Training Log Archive: jed

Pre buffet breakfast. Legs suffering, particularly on the return but great fun.

2nd part of model sprint.

M50 course from 2015. More relevant to weeekend.

4 week block complete, easy week coming up. Sadly had to cancel massage which should have been tonight which would have helped legs a lot and there's no other suitable appointments. Need to make sure I stretch/roll well this week.

Inc. drills etc.

Chasing start long. A lot of those who were running yesterday weren't racing today so I was up to 10th which was kind of cool when they read out the top 10 starters with my name along side them. Sadly those I finished close to yesterday didn't start so I had a big gap in front but a big group of 7 chasing me within 2 mins! Safe route to 1 and all good. Bananaed 3 and caught by 4. In a pack onto a long leg where I again took it out and pushed the pace and managed to drop 2. Didn't quite get the right route though and messed the end so was caught by another 1. Decent through next few with a few good routes. Then struggled on 10 where struggled finding bushes in bushes...two got away here. Re caught 2 who'd caught me around 11-12 so back in a pack of 4. I navigated better to 14 and got ahead but went slightly too high into the common butterfly control where all 3 of them (!) had the same gaffle and I was on my own. I focused too much on this being unfair that I didn't orienteer well or with confidence. Poor section, realised I needed to fight on as getting caught by 2 more, took my gel and a nice safe path run to 22. Got ahead even more with a better route towards 23 then was distracted by people warming down coming towards me on the path that I missed the junction and didn't realise until they were away and gone again. Hesitant on 24 but then really happy with the final loop, my times suddenly climb into the top 10, I was all on my own, remained calm and focused. Two girls who'd just passed me messed up and I easily got back passed.
Frustrating in parts but also positive elements. Good practice and lots learned.

Training from hotel, part of course from event missed on Thursday night with extra controls in the dunes. Feeling it from races so not moving quickly but pretty accurate.

To/from hotel. Knackered.

Most of M55 course from last night. Got ahead of myself in the middle and really made a mess of it on way to 7 so went back to 5 and reran 5, 6, 7 again. Really good last loop though - flowing confidently.

Inc. drills etc. Starts delayed so a little extra wu.

Middle WRE. Haven't done much in the forest at all recently so didn't have high expectations. Poor first control, a bit dodgy as still can't see re-entrant in circle. Despite messing up caught my 1:30 girl. Put it behind me though. A bit hesitant on 3. Slight miss on 5...Dad also had problems here. Caught at 6 and pretty clean through next section. I pushed the pace on the two long legs and dropped one of the girls. Strong through to spectator and pushing very hard to end. Haven't felt so much pain in a forest race in a long time. I actually really enjoyed it and pretty shocked to get into the top 20 in a very strong field (take out the Swiss and I'd have been 8 haha!)

From hotel, pre quarantine part of the model sprint.

1.5 hours in quarantine when you don't know anyone is pretty long but managed to amuse myself! In the end they were pretty lax about it but I treated it seriously as don't get the chance to practice this properly very often....so no phone/contact/couldn't see finish/spectator and limited warm up area.

WRE Sprint, Punta Umbria.
Went out hard, happy until right at control where I just couldn't see it so panicked (it was just behind a tree and couldn't have been anywhere else). Confidence knocked and made a mess of long leg route to 2 not going where I intended. Never really found my rhythm. Distracted at spectator and thought I'd missed tapes as marked as tapes on map but nothing on ground, ended up ahead of myself. Not a disaster but slightly disappointed as believe I can do better. My sharp speed isn't there and I need to find how I get the more confident Kirstin out who is gutsy not worrying about consequences...
However good to get another race under my belt and race against the real top girls. I am starting to believe I belong in these races :).

Up early, flew from Manchester to Faro, sorted out car hire and drove to Andalucia, sorted hotel and out training on the prologue map we missed this morning. Still some tags out too so good confirmation in correct place. Tricky but good to get head into this terrain before race tomorrow.

El Portil sprint training, course with Dad starting behind for added pressure. Started steady and wound it up. Lots of route choice, again good practice for tomorrow.

Event: Andalucia O Meeting
 

Pre breakfast play in the snow to see where Dad could move the car to.....
Rest of the day didn't go as planned, should have been running in the mass start night event in Andalucia but instead flight delayed, delayed again and then cancelled. Back into Edinburgh, decided it was still worth going as main races were Sat, booked flights from Manchester and made the long, slow journey there. Slightly mad but made it.

I love running in fresh snow. That's all for today, ready for racing rest of the week - hopefully get away!

Added back in ladder etc.

B12 injection, luckily the doctors stayed open as the rest of Edinburgh went into shut down.

Track closed :(, not ideal as trying to speed up a bit. Brutal bitter wind with blizzard for some but I do find this kinda fun.

Session was meant to be 10x400m (80secs) on track but did 10x90secs (90secs) Meadows snowy grass reps. Put spikes on for grip and managed to move the legs fast especially on final straight of loop with wind behind.