Training Log Archive: rcroIn the 1 days ending Feb 8, 2020:
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Saturday Feb 8, 2020 #
1 PM
Running - off road warm up/down 16:00 [3] 2.3 km (6:57 / km) +30m 6:32 / km
shoes: Saucony Carrera XC 3
Gpsed first part of warm up - with Dan, Jools and Cory. Turns out you can’t get into racecourse from far side.
Did some stretching then more jogging on the inside - guessed distance and time addition. Had a short chat with Sam (Machen Man) and heard a little about the falling out in Aberdare that’s led to a load quitting for Pontypridd.
https://www.strava.com/activities/3082761568
Did some stretching then more jogging on the inside - guessed distance and time addition. Had a short chat with Sam (Machen Man) and heard a little about the falling out in Aberdare that’s led to a load quitting for Pontypridd.
https://www.strava.com/activities/3082761568
2 PM
Running - off road race (Chepstow Racecourse XC) 34:59 [5] 8.6 km (4:04 / km) +90m 3:52 / km
slept:6.5 shoes: Saucony Carrera XC 3
This was a lot more exciting than I expected - some proper undulations with mostly fast running. But the long straight into the wind was still long.
Started on the outside so as not to be boxed in, but kept relatively steady so lost places and still had to slow a lot on the hill. On the back of Pete/Cory - who would both beat me so didn’t rush to overtake. Generally more boxed in for the rest of the short lap but was moving better than people around me into the wind so made up places. Andy Horlick definitely getting a tow from me right through this section.
Second lap didn’t have a great line in the start area as the inside was sharp and the tapes quite loose so tripping hazard. Definitely feeling like I was working hard by now - maintaining pace with most people around me but still gaining on others. Longer lap was quite nice with a long “downhill” before more corners with tape to trip over.
With Jon Belcher through the windy straight this time and both at similar pace working through quite a lot of people and closing in on a few Chepstows. Got a better line for start of lap 3 and apart from losing it a bit on the climbs was moving fairly well. Lost a place but gained it back on the down - not sure what gap was at the end. Got the Chepstows on the straight and close to another few places but being so far back was a disadvantage for sprint finish. Having been dropped by Andy on lap 2 was only 5s or so back at the finish and maybe 10s more down on Wayne.
133rd is my best position in Gwent. Also first time ever I’ve not made the A team so should be good for our promotion fight. Beat a lot of people I don’t normally so classing this as a good run. Cory was only 1:20 in front - but 51 places so there’s a lot to gain by being only slightly faster.
https://www.strava.com/activities/3082763788
Started on the outside so as not to be boxed in, but kept relatively steady so lost places and still had to slow a lot on the hill. On the back of Pete/Cory - who would both beat me so didn’t rush to overtake. Generally more boxed in for the rest of the short lap but was moving better than people around me into the wind so made up places. Andy Horlick definitely getting a tow from me right through this section.
Second lap didn’t have a great line in the start area as the inside was sharp and the tapes quite loose so tripping hazard. Definitely feeling like I was working hard by now - maintaining pace with most people around me but still gaining on others. Longer lap was quite nice with a long “downhill” before more corners with tape to trip over.
With Jon Belcher through the windy straight this time and both at similar pace working through quite a lot of people and closing in on a few Chepstows. Got a better line for start of lap 3 and apart from losing it a bit on the climbs was moving fairly well. Lost a place but gained it back on the down - not sure what gap was at the end. Got the Chepstows on the straight and close to another few places but being so far back was a disadvantage for sprint finish. Having been dropped by Andy on lap 2 was only 5s or so back at the finish and maybe 10s more down on Wayne.
133rd is my best position in Gwent. Also first time ever I’ve not made the A team so should be good for our promotion fight. Beat a lot of people I don’t normally so classing this as a good run. Cory was only 1:20 in front - but 51 places so there’s a lot to gain by being only slightly faster.
https://www.strava.com/activities/3082763788
3 PM
Running - off road warm up/down 8:51 [3] 1.45 km (6:06 / km) +10m 5:54 / km
shoes: Saucony Carrera XC 3
Warm down with Jools and Cory. Bit of a struggle as stomach cramps quite bad. Ok during the race but wasn’t 100% before and fighting the wind won’t have helped.
https://www.strava.com/activities/3082764326
https://www.strava.com/activities/3082764326
6 PM
Orienteering - Night (Gwaelod) 56:44 [3] 5.73 km (9:54 / km) +270m 8:01 / km
shoes: inov8 Mudclaw300 Blk/Gn2
First navigation mistake was getting here. When details said registration on the lane by the primary school assumed Gwaelod school not Taffs Well. Worked it out after seeing nobody else anywhere after I’d been parked 5 minutes.
S-10-13-11-16-12-2-8-1-7-4-3-21-22-20-27-25-26-36-35-34-(31)-30-F. 210 points/300
Never going to take this hard as suffering from XC. Set on Map 1 without looking at it so started with 10 and disregarded the control for a while as thought it was going to be on next path up. General navigation was no-plan but use compass and maybe keep an eye out for features on the way. This worked well most of the time.
Dropped 15 and 14 early as a lot of climb and out of the way. Similarly, with this order 6 was a long way out so dropped that. Disregarded the quarry from the start as don’t like it - knew I was going to be dropping so those were convenient to not go to.
On to set 3 by something like 22 mins, which made me question whether this really was a “bona fide” effort - but then missed 21 and had to work back up from the bottom. Found a happy Ollie on track before 20 and I’d said to him I’d skip 27, but looked at watch and still had 28 mins or so so couldn’t justify leaving it out. Meant I got to find Mark and camera and have a brief stop to talk and let him test settings.
Last set again was quite clean and navigating better than Rhys who was doing similar. Identified 31 as a challenging control (but feature is strong when found). Approached from 20 where running was good but missed it and found some other form lines instead. Carried on a bit and found 8 and decided that with 6 mins to spare wasn’t worth hunting for it again given only worth 30s late penalty. Also skipped 32 as map implied brambly - hadn’t noted the path to the circle on the map.
Much more enjoyable than the last night-o. Generally found the woods runnable, and easier going than some previous times here.
Pub clearly not used to catering for large numbers of people at the same time - but it was cheap, and once the crowds thinned out a bit was easier to talk to eachother. I think HQ service might have been a bit quicker!
https://www.strava.com/activities/3083448750
S-10-13-11-16-12-2-8-1-7-4-3-21-22-20-27-25-26-36-35-34-(31)-30-F. 210 points/300
Never going to take this hard as suffering from XC. Set on Map 1 without looking at it so started with 10 and disregarded the control for a while as thought it was going to be on next path up. General navigation was no-plan but use compass and maybe keep an eye out for features on the way. This worked well most of the time.
Dropped 15 and 14 early as a lot of climb and out of the way. Similarly, with this order 6 was a long way out so dropped that. Disregarded the quarry from the start as don’t like it - knew I was going to be dropping so those were convenient to not go to.
On to set 3 by something like 22 mins, which made me question whether this really was a “bona fide” effort - but then missed 21 and had to work back up from the bottom. Found a happy Ollie on track before 20 and I’d said to him I’d skip 27, but looked at watch and still had 28 mins or so so couldn’t justify leaving it out. Meant I got to find Mark and camera and have a brief stop to talk and let him test settings.
Last set again was quite clean and navigating better than Rhys who was doing similar. Identified 31 as a challenging control (but feature is strong when found). Approached from 20 where running was good but missed it and found some other form lines instead. Carried on a bit and found 8 and decided that with 6 mins to spare wasn’t worth hunting for it again given only worth 30s late penalty. Also skipped 32 as map implied brambly - hadn’t noted the path to the circle on the map.
Much more enjoyable than the last night-o. Generally found the woods runnable, and easier going than some previous times here.
Pub clearly not used to catering for large numbers of people at the same time - but it was cheap, and once the crowds thinned out a bit was easier to talk to eachother. I think HQ service might have been a bit quicker!
https://www.strava.com/activities/3083448750