Training Log Archive: slow-twitch

Would be a good week to start upping the training hours, but will probably take it fairly easy with more races on this weekend. Ankle came through AK champs OK, started feeling it towards end of each race, so another reason to take things gently... but not TOO gently!

Pre race warm up/jog to the start

Waiuku South. Still infested with man-eating cutty grass with enough fallen timber to build a small town hidden in it! 2nd out of 6 in M21A and Simon A just a couple of minutes ahead (Lise and Hanny, 1st and 2nd in W21E were a BIT further ahead - either side of 65 minutes). Caught the previous starter by #2, we were together to 7, split on the long leg but met again at 8, together to 12 (then I took a bad route and he got ahead) then again 16 to the finish. Annoying I couldn't keep any small breaks I made on him when I seemed to be out-navigating him on most legs, but he just seemed to find better lines through all the rubbish on the ground. However I am happy I kept my head throughout the encounter and wasn't pressured into anything too silly mistake wise. A little bit of time lost here and there getting to the circle OK but not spiking the control (7, 8, 12, 19 are the ones I remember), drifted a bit to one side climbing to 6 (but caught myself before too much damage done), and using a track I knew would be soft sand on 12 to 13. So probably no more than 3-4 minutes lost technically, just plenty of room for improvement fitness/strength wise.

Warm down. Seems to have been successful, as after driving back to Welly I still seem to be walking OK.

Event: Auckland Champs
 

Half hearted warm up and down before and after race probably adds to 5 minutes. Really needed the warm down more to "un-grump" between finishing race and talking to anyone about it than for any other reason...

Plantation Farm. Firmly 14th out of 14 in M21E. Winning time 35 something (breakthrough win for SImon J). Should be happy to have had a near perfect run on a course nobody really came through unscathed, but when I did stuff up I stuffed up BIG time. Losing c 15 mins on one leg (4) does not make a good middle distance race! (And another 5 mins at #8, but I think I had some help from the map on that one) Not sure what I can learn from this one as it was such a crazy stupid mistake I can't really see how I made it. Maybe (1) there ARE times when that little voice in my head that says "something's not right here" should be listened too (2) check the compass MUCH more often when in low vis forest. Funnily enough I think it was monitoring my compass while contouring round into 3 which got me that one OK when others seem to have lost a bit of time. Shame the idea of keeping on looking at it didn't stick in my mind...

A bit of streets and riverbank - not right up to Silverstream Bridge but up that way. Really just testing the ankle out - wouldn't say it's fine but I think I can cope with it for the moment, if anything more comfortable running (with some hard core strapping) than it is walking! So my on-again-off-again trip to the AK champs is on again. Maybe having a bit of enforced speed control for the middle distance race will be a good thing.