Training Log Archive: Jon X

Evening run with Ross from Gargunnock - he was running v strongly despite the weekend's races and made me work hard up the hills, felt pretty okay myself too though.
On reflection have changed it to intensity 4, think we went pretty quickly.

C • if we hadn't had a wee "rou... 2

Got a bit of extra warm up in when they delayed all starts 15mins - plus the toilets were back up at the top of the hill!

JK Relay at Eridge Old Park, first leg on M120+ running with Stalker Barrett and Lard.

Missed #3 slightly but not as much as those in front of me, at first common control (#4) I was 2nd man (same course as Women Open, Sarah R was also ahead of me).

Thought I was in control but went off towards #5 slightly off line, corrected but then made a parallel error and headed up onto wrong spur. Saw a couple of others, Si Bourne and Nigel Bunn, and all seemed fine - both other gaffles had their controls on that spur so they were fine and I wasn't! Panicked and ran around a bit, lots of other first leg runners arrived on the spur, panicked some more. Got a grip and relocated, headed off and got #5 but miles back by now, about 3 mins lost.

Legged it past loads of people to #6 (next common control) but looking at the splits there were still 20 men and 8 women ahead of me when I got there - from here little orienteering left on the course, just lots of parkland.

Got my head down and worked my way through, caught Simon and Colin Eades, caught sight of Martin Ward for SYO ahead near the finish so hoped I wasn't too far back.

Finished 7th in the end and less than a minute off 2nd, got past all the women again except Sarah. Could have been a lot worse - however it could have been a lot better too!

Stalker made a couple of errors too but pulled us up to 5th, Lard went out with another six teams within a minute behind him but did a fantastic leg (ran it in 30:50) to move up to second place - challenged by Roger T on the run-in but held him off. On the podium, a pretty competitive relay class so pleased with that!

Warmed up well but my back was pretty seized up and I was still getting some massage on it 10mins before the start! Loosened off a bit just in time and was fine once the adrenaline of the race kicked in.
Managed a warm down jog today too.

JK M40L Individual Day 2, Pippingford Park and Broadstone Warren.

Finished 10th (winner James Logue 63:!0) and fairly happy with today when I finished but a bit frustrated now I have looked at the splits, was 6th two-thirds of the way round before I made a mess of the long leg.

Started off well but got slighly off line and caught in a bit of grot heading to the road between #4 and #5. All was going well (although route to #6 seems to have lost me 20-30secs) and caught Colin Eades 8 mins on way to #8 - him being there saved me missing much at the bingo pit at #9 when I was 15m away

Had failed to plan the long leg from #10-#11 so took it steady to #10 to take a look at it, not sure I went the best way as spent too long in terrain plus was a bit hesitant. Main problem though was that I missed the control at 11, still not sure why but think I mis-identified my attackpoint from a ditch/veg change. Calmed down and sorted it out but have lost 2.5 mins on the leg - maybe 1.5mins on the miss and 1 min on bad route choice/execution.

Charlie Adams (started 4 mins behind) was just coming into #11 as I came out, he caught me at #12 and that made me run hard for the last three. I was a bit ahead at #13 but missed it, turned round to see him just getting it, no chance of overtaking him after that.

I was knackered at the end but at least tried hard all the way up the run-in. Of course.
Ran every step. Oh yes.
Didn't give up and walk just before the finish punch. Oh no.
Unlike some I could name. Oh dear.

Overall finished 10th across the two days and satisfied with that, would have taken it at the start of the weekend.

JK Individual Day 1, Leith Hill.

Running well and no big errors, finished a little bit frustrated with a number of small misses. Looking back probably missed slightly more than I thought.

#2 - hesitant on longish leg and distracted by unmapped path, should have just got on with it. (-45s)
#4 - attacked using unmapped path even though it seemed too soon, went to wrong control (-1 min)
#8 - wiggly route and couldn't work out where in circle control was meant to be, it was a re-entrant but on the path - doh! (-30s)
#10,12,13 - not quite in control, slightly off line into and out of circles (-30s total)
#14 - in control all the way, got near circle and headed to wrong thicket as attack point (-45s)
#15 - came out of 14 telling myself to be careful, could only see one thicket and went to it even thought it was to the left. Control just where expected - not mine! Brief panic and sorted it out (-1min)
After that then running v hard, got a good split by going down and up not round to #17.
#19 - navigated to pit not depression in circle, briefly confused (-30s)

Finished 11th, 8 mins behind James Logue (57:21). Much better than I would have done 3 months ago so pretty pleased, but could have done better.......

This was all warm-up, remembered too late about warming down and was already changed and warm.

2.8km to the start which helped but got some stretching and strides in too.

Event: JK 2008
 

JK Sprint at University of Surrey. Couldn't wait to get running....however it seems I wasn't quite so ready to navigate. Lost contact pretty much straight off the start and lost a minute, did some good legs but lost time at quite a few of them, never really in control.

Finished outside the top 20 but not too fussed, more interested in the other days.

Post work jog round the Uni and Hermitage with Rosco, nice to see everywhere in the daylight for the first time in months.

FVO headtorch run (not long before the light evenings now!).

We were at North Third tonight, was running with Rosco and Lard. Top fun it was too, great twisty undulating paths, especially on the run out to the trigpoint and back along the top of the crags. Can't wait to get out and race in terrain this weekend now!

Felt pretty good once warmed up, still a few minor niggles with right hamstring and back of knee, had that for a while though, so hopefully all is under control for the JK.

And it was not quite a run that should be logged on AP as an hour. Oh no. Nearly an hour but not quite. Don't let anyone tell you different....

C • hahaha 1