Sunday Aug 31 |
 | Note | |
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| Trying to work up some enthusiasm for a run, I've had my running kit on all day and now it's just spitting, so here I go... |
| Run 1:03:22 [4] 11 km (5:46 / km) | |
| shoes: Brooks GTS |
| The spitting turned into rain but hey, at least I got out! So it was a soggy run round Linlithgow Loch, onto and along the canal and down the wee muddy path along the river. I found the escaped cow who'd left all that mess we saw on Friday's run, it was waiting with its pals at the corner of the field.
I was running ok and decided to up my pace along the river path striding out a bit when "ooohhgghh" I exclaimed as a wee dog appeared from the undergrowth, my adrenaline went a bit haywire...
I ran this route in reverse in February and was only 3 minutes and 30 seconds quicker today, a bit disappointing really.
My scar was a bit sore, a few days rest will help. |
Saturday Aug 30 |
| Note | |
| (rest day) |
| Helped at the Stirling Uni Open Day. Almost as many helpers as competitors! Had a wee shopping spree with Elle at the Bridge of Allan Running Co. shop, it got a bit hot in the changing room but we did need second opinions about fitting! Went home and cut the grass/moss, when will it ever stop raining? |
Friday Aug 29 |
| Run 39:12 [3] 6.6 km (5:56 / km) | |
| shoes: Brooks GTS |
| Short run along the river and canal with Nina and Sally, steady pace today and my leg was fine. |
Thursday Aug 28 |
| Note | |
| (rest day) |
| Felt like I had a hangover today, without the fun of the alcohol, I was extremely tired so had a half day off work to sleep! |
Wednesday Aug 27 |
| Orienteering race 1:02:13 [4] *** 5.4 km (11:31 / km) | |
| shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw |
| WEE - Killearn
New area in the lovely countryside surrounding Killearn, it was mapped by Jo Armstrong - one of my old Uni flat mates - I hadn't seen him for years. The map looked tame but the terrain absolutely wasn't! It was a slippery mud fest after all that rain, there were a few patches of prickly bits to mince around and river crossings to splash through. I was running quite well until I stumbled down the steep slope above #10 and crashed with a bump on my knee. It hurt a lot and I suspected another lovely big bruise... The cows between #11 and #12 tried to follow me but scared them away by waving my arms about a bit, it seemed to work anyway. Finished in a soggy mess and had a peep at my bruise, which turned out to be a big hole in my leg instead. Had some first aid treatment from Rosco, he patched me up beautifully in a bandage and escorted me to and waited a while in A&E in Stirling. Managed to fit in dinner and a great laugh in Thornhill beforehand (I had to eat something) - Jon X had us all in stitches and I got three more in A&E at 2.15am.
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| C • 2:15! 2 |
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| C • Community group 2 |
Sunday Aug 24 |
| Walk 2:00:00 [2] | |
| shoes: Hiking Boots |
| An extremley slow saunter up Dumyat - it was Erica's idea. After 25 stops for clothing changes, drinks, snacks, scree runs, rock climbing and "rests" it felt like we'd climbed a Munro. |
Saturday Aug 23 |
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| Event: Purple Thistle
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Friday Aug 22 |
| Run (Terrain) 1:23:24 [4] | |
| shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw |
| Arrived at Beecraigs to find some Walsh clad running ladies from the Lothian Running Club, we got chatting and I joined them for a longish run around Beecraigs outer loop plus Witch Hill and Cockleroy. Wasn't sure if I would manage to keep up but it was absolutely fine. They are all in training for the cross country season and so didn't mind the minging wet puddles and boggy bits along the way. Hope to meet up with them again on a Friday morning, I enjoyed their company. |
Wednesday Aug 20 |
| Orienteering race 1:02:58 [3] 5.4 km (11:40 / km) +200m 9:50 / km | |
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| Oh my word, it took ages to get to #1 and even longer to suss out the map and scale following 1:5,000 maps in France. Spent a bit of time in the bracken getting nowhere, which was completely pointless as I ended up back on the path that I'd just come off. The bogs and rain were a very strange sensation particularly as my O trousers were migrating down my legs and my shoes weighed a tonne once they were full of boggy water! Can't remember the last time I orienteered in the rain... The mist made things more interesting whilst meandering round the side of Dumyat, felt a bit disorientated but got to the control without too much fuss so was glad about that.
Great to see everyone in the pub after to catch up on summer holiday chat. |
Thursday Aug 14 |
| Run 47:01 [3] | |
| shoes: Brooks GTS |
| I thought it was about time to stop being a lazy layabout and had better burn off some of the calories consumed during the holiday, although I was very good and didn't eat too much. Not so sure about the wine consumption but it was probably a good job that I did most of the driving. Anyway, I dragged myself out in the heat to have a wee run all by myself amongst the pine trees, lavender, olive groves and vines between L'Ile- sur-la-Sorgue and Fontaine De-Vaucluse (Provence). Turned around on the first loop when I saw a few viscious looking dogs on the other side of the canal, one of them had three legs and probably couldn't swim but had very big teeth, I wasn't for taking any chances and so going the other way seemed the least scary option. Turned back on the second loop when I came to a viaduct. Returned super-heated and thirsty and headed for the pool... |
Saturday Aug 9 |
| Orienteering race 1:04:40 [4] **** 4.5 km (14:22 / km) +110m 12:48 / km | |
| shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw |
| Day 6 - Plo de las Conquas
Extremely early start at 7.58, the sunrise was blinding as I ran into it, stupid shiny maps didn't help either. Was doing well until I spent far too long looking in the wrong place for #12 before emerging from the rocky grot and finding something more reliable like a re-entrant to relocate on. A poke in the eye with a sharp stick at #13 made me wake up a bit and a good run to the end to finish off the weeks competition. Finished in 11th place overall out of 38, not too bad considering the catalogue of disasters over the week I suppose.
Overall it was a great week of very testing and trying orienteering on quality areas, great area for a holiday too. |
| Orienteering 23:31 [1] 2.7 km (8:43 / km) | |
| shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw |
| Day 6 - Le Jalonne
Shadowing Erica - she has the hang of this O thing and has some speed today. Map reading to take shortcuts as well. Next up going alone... |
Friday Aug 8 |
| Orienteering race 1:15:56 [4] **** 4.7 km (16:09 / km) +155m 13:52 / km | |
| shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw |
| Day 5 - Les Bouzigasses
New venue, new scale, new gaffs. It's easy to get excited at #1 and spend 11.23 minutes on a 200m leg when the scale is 1:5,000! I found #2 first, took a bearing back to #1 and still could't find it, too many low, thick trees in the way. Round and round I went in a blind panic, I tripped on a rock and fell over and felt like crying... pulled myself together and how I found my control, I'll never know. Next gaff was much later when I had to go on a major detour to avoid a very large amount of rock and grot. I arrived at my control totally lost and promptly went off trying to find a fence to relocate on and straight back to the control I had just been at - if I had checked the code it would have helped, of course! |
| Swimming 15:00 [2] 0.5 km (30:00 / km) | |
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| Proper indoor pool in Saint Affrique with Rona, Mum and the kids. Flumes and jacuzzi as well. |
Wednesday Aug 6 |
| Orienteering race 1:14:06 [4] **** 5 km (14:49 / km) +135m 13:03 / km | |
| shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw |
| Day 4 - le Patus
Kept calm, drank more and kept much more in touch with the map. I decided only to run when I knew I would end up knowing where I was when I got there. I played safe and the plan worked well until I threw a wobbly near the end and lost a few minutes, my time was slower as a result but it meant I was back in time for lunch. |
| Note | |
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| Puncture wound sustained to my thigh was pretty painful - caused by low flying snapped off branch hiding in the undergrowth. Ouch! The bruise that accompanied it certainly outclassed the other 28 multi-coloured ones gathered this week. |
Tuesday Aug 5 |
| Orienteering 55:45 [1] ** 3.2 km (17:25 / km) | |
| shoes: Brooks GTS |
| Day 3 - Le Jalonne
Shadowing. Far far far too far with too many prickles, one child bounding ahead and the other like Dobbin - the horse that wouldn't go! Hot and bothered and I wish I hadn't. |
| Orienteering race 1:43:31 [4] **** 5.1 km (20:18 / km) +135m 17:55 / km | |
| shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw |
| Day 3 - les Rocs de Louradou
Well you can keep your Rocs de Louradou, they drove me into such a delirious state that I couldn't orienteer to save myself. At one point I couldn't find anything to relocate on and I was really lost and so was Rona when she ran up beside me, she ran off and found her control but I had to go further into the abyss to get to my control, a very kind man showed me where I was at his control and I stood there for ages staring at the map and how it related to where I was, wondering how to get to where I wanted to be and work out how to get out of the maze of rock and grot. I guess I was affected by the heat and despite drinking loads, perhaps wasn't enough. |
Monday Aug 4 |
| Orienteering race 1:07:39 [4] **** 5 km (13:32 / km) +150m 11:46 / km | |
| shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw |
| Day 2 - la Tour des Aiguillon
Another late start and it felt hotter than Day 1, the area was quite different and there was more green to run around, the controls were harder to find on rock features in thick green and no obvious attack points close enough to the controls. A lot more people looked lost and were going around in packs trying to find controls. There were lots of conrols together too, which made it all the more frustrating as there were so many distractions. A bit disappointed with the result but enjoyed the course. |
Sunday Aug 3 |
| Orienteering race 1:06:18 [4] **** 5.1 km (13:00 / km) +165m 11:11 / km | |
| shoes: Inov8 Mudclaw |
| Day 1 - La Salvetat
Left the house at 6am and it was still dark, what a stupid idea to go orienteering at this time in the morning! We drove through a mountain and past some large rocks and exited l'autoroute to join in the Whacky Races, let's find an orienteering event game. Pulled in at an appropriate stopping place until Penelope Pitstop arrived - a Scandi looking D21 complete with headscarf and sunglasses - she was as puzzled as we were. A few shrugs later, we were off followed by a few bemused looking foreign orienteers, it got a bit comical as we kept passing the same cars and campervans going the other way and Dad was having kittens - he had first start at 7.34. We turned off onto another road and eventually found what was to be the drinks control and further on an actual orienteering sign.
The sun rose and I headed with E & A to the toilets, oooh what lovely toilets... Les Gandousiers were the providers of composting toilets: green canvas tents with throne like constructions within, a loo on a stage built of wood, a bucket of sawdust to cover up your doings and a wee brush to sweep up the sawdust if you missed! Another waste bin provided for toilet paper - not quite so lovely.
Four hours passed and it was my turn to run, by jings it was hot. I shaded in the trees at the start, I had decided to keep my cap on to run in and so glad that I did. The map was weird looking - yellow with lots of splodges of dark green and black. The scale was 1:7500 but it was still pretty hard to see the detail. Tried out the green on the way to #1 and quickly realised that this was to be avoided, got out alive but slightly lascerated and found #1 via a detour. #2 was a re-entrant and I was standing at the top of the correct re-entrant and the control wasn't there, did a sweep of the area and came back to the same spot, must have looked lost as a lady said 46 is just there, and sure enough it was hidden behind a rock to the left of the re-entrant three paces further on... steamed ahead on the rest of the course uneventfully and cruised into 5th place. |
Saturday Aug 2 |
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| Event: 6 Days of Aveyron, France
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