Training Log Archive: Frostbite

Medium pace, over the wicket.

C • Just outside off stump 1

Meh.

HotPot Long Distance, Hurstwood.

Feeling like a tired old man before I started so I was thinking I would trundle round and hope to finish with minimal mistakes. Immediately went wrong with 4 minutes lost at number 1 - I was confident I knew where I was coming into it but ended up too high and couldn't relate the contours to what I could see on the ground. Looked in lots of holes until I saw Ian Marshall ducking into the correct one about 100 metres below me. Doh. Then I picked the wrong route on 4, right round by the higher path. Proper orienteering shouldn't have this sort of route choice depending on spotting crossing points away from the line - you've got all that lovely terrain to go at and this is more urban style orienteering. It also encourages people to climb things they shouldn't - the quickest route would have been to climb the not-allowed-to-cross wall, although straight would also probably have been quicker than my route. I also went up the wrong re-entrant first, maybe another 20 seconds lost there. Then I picked the wrong route on 7. I saw the path through the tussocks and thought that was the obvious route but it was very hard going - the big track around the reservoir would have been quicker. I also lost time on 12, not on the control but looking for the second crossing point. As Parkino pointed out, this wasn't an uncrossable boundary anyway so I could have just hopped over the fence wherever. As it was I was looking for tapes on the wall when the tapes were on the fence just on the other side of the wall. Doh. I must have lost a minute at least running down and then up.

After 12 I was much better. I started overtaking people which put me in a more positive frame of mind and I was reasonably strong getting over the hill, and then back in the quarries I had no trouble at all and spiked everything. From 15 to the finish I was quicker than Charlie and Quentin.

Charlie beat me by miles, 81 minutes. I think he must have been taking it very seriously. Quentin did 91 and from the splits was as random as me. Andy did 96 so I was first M45.

Very tired after another hard week's training. 40mpw 2 weeks in a row for the first time in almost forever. I will now have an easier week,

C • Rest day 3

3 bigger laps of Meanwood and the Hollies. Extended the big lap with the addition of the Moorfields and Durham Beck paths. Back by Mill Lane.

Slabbering Baby, slow

Seven arches