Training Log Archive: slow-twitch

Warm up and jog (OK, jog and walk!) to the start

Flock Hill, High country limestone maze. 2nd to last in M21E (was with last place holder from much of 6-10, and can vouch he was not having a good day!) Carsten fastest at 31 minutes, love to know if that was a clean run, as I reckon winning time could have been faster. Really shouldn't have run today, just had no energy at all uphill (right from #1) and feeling Very Sick after race. Had hoped I'd get some of that back with accuracy, but apparently not. Either state of health was also affecting my focus, or just telling that it's a while since I've had a race that technically demanding. Just had to keep reminding myself of the appropriate tactics for dense rock each time I entered such an area, and then still kept forgetting what I was doing.

Jog to the start and warm up

Long race in nice spur gulley forest (Dalethorpe), running M21A. 4th place, winning time 67 minutes, though Lizzie was fastest on course at 61. 1st 3 controls felt good physically and mentally then just started dozing off a bit on both counts. Little bits of time lost here and there just not nailing controls or legs - nothing much each time but it adds up. Only biggie probably lost around 5 mins on #9 dropping too far down from the road, then heading too far north looking for any of the features around the control. Would have perhaps helped to know I was looking for a flag with a few small stones around it, rather than a boulder cluster! Felt the impact of illness on fitness much more today, especially going up hill. So given all that, reasonably happy with time.

Event: South Island Champs
 

Pre race warm up before sprint

Winning time (Chris F) c 14.5 mins. A terrain sprint in the open dunes at Leithfield Beach. A little bit sluggish, in part due to cold, but I think more just having to plough through some soft sand in places. Maybe a bit over 2 minutes lost in mistakes - mostly #11, didn't pick up the small track I was going to attack the control from, and rather than go to plan B just flailed round a bit. Then didn't really get focussed again until almost at 12 so dropped abit there. Final control had to make a real effort to ignore all the tape around for the kid's courses. Maybe a couple of other legs I'd take different routes next time, but I don't think much lost there.

Trying to warm down after race

3rd of 11 men, 15 women on short red course. Ryan Cambridge at 28:43 starting to take after his big bros! Running much better than in sprint. Only had real trouble with a couple of controls in the mixed vegetation area at the end of the 1st loop, where Brian (2nd place) got ahead - if I realised he was doing short when I saw him here might have tried to stay with him. Nearly threw it away in the almost flat forest blocks though, just managed to check my direction often enough. Can see how this would have caused absolute carnage during the night!

Mostly paved. Up relentless Holborn Hill, through bush tracks to Delaney Drive then another small hill before cruising home. Only one pitbull incident which is pretty good going for passing through the Delaney area. Would have liked to go a bit harder but that was definitely a cold that I was coming down with on Tuesday. Brilliant timing as always.

Up to Silverstream Bridge and back. Legs never quite warmed up, but at least that kept me at a good easy consistent pace. Maybe its time to get me some of them sexy tights before the air gets much colder though. Feeling a bit off colour by end of run - possibly the cold that I never quite came down with a few weeks back has decided to strike. If so, crap!