Training Log Archive: AlistairR

Alpine train to Zurich and then night train through to Budapest.

SOW Day 6. Long distance in some alpine forest, some nice technical pataches but the long legs were pretty boring as It as track running and not much route choice. Still enjoyed the course alot, had a few little hesitations and small misses in the control circle but nothing major. Ended up just outside top 20. felt half decent running today, not too sick anymore and body only a wee bit battered from the last two weeks.

SOW day 5. Middle up the top of a cable car, 2700m. Open map with lots of rock. Feeling quite sick when I woke but might have been because it was 6.30am. Felt ok when I warmed up so went at a decent pace. Stuffed number 1, got distracted by a control that I know was too low, lost 90sec. 2-4 were fine, cool control upon the snow at the top of the map. Bit hesitant to 5 but got it. Spiked 6 and then hit the wrong cliff and lost 45sec. 8-11 were short legs on the complex rock, but then all pretty well. Slight miss on 12 as I was sucked into the depression and then fine on the last few long easy legs. Was 1st when I finished but I was an early start and the event was cancelled later on as thunder storm hit.Toe is now pretty sore, looks infected, stubbed it a few times which was agony. Got the first aid people to sterile it and dress it, should be all good if I keep it clean.

SOW day 4. Didn't do anythi g except rest on the rest day and still woke up feeling worse, cold was back and my big toe looks like a smacked it on something as it's all red and swollen. Was another long distance, decided to only do the first 2/3 of it as I wasn't up to doing the whole thing. Terrain was really cool, lots of little contour feature with marshes and rock detail with some thick vegetation as well. Just walked and jogged around it, toe was really sore and slowed me alot. Also managed to trip and slice my hand open on a rock. Not the best time in the forest, early night and hopefully I feel a bit better tomorrow. If not I will just not around the middle and hope my toe is ok.

SOW day 3. Up the bernina pass, 2300m altitude. Mostly open and Rocky map which was pretty hard to run fast on. Relatively clean run all up, no big misses just a few hesitations and maybe not running full out, still struggled on the hills because of the altitude, cold was a bit better though. Came 23rd would have been alot better if I had read the long leg better and gone more straight (lost around 3min for taking the low track), also dropped 7 places by taking a bad route through the trees to 17, lost a good limit there as well. But frustrating as it was just silly route choices that cost me a top 10.

SOW day 2 middle distance. Really rough forest underfoot, rocks covered in undergrowth. Clean first loop, too far right in 5 and went a bit low, good 30secs lost. Ok to six but was struggling with my cold a bit. Stuffed 7 and lost a good minute, was a bit left and read the contours wrong. Rest of the course was all good, battling to run fast due to my cold and altitude. Finished all good, came 15th out of 80ish.

SOW stage 1, HAL. Map was a bit average, three sections of nice forest but you had to run a good 400m of compulsory tapes route between each section. Still feeling a bit sick but decided I'd put a bit more effort in this week. Started alright, thought a ride was a track at 4 and lost some time, fairly good all the way to 12 but then had a boring steep section. 175m climb in one leg. Stuffed up 15 pretty bad and the rest was fine. Struggled with sickness and maybe the altitude and heat as well (1900m and high 20's). Came 42nd out of 80 something, middle tomorrow in better terrain, hopefully top 20, will just try focus on the navigation.

Event: Swiss-O-Week 2016
 

Train up to St Moritz.

Cruising around the JWOC relay course, clean run but the area was easier than the others and I was going pretty easy, walking all the hills and stopped for a piss on the way to 4. Wasn't as far behind the JWOC times as I thought Is be. St Moritz tomorrow, SOW starts the day after.