Training Log Archive: Frostbite

British Middle, Stock Hill.

I was still experimenting with spectacles which I found quite distracting for the first few controls and also I didn't feel confident with where I was putting my feet. I resorted to putting them on top of my head while running and used them only to look at detail, but this was all a bit of a faff. Eventually they pinged off my head between 7 and 8 at which point I put them in my pocket and left them there.

A bit of a wander on #1, ending up back on the path and completely misjudging the distance, 30seconds. Nearly went to #3 before turning away from it, confused by the multiple extra pits on what was supposed to be a flat plateau. 1 minute. Came out on a path junction above the control at #8 and thought I needed to go right, but it was the wrong path junction and I needed to go left. 45 seconds, plus half a minute messing with my specs. Mostly ok once I had put the specs away, but I was back to guessing what was in the middle of the circle.

Not a very good result, 15th place. Just not fast enough. A perfect run would maybe have got me 8th.

C • specs 3

British Sprint heats, Bath University. I ran past number 1 - I knew where it should be but the kite was next to an orange barrier and I just didn't notice it. I stood under the middle of the canopy trying to work out which direction the control was supposed to be in before I spotted it. Tried to go straight through the woods to 7 but then hesitated because I couldn't clearly see the paths on the map and didn't know which one to follow. 8 I went round to the left because I had checked the map correction at the start and actually remembered it. Checking with other people afterwards I don't think it made much difference to the split which way you went - the supposedly OOB steps route was slightly shorter but made awkward by whatever it was that made it OOB. Hesitated before climbing up the steps towards 16 - I couldn't work out what the description meant but I knew that there were no controls on the lower level so it had to be up. The rest was very straightforward and easy once we were in the parkland rather than the buildings. I did have to cope with running against a tide of lunch eating early finishers on the path immediately after the road crossing, which was just annoying.

9th place, 36 seconds outside of qualification. About what I expected really. I could make up half the difference with a SIAC card, so taking out a few small mistakes I could maybe have qualified.

British Sprint champs, B final.

I purchased some half-moon specs between races. I could actually see the detail, but running with them on took some getting used to. Successfully negotiated the routes through the main building. Went the wrong side of the hedge at 4, 8 seconds. Nearly took a wrong path half way to 8 in the woods, 3 seconds. Went round the end of the wall at 14, unsure whether or not it was uncrossable, 8 seconds. Overall better than the heat and suited me better anyway with less dead running at the end.

1st place - the best of the not very good people.

Going as slow as it is possible to go and not actually be walking. Did manage a few faster stretches on the way back and didn't feel too bad but mostly just couldn't be bothered. Nice out.

Plodding along. Easy enough but my left calf stiffened up towards the end and afterwards I had a pain behind my left knee.

Slow start, feeling a bit out of it. Got moving eventually.