Training Log Archive: Mark Two

Brown course at Hurstwood near Burnley. Not somewhere I have been before and really enjoyed most of it. Lots of old tips, a bit like Clydach terrace but hillier. Took me a while to get into map - and realise I needed to ignore the rock mapping which I couldn't work out. Small miss on 1 and lucky on 2. But after that ok. Didn't much enjoy the linking tussocky moorland and with nobody around me to race, got into rather a slow trudging mode. If I had known, I would probably have opted for the short brown which did two laps of the main technical bit instead. Anyway probably good to have a longer run for a change.

Expedition to the Gower with Alice and Charles in order to check out runnability of Broughton and Whiteford Burrows where next year's SHIs are being held with the three of us planning and controlling.

Broughton in the morning. I've controlled there at the end of June, when it was fine, but I was wondering what it would be like at the end of the summer. A few patches of thicker stuff, but the vast majority is good.

Whiteford also good. Will want to walk folk in a fair way up the peninsular to access the nicest bit, but shouldn't be an issue with the teams all staying at St Madoc's centre actually on the map. Will make for a fun relay. Not sure what to do about a spectator race. Would normally make it a mass start score, so race over quickly after the Relay - easier for organisers at end of a long weekend - but area more suited to a middle race. Need to discuss with Niall & Maggie.

New teashop at Cwm Ivy, which was great. Decent coffee and cakes and fabulous views.

C • SHI 2019 2

Fartlek with some of the Swansea crew down by Three Cliffs Bay. William determined not to get his shoes wet and failing.

MDC run from Rob's place - up behind the Black Cock. East along the Ridgeway, down to Cefn Onn, Back up to the Ridgeway, where we caught up the steady group. Rudry and back via Caerphilly woods. big group out, lovely evening. Good feed afterwards.

C • That's a very long run..... 3

Monday night run from Keith's with Keith, Chloe, Cecil, Nobs and met on the Bridge by Ben Maliphant. So a nice sociable chatty run round Ashton Court . The youngsters seemed quite happy to go at a pace this old man and his 'not as fit as he used to be' buddy could manage.

British Middle champs. Stock Hill .

Pretty happy with my performance. A bit hesitant on some of the shorter legs perhaps - I thought the new map was excellent. Clear, and easy to read - the decision to use 5m contours I think was a really good call and helped in that regard. I thought better, easier to use than the 1980s Harveys interpretation with 2.5 m. The one thing I had difficulty with was the north lines - or rather their absence for some significant parts of the map - perhaps emphasised by the 1:7,500 and ISOM compliant 300m gap. Of course, if they had been drawn everywhere, that would have obscured some of the detail - can't have it all ! Anyway, I think some of my hesitation on shorter legs - e.g. 2,3, 6 - , was difficulty I had quickly fixing an accurate bearing. I should have adapted / been flexible and used undergrowth lines rather than worrying where North lines were. Rougher bearings were OK - orientation of control nos, ok to give me a north fix.

Now there is a decent map again, looking forward to running here again - esp in winter when undergrowth down.