Training Log Archive: Jethro

Left ankle very sore, hobbling about like an old man (no comments please!)

Final day of Scottish 6 day, Loch Ordie, another area new to orienteering near Ballinluig. A rough open marshy moorland area with bracken on the lower slopes. The M50L class "went down to the wire" with 5 of us still in contention, Dixie leading, Donald and I joint 2nd and with Kevin Harding and Jan Seim in with a chance. It basically came down to winner takes all with only Seim needing to have other results go in his favour. I feel comfortable in this type of terrain (a bit like home!) so went in fairly confident. Slept well, ate well, drank plenty, chilled out and got well focused. Porridge and banana about 6 hours before start, oatcakes and peanut butter about 3 1/2 hours before, another banana 1 hour before and a gel 1/2 hour before. Ran very hard right from the start,( took another gel at 8) and nailed every control except 12 where I lost about 25s. Tweaked my ankle on the helter skelter descent to the finish but just ran through the pain, luckily it was all downhill. Won by 6m 48s from Dixie, job done!
Dixie 2nd overall, Donald 3rd - 3 "Scots" on the podium, MAGIC!

C • Great run 4

M50L on day 5 of Scottish 6 Day, Barry Buddon, an army training area near Carnoustie. Another sandune area but with larger sandune features and only one significant area of trees near the start. Took it easy for the first 4 controls in the tree/ gorse covered area near the start. Pushed hard after that and was going well (perhaps too fast!) until 15. Not careful enough going into a comples sundune area, didn't see small patches of bushes on map (light green!) Then wasted 3 mins floundering about on the wrong block of sandunes trying to make things fit! Eventually relocated off my control 16 but was annoyed as I had already been there but hadn't realised it was my next control!!!!! Again lucky to scrape a 3rd place behind Donald on 46.30 amd Dixie on 48.22.

M50L on day 4 of Scottish 6 Day, Tentsmuir. A tree covered sandune area in the north east of Fife. Not my most favourite of terrains! Donald started 2 mins behind and I think I succumbed to the pressure and missed virtually all of the first 8 controls, a control pick in a very complex area. He caught me on the road just after this and ran away! Tried taking different routes on some of the longer legs and eventually got back in front at 15, a leg across a very rough felled area. Unfortunately missed again (just) at 23 and Donald caught up. Then we both missed 24! Relatively early start so not a lot of tracks to help, especially in the light green near the finish. Relieved to salvage a 4th place 4 mins down on Seim (55.09) then Dixie on 55.31 and Donald on 57.27.

Some rest day! 3+ hours walk up a Munro north of Glen Lyon, Mealle Buidhe?? Cool and breezy at the top but magnificent views.

M50L on Day 3 of Scottish 6 day, Tullochroisk. Won here at Scottish Champs in 2009 so was fairly familiar with area. Ran hard from the start but almost blew it going from 4-5, totally lost contact with map and didn't know where I was even when I found a control on a crag! Luckily stumbled across the start triangle and relocated!! Had lost about 2 1/2 mins. Ran even harder after that and luckily was fairly clean. 1st by 1m 6s from Dixie and 1m 8s from Seim. Lucky!!!!!!

Day 2 of Scottish 6 Day at Kinnoull Hill on the outskirts of Perth. Our helping day so I decided not to enter. Kevin Harding won M50L again!

Event: Scottish Six Days Tay 2009
 

Day 1 at Scottish 6 Day, M50L. Dalrulzion, an area new to orienteering, north of Bridge of Cally. Very early start so few tracks, ran conservatively as a bit rusty from lack of orienteering recently and limited training after injury. Only major miss was at 14, a relatively easy control near the end, think I mistook an extraction lane for a ride. Pleased with run off an early start, 2nd, 1m 50s behind Kevin Harding