Training Log Archive: Jon X

Meant to jog...but the day turned foul....and then I heard Roger was resting....

JK Relay, Braunton Burrows. M120+ (combined with Men Open), first leg.

Frustrating! In a team with Brad and Jase, knew we needed to get a good start if we were to compete with the SYO teams (Al B, Dave P, Charlie A and Martin W, Chappers, Tim T) and the other FVO team (Roger, Gary, Marcus).

Didn't get off to the best start when I couldn't work out why we were going too far right off the start and so baled out to the left-most posse when I shouldn't have and lost 30secs - only afterwards did I realise this was because we did not mass start at the start triangle and the first bit was taped to it - doh!

Got into it well after that, helped by gaining some places at the common control with only one SI-unit at #3 (!). By almost halfway I was over a minute up on both SYO teams and on Roger but then missed #9 by a minute, hesitated at the end of the long leg to #10, and then spent over 2 mins very confused very near to #11 seeing Al and Roger run past whilst I was stood still and bemused. Ran pretty well after that but largely alone and finished 2 mins behind a huge M120+ posse including all 3 other teams on just over 37mins - amazingly none of them on my gaffle as that may have saved me at #11!

Brad missed early and ended up similar to me with 4/5 mins lost, so Jase just cruised round and we ended up way down - the other FVO team was 5th with SYO 1st and 2nd.

warmup to start and all that, feeling effects of yesterday initially but loosened up okay.

JK M40L Day 3, Braunton Burrows, 19th on day and 13th overall.

Not such a good result today.......

Pushed a bit hard early on and threw away a bit of time at #2 and #6 plus confused by extra path at #9. But then couldn't really do it at all on the section up the west side nearer the coast, I could read the symbols on the 1:15,000 map but I couldn't work out what it was trying to tell me, and when I tried to simplify by using the paths I couldn't do that either! The map may have been easier to read without the paths on at all, but basically it just seemed to me like a collection of lots of knolls, I couldn't pick out the overall shape at all.

Caught by Alan V at #18, got dropped but kept running hard and caught him back up to lead him into #23 and #24 (once we had left the west of the map!).

Think I maybe tried to push too hard throughout - perhaps a bit aware of all the people who normally beat me who were close behind on time after the previous day. However even when I did slowed down I still struggled, so more just that I didn't/couldn't interpret the map well enough.

Pretty disappointing really, normally I feel confident in dune terrain but not today. And due back for the relay on Monday.....

warm up round field then to start, drills/strides at start

JK M40L Day 2, Cookworthy Forest, 5th place. Muddiest day ever!

Bit of a funny one this - felt strong and pushed hard all the way and ended up with my highest finish ever at on a day of the JK, yet actually was pretty scrappy with probably about 5 mins of errors out there.

Mostly very glad of taking a map bag in the conditions, but missed 45secs at #1 while still faffing getting the map into the bag!

Generally losing time from failure to look ahead (notably going to #8) but mostly the area was easy enough that I was getting away with making it up as I went along. Not so going to #15 where I had actually looked ahead but then ran right across the wrong bit of open and was most bemused when I hit a forest road unexpectedly (1min 45s). Paid the price on the penultimate leg when I didn't see the track route and then turned off the embankment too soon into a dead end amngst fight (45secs).

Pleased with result and nice to be at the front of a pack for once!

Event: JK 2010
 

Jogging, drills, stretching

JK Sprint,Bicton. 10th place.

Felt fairly strong but lost a bit of time when my direct route to control 6 encountered a crossable wall which was too high for me to get up! Passed by Dave Rollins at #10 but carried on doing my own thing.....until I emerged into the field at the end and saw him punching - unfortunately he was at #18 which was just past #17 and I had to retrace back to get #17 first, about 25secs lost, very careless.

Winner Martin Ward 14:29, guess I could have done maybe 15:20 at best.

FVO training from the uni was a bit different tonight, not only was it daylight but instead of a run we had flags left over from the squad camp to collect from Abbey Craig (me. Rosco, Brad and Janine) and then from Minewoods (me and Rosco).

Good to be out again and to be running in terrain, not sure I have ever orienteered in either area when it has been in such good condition!