Training Log Archive: Becks

Warm up. Mostly walking up the hill. Uh oh.

Oh man. This was one of the most hardcore longs I've done. For those who weren't there, there was knee high blueberry across a huge swath of the area, making running very difficult in almost all places, and decreasing visibility on the ground.

Anyway. One was good, followed the plan, and didn't go across an enormous crag as the track suggests. At 2 I thought I crossed the cleared ride higher up, and felt a bit unsure about everything until I hit the re-entrant with the big cliff at the top. After that I was spot on to 2, 3 and 4. 5 was where things went wrong. I was on track to hit the seasonal stream then thought I left it on the path (where I also bumped into Alex). But the path was unmarked and parallel, and I was pushed too far to the right. Then I checked two boulders which had no control, before deciding to bail to the big crag I saw on the way to two. Just as I was bailing, I ran into the control.

After that I wasn't concentrating too well, and though I intended to stay high to 6, I went way too high, and the going was absolutely awful. Then attacked from what I thought was my attack point, but was actually a similarly shaped hill higher up. Figured it out pretty quickly and got the control fine after that, but might have wasted up to 6 minutes with the bad line/poor attack combo. Seven started well, then I thought I had hit the small knoll and crag too far east, and corrected, then realised that was actually the feature when things stopped making sense, and had to turn back. D'oh. Byt this point Alex had got her usual pep back, and led most of the way to 8, 9 & 10 though I peeled off a bit earlier and just beat her to 8. The hill before 11 was a killer, and after that I was done - moving slowly round the sprint bit, helping to free Alex from a killer tree, and finally finishing after being destroyed by a mini Breton on the final bit of track running. It was therefore a bit embarrassing to claim my first proper A Meet victory today, and essentially be crowned the least worst of the girls on the red today. It was a pretty poor showing, the older men really showing us up.

Still, I don't think I can do too much about it till I get fitter, and I already felt better this weekend than I did in Georgia, although the terrain was way tougher. So just have to keep plugging! Here's to another good three weeks of training.

http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

Now thw splits are up it appears my faffing on the way to two was more serious that I thought, and also that going through the woods to 12, instead of up the road as Jenny did, was a bad idea, even counting the acjospe hair untangle.

C • Nice run! 6

Red Long - Splits

Event: 33rd West Point A Meet
 

Luckily, the warm up to the start was long enough that I actually felt awake enough to run when I got there. I almost thought about bailing before going out, still not awake after 3.5 hours with my eyes open.

West Point Middle. A bit annoyed that AP thinks I lost no time, which shows just how slowly I was running out there. Bobbled at one, ending up on the little knoll below and having to turn back. Had to remind myself yet again that West Point is a lot rockier on the ground than it looks on the map. 2 was fine but slow. 3 the track isn't right, I hit the knoll to the left of the control and had to run up a little to get there. I saw 4 but almost didn't go to it, as I hit it way before I expected. Route was also bad - either straight or left of the line were both much faster. I think I just took the path of least resistance from 3! Nailed 5 & 6, but then didn't read the full description for 7 and wasted time precariously wandering along the bottom of the crag. Hesitated at 8, fine to 9, Ali went past to 10, and the rest was pretty straightforward, except I mentally gave up in the crap on the way to the penultimate control and lost a minute pansying getting over the stream and through the spiky stuff. Rubbish. Must try harder!

Got a fastest split, including the boys, on number 6. Need more like that. That was one of the few controls where I actually had a plan, instead of doing rubbish trudging reactive orienteering. Still, it was a good course with plenty of challenges, and I enjoyed it, despite being still disappointed about what my body is currently capable of.

http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

Ali and Alex and Marie = Becky actually doing token warm down.

A proper sprint, of proper distance. Yey! My legs were tired, and thus slow, but luckily my brain was doing okay. Slow approaching four, hesitating as control was low in blueberry. Nice route choices till 8, and stopping dead to figure out which very close boulder 7 was on seemed to be a good way to waste time. Bad route to 9, Marie went right and took chunks out of me. Good for the rest but slow, and not sure if the left hand route to 13 was better?


http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

Cool down with Marie. Pretty short. Tired!

Red Sprint - Splits

Red Middle - Splits

Aswell as being too old to go to bed at 2am, I think I am now also too old to drink two glasses of boozes. Couldn't get up this morning, to the extent that Rob woke up before me and saw this, waiting for patiently for her breakfast at the side of the bed.

C • recently 8

This is awesome:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/may/04/a...

And the video from the final bend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zge6Blb_sE0

I'd never heard this story before...can't wait for the summer!

C • Golden oldie 2

Bribed Rob to come for a run at Racebrook Tract in return for dinner at Five Guys. I am sleepy tired, but running felt better than I thought it would considering this. Racebrook looks very different with all the green!

Need to read papers. Only want to read online articles about The Wire. Finished it last night at way too late o' clock. Absolutely magnificent television. Differential translation between the endoplasmic reticulum and cytoplasm is somehow less appealing...

Met up with Marie at Lake Wintergreen to do some intervals. We did a short session of 5 sets of 90x30s then 5 sets of 30x90s, given it's West Point this weekend. My throat felt really blocked when we were warming up, but it felt alright on the intervals. Lots of dog walkers despite the cold drizzle. Good session.

Morning loosener around East Rock. Definitely needed, I am not loose today.

Third session in a row! Whoop whoop! And it was rainy and windy (still pretty mild by Edinburgh standards, I have to say. I'm soft these days though). Went for 400, 400, 600, 600, 800, 400, and didn't actually take enough rest - forgot to check that. Still, made the times fine (1.37, 2.25, 3.15) although had to speed up a bit at the end of the 800 when the wing got stronger. Not quite feeling as good as the last two weeks, throat is bunged up with allergy stuff and nose was a bit bloody. Might actually have to take drugs instead of just ignoring it.

1.36
1.37
2.24
2.24
3.12
1.28 (Couldn't resist it).

Uh oh...it's Monday morning again. Proved to self preconceived notion that it is not possible to "just pop into NYC for a gig," was correct, arriving home at 2am. And that was from a gig in Manhattan, and not Brooklyn. Totally worth it though, apart from the weird start to the second half where they went a bit Jack Johnson strumtastic on us. You can't really play with many strings then take them away and stand around like you're in the pub. Tiny Vessels and Transatlanticism to end, with the whole audience singing "Come On" on their feet...brilliant. Liked the Beacon too, pretty place.

Will run home from work again today, too shattered this morning.

Too tired and a bit snivelly. But I am allowed to wimp out of today - not tomorrow morning though!