Training Log Archive: mikeyA

Event: JOK Chasing Sprint
 

To/from the start/finish. No garmin as it was running out of battery.

Prologue. Missed #2 too low, bad compass +20 seconds. Slow on #8 as I thought I was running to #7 so was trying to work out why my compass was pointing the wrong way but still ran in the right direction, +10 seconds. Missed #11 too far left, bad compass +15 seconds. Missed #12 completely. Line went straight from #11 to #13 and #12 was kind of near #9 and so just didn't see it. Would have maybe taken another minute maybe. Ran too far along the path on #14 so didn't get a great line into it. Stupid mis-punch meant a very late start for the chase and no one to run with, great.

Results - http://obasen.orientering.se/winsplits/online/en/d...
Routegadget - http://www.interlopers.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#30&a...

To the start by myself..

'Chasing' start. Saw absolutely no one the whole way round which was fun. Was generally ok actually. Missed #2 a bit left but I think everyone did which may mean the boulder wasn't quite in the right place. Stupidly decided to drop to the path on #3 so had to climb back into it, +20 seconds. #5 misread the crags and so climbed to early and was faffing south of the control for a while. A point where had I been with people I imagine I'd have been lead nicely into it, +1 minute. For some bizarre reason thought I was going to #9 on the way to #6 and went quite slowly trying to work out why this lake was in my way, +30 seconds. #7 I neither went down to the path or over the hill I just contoured in the crap like a tool, +40 seconds. Fine on the rest. Think I probably lost a lot of time through not having people to race and picking bad lines and routes like #7. Time suitably far down on where I should have been.

Results - http://obasen.orientering.se/winsplits/online/en/d...
Routegadget - http://www.interlopers.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#31&a...
Looking at this lost waaay more time on bad direction than I'd thought (1, 2, 3, 6, 7...)

Event: Dark Thistle
 

Dark Thistle on Craig A Barns. 9.2km mass start night race. Bit of an epic really. Lost pretty much everyone on the way to the start flag by taking a really bad line through the trees. Didn't look at my map until I appeared at a control that wasn't mine and even then just headed off into the other train. Still not sorted myself leaving #1 and went round the green to #2. Better to #3 but still no idea who was around me or where anyone was. Bit right on #4. Fine for the rest of the first loop and then heading out to #9 ended up on my own. Oleg came past coming into the circle on #9 as I was a bit right. Had a good race with him through to #15 where we'd alternate the lead and both miss in the circle by a little bit. I went way too low on #15 and actually ran through #16 where I saw a pack which I later found out contained Ali and Murray so doing alright at this point. Fell behind Oleg here and couldn't really catch back up. Good through to #19 all by myself. Could see a few lights up ahead which kept me going nicely although I was beginning to tire coming up out of #18. Went as straight as I could to #20 which I'm not sure if it was best as contained quite a bit of climb. Then stopped short of #20 and spotted Tim and Iain Embrey coming up out of it so went where they'd come from. Met Tam here as well who I'd thought I'd caught but turns out he'd caught me. Led initially on the way to #21 but as soon as we came off the path completely lost what I was doing and blindly followed Tam. He spotted Tim and just ran to him I believe and of course Tim had no idea either. We both followed Tam until he'd relocated and found #21. No idea what went on. Bad direction to #22 but not as bad as Tam meant me and Tim left him. Ended up on top of the crags near the finish and I worked out what had happened whereas Tim hadn't so got away. It was at this point that the Lindsay train snuck through, never to be seen until the finish. Okayish through to #26 where Iain caught me going up to #27. Blindly followed him this time and went badly wrong and went on a rather maverick route choice through the finish to #28. Then coming into #28 stopped too short on the slope and faffed around a bit before I heard Iain punch and thus found it. Continued to blindly follow him to #29 where I passed a very broken Ali. Followed to #30 and then towards #31 where we caught Oleg and Andrew Llewellyn. Followed them into #31 instead which was the right choice as Iain messed up. Then had the cheek to take them both on the run in.I reckon in total I've lost around 13 minutes so really a pretty bad run and far too much reliance on other people. Would definitely have had a better run if I'd just done the whole thing in the forest by myself. Just never felt like I was racing (or navigating for a lot of it) at any point. But still I had a ridiculous amount of fun. Possibly the most enjoyable race I've done this year.

Results - http://purple-thistle.co.uk/dark/results/
2dReRun - http://3drerun.worldofo.com/2d/index.php?idmult%5B...

To da gym.

Back in the gym at 7 am. yay -_- Nearly didn't make it after I thought it was at 8.30 but thankfully heard my phone dinging after Ali sent a message reminding us about the sauna which occurred afterwards. Picked up 3 50p Frijj's on the way back which topped off a nice morning.

Sunny run on the seat with with Tim, Tam, Ali and Raptor.

Up out to the crags and checking out the loop.

2 x 5 of ~ 330m with ~ 210m recovery. Nice little loop on the crags and basically wanged the 2 uphill sides as effort and then the downhill side for recovery. Weather was alright so we all went skins giving the audience some good entertainment. Pretty tough session and curled up at the end in pieces so must have been a decent session. Times were: 85, 94, 86, 89, 88, 90, 90, 88, 91, 91. Got stuck behind Raptor on the second ;) Otherwise running with Tam and well behind Bash and Ali.

Wanged a couple of downhill strides. First one was 110m and 17.62 seconds. Second one 290m and 42 seconds so 2:26 mpk's. Felt so so rapid and when you think that that is roughly the same pace as for the 1500m world record you realise how filthy that is.

C • 290m in 42s 1

Had to put our shirts on and run back. Shame.

Before and after mobility laps of the meadows.

Alistair's mobility session on the meadows. Some rather amusing exercises that I'm sure provided the hundreds of people on the meadows with plenty of entertainment.

Up.

Don't know if I can say that I really ran in these shoes...

Steady out the start and nailed #1. Good stuff. Knew exactly what I was doing on #2 but somehow overshot it and had to turn back losing 30 seconds. Good all the way through to 7. Lost some time through bannanas but I think this was mainly just picking nice lines through the rubbish instead of poor compass. #8 I crossed the spur much higher up than I though and so spent ages above it trying to work out what I'd done. I even turned around and saw the control but didn't think it was mine until I spotted a wild Bash coming into it. Lost maybe 1.30. It was at this point where I chased after Sasha to #9 that my shoe started to fall apart as I could feel the sole on the right shoe slipping. It was essentially all I could do was to follow Sasha and try and not put too much stress though my right shoe. Ended up missing #11 by 30 seconds being to high. The shoe survived the track run to #12 but descending down the hill to #12 did it and my foot went all the way through and so the shoe was doing nothing and actually hindering me by being stuck around my ankle so I removed it on the way to #13, approximately 2/3 of the way around. Kept Sasha in sight until #15 but then I had to literally hop down the gravel track to #15 and lost sight of him. Hobbled/hopped around the rest of the course losing bucket loads of time on every leg. The splitsbrower graph is amusing as I'm in a pack at #15 and then drop off rather sharply. At #15 I was in a pack of people with the times and so I suppose you'd say that if I hadn't lost my shoe I would have finished with them so around a time of 36.30 but I think that with Sasha to push me on through the rest of the course (plus I'd have noticed the sneaky tunnel route, nice one Bash ;)) I think that I'd have probably done a time of about 35.30 which would have been 3rd. I think that this makes me even more frustrated as a 3rd in the forest would have, in my opinion, probably got me into the JWOC team whereas now I only have good enough results in the sprint which I'm not sure is enough to get selected from as only running 1 discipline isn't really ideal. I've emailed Jackie to explain what happened and I just have to hope that she looks on it kindly and has some sympathy for the situation. But yeah the same situation applies to the British and so I just have to make sure I run well there and put myself in as strong a position as I can.

Results - http://www.clok.org.uk/events2016/nchamps/160417_M...
Routegadget - http://www.clok.routegadget.co.uk/gadget/rg2/#112&...

Side note, the sole of my right foot is pretty bruised and fairly sore to walk on. Not ran on it yet but I'm hoping with a bit more cushioning and not running on hard stuff it will be alright.

C • 1 discipline 1