Training Log Archive: AlistairH

Orienteering, for the first time in a while... brown course at SOL6/Doon Hill, 7.8k, 375m, not quite last but getting there. Same course as the M18's had for the Junior Euro Champs and it was certainly a good championship course - by which I mean way too physical and technical for me!

Started off OK, maybe feeling some benefits of recent strength training. A little wobbly in places and I suspect in retrospect straight wasn't great at 5. Then the wheels came off in the open on the way to 7. Psyched out by the crappy underfoot conditions (thinking: I like running fast through trees with a map, not falling slowly over trees trying not to lose my map...) I stopped paying attention and found myself on the road to the NW. At this point, someone who had overtaken me earlier ran past. That caused more confusion as I couldn't see why they would be there. Anyway, 10 mins lost.

Went a bit better after that, some lovely section of forest, but I was pretty hopeless again in the dark green control pick, several short bearing #fails despite trying to just go slowly in a straight line and was pretty tired after that.

Jogged round the Parkrun, pacing Jane. Fog cleared leaving sunshine. Nice start to the day.

Randomly, TT was good this evening with a big turn out - and it stopped raining too. Session was in honour of the forthcoming FRAs with 1 x short leg (sprint up Bruntsfield Meadows and down again), 1 x long leg (loop), 1 x nav. leg (run to two specific places), 1 x short again, all x 3. Then home from the pub later.

Wasn't taking it hard - tired from Tuesday and want to be able to run OK on Sunday. Annoyingly my left knee was sore for the first time in a while and my achilles tendons were raging to begin with. Need to be careful. Haven't stretched for a few days. I didn't do very well on the sprints relative to a jury of my peers, despite recent training. I think my current analysis that strength is far behind VO2max remains accurate. Keep training.

Sprints in Inverleith Park then 6 x CBA between cobbled roads, ave. 57.0, slower than last couple of weeks but was feeling pretty good.

Slightly longer than usual, home from work, mostly on tarmac though. Feeling OK although achilles tendons really sore, hopefully just temporary side effect of having upped the achilles exercises.