Training Log Archive: AlistairH

Leaving it a bit late and having to jog the whole way to the start wasn't the best preparation for...

SOL4 @ Culbin. Black. Last of the 14 finishers. +75%. I can see why this forest has a great reputation - really beautiful. And very surreal suddenly running down a sunny beach on the way to 15 after running so long in a quiet forest. Felt tired from yesterday and took it easy, nervous of the distance. Slowed quite a bit towards the end. Various errors along the way - worst was probably a few mins at no. 3 so not too bad.

I'm not sure these SOL black courses are doing me good - on the one hand, the distance was helpful for doing 21L or 35L at BOC or the JK. On the other hand, it's not good psychologically to do races in which I feel I have to take it easy. If you don't attack the forest, speed really drops off. I might be better doing brown where I could run hard and be more competitive.

Nopesport Urban League @ Lossiemouth. 9/24 +33.5%. Great fun and had a good race. Didn't have a good start - lost about 2 mins in the airbase in the first 8 mins (21st at no. 9). Good run through the first bit of urban 12th by no. 20. At 16 someone had vandalised the control by throwing it over the fence into the OOB - when reaching through I also lifted it back over.

Missed 21 twice - missed on a bearing from the path junction going into the forest. Missed again from the path junction south of the control. Then RayW helpfully turned up and found the control. Lost about 2'15. Ran off trying to keep up with Ray (always going to be a tall order for any length of time) - left 22 just after him but he went too far left and made I mistake while I went straight and got the control. Missed 24 (2'00) and then had another good running section. 5th best split on path run to 27, feeling good. Not sure whether my route to 28 was good (cut over paths to the west and went past control 31) - by then I was in 9th where I finished. Somehow I lost 1'20 at 36 - I seemed to have to run a long way north against the fence and can only conclude I came out the control west then went south west. Got caught by Ray again about no. 36 which gave me a good kick up the backside. Got to 41 ahead of him but then started running to 44 (0'30). 45 was a 20" error as I went slowly trying to figure out which side of the fence the control was on while Ray zoomed off into the distance at proper runner speed.

Enjoyed this - 5' of avoidable error but I think a lot of people had a day like that. Felt good to be running quite well.

Knees fine. Achilles not great in pm. Fairly tired but not too bad by recent standards for day after harder session.

10 short hill sprints on Arthur's Seat.

Left knee a little sore but maybe slightly better. Took it easy.

Martin's Intervals. 3'42, 3'43, 3'43, 3'47, 3'46 (av. 3'44.2). 10s off my best - my variation from one week to the next is quite dramatic - it never used to be anything like this variable. I think it shows I'm strength limited, rather than aerobically limited. VO2Max doesn't vary like this, but when I'm tired (from Sunday still), my performance falls off a cliff.

Top of left knee a bit sore - was for much of last week. Fine but no lunges for a few days,