Training Log Archive: Frostbite

Scottish Champs M50, Dalbeattie. I wasn't really feeling at my best and this was a rough tough forest with some challenging navigation. I didn't lose as much time as most people it would seem but I still lost quite a lot and by the end I was just staggering around. I was also really struggling to read the map, a combination of persistent rain, heavy cloud and some very dark and scary forest making it much harder than usual. I couldn't see the paths at all and at one point headed for a line of crags thinking they were a major track.

#6 dithered in the circle along with a crowd of others. Apparently this was in the wrong place but I couldn't see enough detail to tell. At least I was the first of the crowd to find it. My line through the gorse wasn't what I intended either. 1 minute.

#7 hit the fence to the right of the crossing point, 30 seconds.

#8 started too far left and corrected, then was standing on the actual knoll and couldn't see the control. Went away and came back and it was right down at the level of the marsh. Mapping not quite right. 1:30.

#13,got near it but couldn't read the map at all. Took a guess and guessed right, 45 seconds.

#14 went straight to the gap between the hills and couldn't see a knoll. It was slightly up onto the western Hill rather than right in the saddle as mapped. 30 seconds.

#16, this is the one where I headed for the line of crags resulting in a bit if a banana and not the best line to the control. 1 minute.

#17, didn't see the path either on the map or the ground, tried to go straightish and ended up in the edge of the large open area. Cut my losses and headed for the road. 2 minutes.

#19 got confused by the paths in the middle of the leg, but OK into the control. Caught by Jase at this point and I think I confused him too.

#20, straight into the circle, nothing made sense. Many people milling about. Walked in circles until I found it. It definitely wasn't right but nothing was around there. 2 minutes, which was not bad for that control. Others lost a lot more including Jase who passed me again at #21.

So, very slow and many mistakes, and really just trying to survive at the end, and I ended up 4th M50. Some people took yonks. Jon 70, Ben 75, Alan 78, me 82. Jase was fastest m45 with 69.

Edit: #5 has been removed from the splits. That means James Laird has overtaken me. I now want #20 removed so I can overtake him back again. We can carry on until there is no course left.

C • Sounds familiar 3

Meanwood and Hollies. All wrong. Need to go to sleep.

Seven Arches. A struggle all the way but not bad speed.

Slow at first then faster

Middle Distance Black, Stickle Pike. Much happier than yesterday with a 1:10000 map. Struggled a bit with the climbs, tired from yesterday, but otherwise good.

#3, got confused for about 15 seconds about whether or not I had crossed both spurs despite not having gone anywhere near far enough, just being a bit dim.

#14, left the previous control slightly too high and was initially aiming much higher up the spur. Corrected when I checked my compass. 20 seconds.

#18 got quite a good line along the slope, found my way in amongst the spurs but then didn't know where the control was supposed to be (descriptions!). 15 seconds of dithering before spotting the control at the end of the spur I first thought of.

I caught Barnaby Warren M21 at #5 and then Anna McKenzie W21 at #6, and we had a nice pack run for a while until Anna lost time on the longer leg to #18. I passed Barnaby for the last time by spiking #20 and #21 while he wobbled in the circle. Always satisfying to out-think people with younger faster legs.

I found the big shapes much easier to work out with a 1:10000 map despite not being able to read what was in the circle sometimes. Very enjoyable race.