Training Log Archive: Jon X

Standard post-Pilates jog. Legs not horrifically battered.

British Relay Championships, Torphantrick.
M50 Relay with Ben and Steve N.
Silver behind SYO (Martin W, Tim T, Dave P).

Leg one for me today, not that keen on it as hard to focus and warmup after the whole team captain thing of handing out numbers, being asked lots of questions, and stressing about missing leg two runners! All teams sorted in the end of course, it usually works out!

Okay off the start on longish leg to #1 (mandatory crossing point with no tape causing a momentary group faff after 40m!) saw a group punch at another gaffle and hit mine first just before Martin for SYO. Bad exit direction from #2 meant he was ahead at #3 but then it seemed to be us plus a strong-running guy in a green top (turned out to be Graham Patten for LOC) on our own on the longer leg to #4.

And then I made a mistake to #5.....ran through Martin’s control as he dropped down from the left to punch it, knew mine was further but then fell over, ran down wrong re-entrant (actually was already in the wrong place) and struggled to relocate as a whole heap of other teams started to show up. Worked it out and got on the back of a little group but maybe 1:30 lost.

Next section okay running with Tim Griffin, Dave Weir, Ifor Powell and James Laird (not all on same gaffle) but having to work hard, Tim in particular pushing the pace.

Got to the spectator and then it all went a bit weird - first Dave punched and turned left for home, way before the crossing point let alone my control (he ended up at the front), then after the crossing point Tim Griffin and Colin Eades did the same - mine was still well further on.

Heading to the penultimate I could hear them being announced on the run-in......and then I missed the penultimate by running down the wrong (much vaguer) spur, didn’t see the ruined fence that could have saved me, overshot and slow to work it out. Probably two very avoidable minutes lost.

Steve ran well and brought us up to third just behind BOK and just ahead of SYO. First were LOC but they were weaker on final leg so it was Clive H chased by Ben chased by Dave P. By now we knew the gaffle s were very different and that Clive had a longer one but Ben and Dave both had short ones (Steve and I had 5km, Ben had 4.4km!).

Clive had a 90s lead over Dave at the spectator, and Dave a minute or so over Ben, but with the gaffling then that was never enough for Clive (and he had no chance of even seeing the others to race them).
So SYO a minute ahead of us, then Bristol in third (slightly further back after Clive made the same two minute mistake at the penultimate as me).

Congrats to SYO and to Dave P on completing he set to hold all British M50 titles concurrently, can’t help but feel we might have prevented that if I had given Steve and Ben a little more to work with. Ho hum.

Great day for FVO though, British champions in both Elite/Open classes! And a whole stack of minor medals too, three silver and two bronze across M40, M50, W50, MW70. Lots of frantic jacket-swapping for podium presentations!

Event: British Orienteering Championships (UKOL) / Relay Championships
 

To the start. Hadn’t planned to walk half of it but didn’t want to upset the royal command to walk past the ponies...

British Long Championships, Balmoral.
M50L, 4th place.

A late starter and third when I finished, but pushed out of bronze right at the end by Martin W.
That was a bit disappointing at the time but generally happy with how it went, dragged myself up to some fitness just in time and was massively improved from how I was at JK. Felt good out there for most of the course, just not quite fit enough to get up the final big climb at a good speed.

Moving well enough early on but ran an inefficient line to #2 (wary of sliding down below it, ended up having to run a long way down to it), and then a little miss at #3 (maybe 30s or so, saw the re-entrant before it but then confused by the shape of the ground just before and swung left again).
Got going strongly on the longer leg to #8 and felt confident in my running - hadn’t looked ahead well so needed to make a quick decision for the long leg to #11 but felt strong enough to take on the climb and ran it all. Not sure on my route at the end after leaving the track, maybe could have stayed on it longer and approached from the NW not SE, but probably no more than 15-20s in it.

Tiny wobble at #12 (10-15sec) and struggled to pick a route back over the hill to #14. Was going to reverse my route to #11 and go up the ride, but realised I was going to be reduced to a walk so went straighter to minimise distance. Knackered at the top though and pretty slow and hesitant coming across down to the control, plus then picked up speed to #15 but way off line and slow to understand/correct. Probably 45sec lost from top of hill through to #15.

Pleased to see the very missable #16 on the boulder in the green, and into the finish feeling I had run pretty strongly with no big errors.

Winner Dave Peel 61:42, second Martin Ward 63:10, third Dave Robertson 64:08. Ben S fifth 65:45, then a three minute gap.
So, close to a medal but would have struggled to get down to Dave P’s time, splits show he was running cleaner (no surprise there!) and moving better.

Enjoyed the race, technical and route choice challenge and a pleasure to be out in the terrain. Particularly enjoyed the feeling of running strongly through the terrain - it has been a long wait!

Failed to warm down and legs very tired in the evening. Relay day next...

Jog from our accommodation, not feeling very lively tbh.
Also hope my route finding is a little more certain tomorrow...

Due. Possibly overdue in fact. Very welcome.

Barr Wood evening event.
Struggled to get going, couldn’t get at #2 in the gorse, climbed the new high fence okay but then overshot #5 by some way. And generally just very weary and slow. End of a decent few weeks training, time for a rest day!

Hills with Jase and Lewis again. Only 4 sets this week ahead of BOC.

Altogether an improvement on last week - better shoes, better conditions, better attitude, better times!

1:39; 0:57
1:40; 0:57
1:39; 0:58
1:33: 0:56