Training Log Archive: rcro

NGOC's latest new signing has been revealed... Now two in the top 109 on ranking list! Third year in a row we've done well in the transfer window - at this rate Jay T might start wanting to come back!

Need to actually do some ranking races again now I've dropped the last two of my good top six this week

C • Who? 8

Now audit today so busy day catching up on everything that had been put off - and had to buy my own lunch!

Work handicap 5k around Little Stoke winter course in the dark. All the people at my ability dropped out of this one so chasing down a 5 minute gap in front of me - so this was more of a time trial than a race.

Slow-ish as understandably tired from two hard days in a row beforehand - so knew pretty quickly from my splits that sub-20 wasn't going to happen - also taking the bends quite slowly as slippery and leaves there.

Mark seemed to be gaining ground quite consistently for the first two full laps but the gap didn't seem to close over last lap - splits show I did last k 15s quicker than the middle three.

Finished fourth, but the three in front of me all claimed it was their first time - so maybe I get the trophy for the next month?

Suppose it's reasonable training - 5ks are definitely getting easier to "race" now.

https://www.strava.com/activities/435691914/overvi...

Event: Street Event 2
 

Another day of Swiss and Canadian auditor meetings...

Windy evening but glad to get out. Was very surprised when I looked at distance on watch when it said I'd run 10.5k - as thought was going quite slowly and could keep it up.

Found the start after only 10s or so of looking - and had already started moving before located it. Didn't form a plan quickly (well, for 25 mins or so!) but wasn't punished for it - had started planning to go NW, then anti clockwise but went to 5 instead of 3, replanned, then found something that worked for top half.

Route S-2-5-24-6-4-21-23-15-25-20-19-11-17-26-18-16-12-8-22-14-1-F. 390 points from 450, missing only 3, 7, 9, 10 and 13. May have even calculated my score correctly...

Field 6-4 was quite wet and slippery! Slow up the hills around 23/15 and Gary caught up. Went west from 20 as thought it was quicker than the fiddly route - but once I committed saw that doubling back and taking the straight road at the bottom would have been better!

Planned various routes for bottom half but realised N-S zig zags would be too much dog legging for 16 and 18 so went for E-W. Kept having to replan as it became more apparent I wouldn't clear in time - 7 an obvious drop, and 13 wasn't worth the penalty - same for 10 and 9. Might just have got 3 between 1 and finish but would have been very tight on time so played it safe.

Well planned by Clare and nice area to run around. Got me more training against headwinds on long straight 26-18-16 - and I survived so all good.

https://www.strava.com/activities/435192789

Lliswerry to Caerleon. Seemingly no group 3 or 2 tonight so ended up with group 1 (and dropped quite quickly) as I didn't want a particularly hard run.

Day 1 of 2 with Swiss and Canadian auditors visiting me so spent all day sat down in hot rooms eating biscuits - so not best prep, but have just about worked out the tightness from sitting in the car getting cold post two runs on Saturday.

Wind very strong - made coming back tough. Despite that, and not wanting to push it so hard, seems that all the segment times are only seconds slower than last time.

https://www.strava.com/activities/434571198/overvi...

Collecting. It's over!!!

Frustrating day in the wind. Found climbing up and down some of the "flat" hard work - and even with metal dobs and stakes couldn't help me up the more vertical bits. Pleased to say Pat had same trouble with the mapped flat so sounds like it will be getting a proper remap!

Will feed back point regarding reflectors - but don't expect there to be any next week.

Thoughts on optimum route to maximise score:
S-2-8-6-4-10-24-22-20-18-14-16-25-21-17-19-13-15-9-11-7-F with various ones that could be skipped if time short. Would get 480 points and thought several people there would have been capable of doing this in the time (and possibly more) if they took this route

C • Reflectors. 5

Event: Western Night League
 

FoD parkrun.

Still not really recovered yet but started well and tried to keep it up. Hard work and finished 10s faster than last week - but think it was more than 10s quicker conditions. But got me my best FoD position (6th) after many 7th places.

https://www.strava.com/activities/432743448

Arrived at assembly and then sent straight out to check some controls and put danger tape up. Struggling on any ups. Then did loop of yellow as 205 had been put in wrong place (where the pit to S should have been) - as the move never made it into the other course file!

Managed to get in some terrrain running - but as still wearing shorts took some longer routes where I knew less undergrowth.

Moving 206, 204, 209 to their night positions.

Had spent 3 hours sat in car wearing lots of coats - shivering a lot - in that time legs had seized up so jogging again felt very weird for most of the time.

WNL - not doing too much apart from helping at registration and running starts. Competitors all well behaved - arrived in good time, finished in good time, and polite to my face.

Don't like planning bog standard scores so today's was complicated - but the two maps existed to distract people away from the key decision - having to decide just what they were capable of doing in an hour. All too often the fastest runners start out to get them all so tonight had several controls that definitely were not worth visiting so they needed to think about it (just like what all the less quick do). Would expect some people to not like me doing this - but to me it's part of the strategy of a score.

Did not give too much thought into best route - but my view was that best place to change-over was around 225 as there was 100 points close together and weren't really worth visiting on their own.

Pat proved to be a great help as always.


Forgot to get Ifor's bag of torches passed on to John - might be a chance to meet him as/before he puts controls out on the way to Dorking.

Putting controls out.

Very slippery - and I didn't even go near to the steep bits. Shoes are had it even for just walking in now. Ankle boots with metal dobs would have been much better.

Only found one new map error - meant I'd tagged wrong site. Still got yellow course to do and check one of Pat's sites.

Will be quite glad when it's all over!