Training Log Archive: redrider

Nice & easy Sunday cycling on small country roads and paths in hilly surroundings of Tanworth-in-Arden and Danzey Green in a beautiful sunshine. Some flowers were already blooming, summer's here yay! :)

Morning run with some drills. Legs don't really feel superb for the nationals but I'll give it a try anyway... It will be be a good training and a great prep for the Inter Counties, right?

National cross country champs at Parliament Hill, London. It was awfully muddy and hilly course and sooooo painful!!!! My legs were empty and didn't seem to work at all on the climbs. Already at the first climb right at the beginning I felt that it isn't going to be easy. It was pure suffering all the way through and everyone seemed to pass me on uphills. At least I managed to pass a few girls on a downhill part on the way to the finish. Still quite disappointed. I was aiming to top100 but ended up 140th out of altogether 650 runners. results: http://www.englishcrosscountry.co.uk/images/nation...

Easy recovery walk/jogg with Sami including 10x2min running + 5x50m strides.

Orienteering Pedrugao with 2x10min slightly faster. After training travel to Lisbon and flight back home :( Could have stayed longer...

Morning run before the sunrise. The bungalow we stayed at in Coimbrao was so cold that I had to get up and go out for a run early in the morning before the sunrise to get myself warm again. It was pretty awesome to see the sunrise.

Orienteering in sand dunes of Patalas (near Marinha Grande). Awesome!! So nice and easy after those horrible POM terrains..

Orienteering Vale Furado. Easy pace but still running most of the time. Terrific!!

POM4 Sr dos Caminhos chasing start. Quite exciting and eventful race in very extreme conditions. Started on my own (7th) and run pretty well the first 20mins. Got then caught up by Rahel and we ran together to #6 missing a path and losing a few minutes there. We took different routes to #8 and then I run by myself the next 15mins. Got badly stuck in some bushes on my way to #9 and thought I had lost the game there. To my big surprise I met Rahel and Sara again at #10 but made then a huge mistake (2-3min) on #11. Caught up Lena on the way to #13 but a few legs later we got all stuck in some bushes and got pretty much split up there. From #16 to #19 we all ran our own routes and I saw only a glimpse of the others there and then. On my way to #20 I saw suddenly Eva in front of me and when we ran out to the last loop we were all together again: Eva, Rahel, Sara, Johanna and me (Lena had apparently given up somewhere around #16). Ran well to #21 and was first to punch there but messed it up on the way to #22 and was last of us at the control. From there to finish it was basically just running and Rahel who was first to that control started her sprint right from there, making a substantial gap to the rest of us. I managed to past Sara and Johanna on the way to the last control and tried to catch up Eva in the run-in but it ended too soon. Nevertheless, I was very happy to finish 5th overall. Much better than I had expected!! (http://www.pom.pt/pom2012/listas/pom_overall_elite...)

Morning jog with drills, strides and gymnastics.

POM3 Sr dos Caminhos (WRE). Wasn't at all satisfied with my run today. The fluency and confidence were gone and I had huge problems getting the map and terrain together. A lot of small mistakes and hesitation and a few bigger ones, maybe 3-4mins altogether. Amazed to be 11th of 110. (http://www.pom.pt/pom2012/listas/pom_results_day3....)