Training Log Archive: slow-twitch

Missing the 5k - feeling a bit grot all afternoon, though it might just be the office air-con playing it's usual tricks, so hopefully better tomorrow!

C • Tapering 1

Two laps of Pukemokemoke, with a bit of a warm-up down and up the streamside flats. Not exactly a brilliant run, lots of walking on the uphills. But given yesterday's efforts, a sleepless (or close to) night wondering if the temperature was going to drop below 20, and a morning stuffing around enough to ensure there was no way I'd get out before it got even hotter, I think I can be pleased to have not only actually got out but also managed to salvage something in the time range that was in 'the plan'. When I left home I was thinking I'd just be able to struggle round for a little while. But felt good enough coming to the end of the first lap that I made myself a deal that if I was under 40 minutes then I would carry on. Spent much of the 2nd uphill regretting I hadn't gone a couple of minutes slower first time round...

A bit of an explore finding the rocks we were looking for then failing to find a way to get to said rocks, then walking back to the ones right next to the road - these guys could use better maps,,, speaking of which, I wouldn't say no to a map of the area...

OUTDOORS AND REAL ROCK! Bayleys Road Wharepapa. There all afternoon, but lots of downtime as the experts would set up ropes for the 4.5 newbies. Quite a different experience & a fun afternoon after a bit of a bad start... A meltdown about 1 metre up something rated 15 but seemed way too hard, success on something else rated 15 but seemed way too easy (except a slightly hairy bit just before the final push) and a couple of attempts each on a 16 and a 14 - pleasantly surprised how close I got to the 16, disappointed that the thought of crashing into the rock got back into my head the first time on the 14, then was out of gas on the second time.

C • Sounds awesome! I'm jealous... 2

Thursday recovery run. Not the traditional lunchtime one as there was a seminar on hoiho decline that I wanted to go to, but rather than treating that as a weak excuse to bail, ran home after work instead. Was hot enough then, can only assume midday would have been worse. Took an indirect route partly to get the time and distance up over half an hour, partly to find as much shade as possible.

Having felt a bit stalled over the last few weeks will happily take the small amount of progress made tonight. Completed an alleged 14 (a bloody hard 14!) that I'd lost on the last hold last week, made an ungraded one (probably a 14 again but with one or 2 tricky bits) admittedly thanks to Stacey working it out first, and while I didn't complete one of the nemesis 16s got myself past the previous sticking point and only fell because the holds were so slippery... my story anyway.

A good time to have a better night, now looking forward to Saturday with 90% excitement, only 10% trepidation...

University. I love these campus-type maps when it's not all teeny-tiny buildings so knew this was my best chance to deflate Bozzy's summer-series ego slightly and get one back over him. So despite some definite complaints from the legs regarding last night's efforts, just had to push pretty hard. Have to admit it helped A LOT to keep the pace up to catch Thomas at 5 and not losing him til 12, then catching Sarah and Bridget from 16 to the end (well not really the end given the way they ran away from me in the last 2 legs). And the brain department turned up as well - a couple of route choices that didn't seem so good in retrospect still compared well in the splits, and the only thing stopping me from calling it a 'perfect' was some unnecessary slowing down on 16-17 when I tried to fit where I was to the bit of the map where I was going to be shortly... Really enjoyable, I was particularly pleased to visit the 19th control, which enriched my life greatly (/in-joke)