Training Log Archive: Jon X

VHI Relay.
M/W/M relay last leg, with Steve Whitehead and Lucy Wiegand.
Team finished in 4th place.
Gaffles were 4.6k-4.8k. I had 4.8k. Inevitably.

Set out in third with Roger for Scotland 8mins ahead and Rich Barrett for Wales 5mins ahead.
Nick B set off right behind me apparently and had much shorter initial gaffle at 1/2/3 so was immediately ahead and I never saw him until the finish, had no idea he had passed.

Caught by Will for Scotland2 on the way to #7 (think I lost time contouring through the skanky light green to 6, instead of the shorter route to stay in the white and climb/descend).

Still had him in sight, just about, at end of long leg back across the valley to #9, but turned the wrong way along the slope and lost a minute.
Pushed on and descending to #12 there was Will again looking confused on the slope.
Nervous times when I overran my #13 and dropped 30s, but made it to the finish ahead, with the rapidly-closing Duncan a few seconds behind and Will maybe another 20s back.

Last year I took over behind Rich and then Nick passed us both. Pretty much the same this year except it was 2nd-4th instead of 1st-3rd, Rog well clear in the lead this year.

Better than yesterday. But still two unnecessary mistakes.

C • who won? 2

Event: Caddihoe Chase, SW Championships, VHI Individual/Relays
 

VHI individual, M45
5th place, winner Al Powell 61:12, second Max Cole 62:54.
Al caught Ireland/Scotland at #5 and towed them both round the rest of the course, which meant they were both just ahead of me too.

Not good. Big mistake at #5 taking wrong extraction lane (hadn't even seen on map) meant climbed too high and ran too far (-3.5min of confusion). Then stopped v close to #19 but not in control, had to go out to relocate (-2min).
Plus lots of little 30s or so time losses, some down to first start vegetation, some not.

VHI M45s started first, then VHI M50s, then Caddihoe M45/50s.
Quite a lot of the others ran 55/56 with others sub 60mins.
I reckon I could/should have run 60-61mins, so definitely more to blame on the errors than bashing down the vegetation. Sadly :(

Need to do better.

Travel down to Forest of Dean after work.

Soup run from Ross and Fi's place.
A little longer and a little more nettle-ridden than expected.
Soup and cake just as tasty as expected though :)

Watson House loop.
Hamstrings not in good state after yesterday.
Looking back, then before yesterday I had not done a single run as far as 15km across all 2014 to date (!)
That might explain it....

Ouch. Might have been a struggle anyway but only coffee and one sandwich since 8.30am not ideal fuelling for a 6.30pm run.
Out and back from work past Blairdrummond and Briarlands. Back was five mins longer than out which says it all about how much fun the second half was.
Needed to be done though.

Felt okay, not too tired or stiff/sore from the past week. Good.

Lap of Dunblane with Rog.