracks than I could see on the map, and ones I expected weren't there. My compass appeared to completely contradict every move I made (and rightly so). About the only one I got bang on was #7, which was a shame as I then had hopes for #8, which I wasted years on, just trying to bash a way through the brambles and each time ending up like Steve McQueen and his motorbike on the barbed wire in The Great Escape. There was no escape. In the end I went around, bloodied and very very late. Brackenfest to #9 to add insult to (actual) injury.

Plus points: the legs felt terrific!
Minus points: I orienteered like a donkey. And a senile one at that.

It's been ages since I did any speed work. Time to find out where I'm at...

...hmm, at the back of the field, it seems. Oh dear. Filled with enthusiasm for some proper training again, I decided that my lunch break should be spent doing 5 x 1km at the track rather than sitting on my bum in front of the computer. Perhaps it would have been better for my ego had I decided to stay slumped in front of a screen.

I think I've forgotten how to run quickly. The legs certainly didn't feel up to it. I plumped for the old Meadows session: 5 x 1km, off every six minutes. I used to knock in 3m5-3m10s when I was fit (although rumour had it that it wasn't quite the full 1000m). My times today were:

3:35, 3:33, 3:36, 3:39 and 3:37. Not impressive, and definitely a backward step from where I was this time last year, but then I had no base of fitness and got myself injured. The only was is up now!

C • Backwards step from last year 7

Laps, drills, sprints, generally trying to look professional for the voyeurs looking on from the brand new football centre next to the track.