Training Log Archive: MuddyFox

Traveling back to Aber, then morrisons, then lectures, then morrisons, then talk on seaweed (Sargassum muticum) and egg cases of rays/skates, then bed!

9th out of 44 :) better :)
and only seconds off Lucy W in 8th.

W20E!!!

Overall, very pleased. Felt I was orienteering far better today where it had all done wrong yesterday :)

c1 - Had a disastrous start loosing 2-2.5 mins on the first control - really took my time though and got my head sorted rather than panicking!
c2 - Like the first control, after overrunning everything yesterday I nearly under-ran c1+2.
c3 - Contouring, found without too much difficulty.
c4 - Fine
c5 - Looking too far east - slight contour confusion after coming up the edge
c6 - Happy with route choice reverting to path rather than heather
c7 - RC error - would have been better off path and straight this time
c8 - RC error - stuck to path, cutting across at trig-point. Path was slippery and icy
c9 - Headed off at wrong angle, realised and corrected - 40/50s lost
c10 - RC error - should have taken more direct route rather than contouring and ending up in bog (shoes undone - retied - 20s)
c11 - Fine but slow
c12 - Fine, but lost time falling over into gate*
c13 - Fine
c14 - Very slow tripping over brambles and reeds with added marsh issues
c15 - Slow but okay
c16 - Shoe lace undone!! Little cautious!

*old couple warned me to be careful as there was ice round the corner. I took it to mean around the next corner there was going to be ice... they meant that round this corner is icy. Consequently I didn't slow down and ended up spectacularly sliding into the gate :( Knee purple and swollen but probs superficial.

Maria got (rounded up) 56mins, I got 64mins, so only 8 mins difference - really happy with result as I know I could have made fewer mistakes and run faster. Good end to weekend.

Event: Northern Champs weekend
 

Foot felt rubbish this morning, but rightly or wrongly decided to run this afternoon. Surprisingly it improved dramatically from running in the muddy wooded paths! Though it is now swollen?! But doesn't hurt... not sure which is better :o

WILL go to doctors... soon!!

67th/70 ...

Maria, who I'm running against tomorrow did it in 34:33... I did it in 54:19.
Hmm, if I'm less than 20mins behind her tomorrow it will be an achievement!!

C • You know... 2

Warm up with the majority of the squad - gentle pace.
Then some other warm up stuff - running backwards, sidestepping etc.

In group with Cari, Kath and Charlotte.
Controls at either side of lake, had to make route choices for which was shorter. Mass start and we all had slightly different courses. Really pleased to completely ignore the others and run my own course :)

Lap of the path - fairly easy pace then got a map with a distinctive route choice on each leg. Made 2 mistakes with consecutive legs. Should have been the other way round. Took it slow cos I wanted to concentrate.

Using bearings and pacing... hence it went a little wrong.
Going between trees with blank map.
Took a bearing slightly off and ended up at the wrong tree, hence next bearing was also off. I know I really need to work on both these skills, more the pacing to be honest :S

Course was apparently 4.2... I thought that was too short so ran 5.9 km instead. It apparently had 170m climb... but I thought that would be too easy so made it 285m!! Pace = (9:12 / km) 7:25 / km

Well, think of everything that could go wrong, and it probably did. I missed a control and ran down the hill, but realised and ran back up to get it, fell down a hole, got utterly lost, came in a circle back to the same control and got confuzled (confused and puzzled) at the start (and just about every other section of the course with the exception of the last few controls!). AH WELL.

Hopefully all mistakes got out the way today ready for a clean run tomorrow. Clearly the YHOA training really helped me ;) My route from garmin looks like a child's scribble in red pen over a green piece of paper!

Well done to Simon who had a great run! Kath and Cari also did well and I was completely beaten by cpn... doh!

C • Thanks 3

EXAMS FINISHED!!! Had last one this morning :D Traveling back to sheff today for YHOA and Beeley tomorrow and then Northern Champs on sunday :)

Happyful... and very busy!

So far, every month I've been at uni, training has decreased :(

I think I need to turn this round next week to an upward trend...

Easier said than done i feel :S

Oh, and guess what I did today... revision, again :(

Geographic data acquisition analysis and presentation exam... just about as good as it sounds.

Decided to have an evening off!! :O
Headed down through the 'orrible cold Aber fog to the swimming pool.

Sets of 10 as normal:
4:33
4:25
5:11 (every other length 1/2 the length underwater)
4:54
4:59
4:57
4:58
4:56
4:51
4:49
4:47
4:42

Good sesh - 122 lengths in just under an hour (above plus 2 warm up lengths). Could be quicker, but hey ho - I just wanted a de-stressing session and break from revision! Think it was about 3km total.

Foot stiff after, but not felt during.

revision... i'm going crazy and eating lots of cake :O