Training Log Archive: Frostbite

From Outeiro, down the hill at the front of the house, up to the windmills, then 6 x a circuit down to the saddle, down most of the way to Granja, then straight back up to the windmills. Steep, rutted tracks with a loose dry surface made it all a bit uncomfortable, and hard work. Then back the way I had come.

C • temperature? 2

Seven Arches. Steady out to Bywater, then fast for the Scotland Wood section, about 1.5 miles in 12:20, then lolloped home. Tired legs, and heavy going in places. And cold.

Woodhouse Ridge and Sugarwell Hill.

Long distance - Holme Fell. Didn't really like the first 2/3 of the course, lots of gratuitous climb that I really struggled with, scrambling around on slate spoil and getting stuck on very big crags. I also didn't realise number 4 was the optional control until after I was on my way to 5, the alternative number 4 being over the fold in my map. The left route wasn't too bad but most people seem to have gone right.

Got crag bound coming out of 10, but talking to people at the end that seemed to have happened to quite a few people. Then really slow up the hill to 13. From the top of the fell at 13 to the bottom of the valley at 22 I was much happier - more like the sort of orienteering you come to the lakes for - a bit of open fell then into the semi-open/marshy detailed bit. I was also relatively quick, in fact quicker than Charlie and Quentin for 9 predominantly downhill legs in 18 minutes.

I need to improve up hills - I thought I was improving before this weekend but apart from the first half of the middle race I was struggling. Or I need to do downhill only races.

11th, 10 minutes behind Quentin.