Training Log Archive: Jon X

National Event at Longshaw M40L. Started off running okay but missing everything, set the tone at #1 by running straight past telling myself 'it is 1:15,000 today, don't stop too soon' !!

Lengthy untimed river crossing in the middle and it was nasty steep bramble/bracken/boulder terrain for a while after that, just never got back into trying hard round the second half, just cruised back. Did feel tired though so not sure how effective it would have been to try hard anyway. Due for a couple of days off now, feel like I need them - a lot!

Event: ShUOC Chasing Sprint and Captians Memorial
 

Shuoc sprint-o round one, in the rain at Eccleshall Woods. Started off okay but lost 2 mins thrashing around at #5 and as I started at the end there was no-one around after that! Didn't push hard enough after that and frittered away a few seconds on several in the second half. Winners did 22mins.

Shuoc chasing sprint round two, in the pouring rain and freezing cold with chase start line-up in an open playing field, lovely!

Started with a group ahead and a couple behind, got in the group and worked my way through, was not as fast as the others but decided to try and get away through 12-13-14-15......got to the front at 14 and ahead via different route to 15......then missed the flag by 20 seconds and came back as they were all punching and leaving. Was never going to catch on the run from there to 16-17-18-F so eased off a bit and finished about a minute back, very frustrating though!

Rest day - needed it!

Really felt the late night and hangover during this one....was desperate for it to end so that I could relax and have some lunch.....

.....but then Rosco and I let Doug talk us into a last 'clear the head' run......must learn not to be so easily persuaded!!

LaSanta triathlon, did it as a team with Doug doing the swim, me doing the bike, then Doug doing the run.

Route is slightly further than Monday and felt like I was working harder - got Lard in sight on the climb and gradually caught him. Took a breather just before going past near the top and suddenly Rosco swept past - had been 60m behind me all the way up apparently! Worked hard on the descent against the wind and caught him, led him all the way back from there - however a bit of a hospital pass to Doug to give him a one second lead on Ross! Ross ran a fantastic time on the run to come through to 2nd overall - Doug ran well too and we were 7th to finish and 3rd team.

Pleased with how I did but gutted to just miss the 30 min barrier for the second time in three days!

Sore after the biking, found it hard work!

6-a-side across the main pitch - still involved plenty of running but luckily I managed to hide in goal for some of it......less luckily Ross's team beat my team convincingly by 7-4 or 8-4 or something equally emphatic. Despite the goalfest neither of the two of us featured on the scoresheet - although one of us did nutmeg the other at one point......

Enjoyable tennis knockaround with Ross, Kate and Ali.

Jon and Kate beat Ross and Ali 6-4, then Ross and Kate beat Jon and Ali 7-5....after Jon and Ali served for the set at 5-4.....

C • Ok, so I'm rubbish at tennis... 4

Volcano run (again!) with Ross this time. Went up and down the 'descent route' for speed, dashed back for the diploma ceremony.....were rewarded by the presenter being the lovely Sarah....

Bolas tournament with Ross. Round robin format, lost the first one to the eventual winners when their last throw scattered everything and left them 4 to the good - not sure they really meant it! Won two of the other three and were robbed in the one we lost after Rosco's pinpoint accuracy in landing on the jack at the crucial moment merely sent our boule scooting off miles away. On the other hand we won a game that was already lost when our opponents took an extra throw and changed their winning position! Good fun though and hopefully a suitable reintroduction to the sporting world for Rosco after two days of lying in a darkened room....

Volcano run with Doug and Jase - went out at 2.30pm and the sun is definitely hotter at that time! Legs starting to feel v tired now though, took a long time to get going.

LaSanta complex sprint race planned by Jase. Found it a bit tricky spotting some of the cups used as controls and went wrong once by the leisure pool, really enjoyed it though. Ross won in 11.08.

2.5km run, 14.8km bike, 2.5km run.
Finished 6th
11.31 run (10th)
30.02 bike (2nd)
12.09 run (=11th)
Haven't biked since last year in LaSanta so maybe I am training for the wrong sport!

Took the first run fairly steady (too steady?) and was about 40secs behind Jase but ahead of Doug and Janine.

Worried about going off too hard on the bike as I have done that before plus tired on the bike yesterday. Went off steady but felt good on the hill and started to work hard. Passing people but could see Jase ahead and he wasn't getting any closer. Got up to someone else on the descent and went past but he stuck in behind and drafted me (was into the wind downhill) - he did take it on briefly but it was easy sat behind him so went past again.

Got into LaSanta village just behind a coach which was slowing down massively for the big speed bumps, every time we got to one I was coming round the outside of it blind on the wrong side of the road, luckily there was nothing coming the other way! Even this didn't drop the other guy though and the two of us caught someone else in a white top coming out of the village. Could still see Jase and he still wasn't getting any closer! Attacked them both on the last little climb back to the complex (they both beat me on the first run so I was after a gap) - got a few yards but wasted it all as I couldn't get my bike helmet off in transition and didn't think to start the run while I did it - muppet.

They both dropped me at the start of the run and Jase started to pull further away. Was finding it painful but held the gap to white top and caught him again just before the last little climb. Pushed hard up it and dropped him - much to my relief as was shattered at the top! Got back into the stadium and was v pleased to have decent gap in front and behind so could take the last 300m steady!

Pleased with how I did on the bike but wanted a split under 30mins - the split times have both transitions in the bike time though! Really felt it in the second run but happy with 6th, one minute something behind Jase but safely ahead of Doug and Janine, had been worried they would catch me on the bike. Jase was 3rd and did a pb for the race - good effort! Think Janine had a pb too.

Went and stood in the icy leisure pool for a long time afterwards. This was very very good!

What a good class to have after the duathlon - man did I need it! Doing one of these in the sun every day would be just ideal.....

Into the afternoon so it must be time for another competition! This time it was the aquathlon and luckily I have the swimming ability of a large boulder so unable to do the whole thing. Did it as a team with Andy Mitchell (who was injured so couldn't run).

I am sure the run was more than the advertised 3km! Not that this makes it any better that Jase chased me down 20-odd seconds and overtook me in the stadium - after him finishing not far in front of me in the time trial and the duathlon this was getting familiar!

Went off a bit fast anf followed the leaders on not quite the correct route - when I looked over my shoulder Jase and Janine were together on the correct route so I sorted it out in time. Bit shocked how close Jase was by the time we ran over the causeway and after that I probably expected him to catch me. We were 4th overall but first team (overtook the leading team early in the run), so not all bad!

Most of the FVO posse did the whole thing which was a good effort - Cathy, Penny, Elspeth, Louise, Claire, Ali all did it as well as Jase and Janine. More success for the diploma-gathering Inman family of course - Jase 3rd again (another pb!) and Janine 1st lady.