Training Log Archive: Rich

Long run in the sun to Silverhill Wood via the Dumbles. Came back via Teversal and Sutton Lawn.

On to the hill to start my transformation into a hill animal. After a 10min warm up did 10x short hill sprints with jog back recoveries.

Then had another 10min jog before 10 x circuits of a steep muddy 40m high climb and then downhill in the long grass then at cruise pace back along the forest path to the start for a little recovery to push hard again on the next rep.

Felt tough but good. Another 10mins WD jog.

Another pre brekkie run around ferry meadows. Wet and windy. Ankle feeling a little more tender this morning.

Got an unexpected suprise that I have been selected as a reserve for the WOC sprint. Although I don't really consider myself a sprint specialist I do seam to have picked up some good sprint results in the last year or two. I think I can take confodence that it still shpws I'm improving despite a frustrating season and that the selectprs obviously must see potential in my ability

Similar route to yesterday. Through ferry meadows CP and along the Nene but then did a 25min out and back along the Nene Way. This terrain is not going to turn you into a wprld beater; as flat as a pancake but really pleasant. Just me the open countryaide and the pissing rain qhoch was actually quite enjoyable. Ankle feeling ok this evening although was getting a bit more sore towards the end. A couple of hairy moments with wet and slippy wopden features nearly alod off a board walk into a large patch of nettles on one occassion and nearly ended in the Nene when cornering on a bridge on another. Some funny looks when I arrived back to the hotel soaking wet and caked in mud. Would have it know other way;at least I took my shoes and socks off.

A bit of post run S&C. Glute and core

WOC Trial Middle

So after yesterday WOC was definately on but felt I had to be top 2 to have a chance. To do that I had to be clean and run hard. I felt the terrain would suite me and was feeling confident.

I started well and slightly steadier to 1 to get on the map and went slightly left at 2 to pick up the open to kewp speed and be in control. I was already enjoying this. I uppee the speed to 3 and invested a couple of sexonds near the control to spike it. To 4 I was reminded to keep in map contact as I weaved a bit to much not quite sticking to the plan and loat some seconds starting to drop into the correct re-entrant. Up to 13 was really good bar being slightly right on 9, which only lost a few seconds. I felt totally in control at this point. In then started going wrong at 14 where just short of the control I dropped into an open depression which suggested I had drifted left. I went right but nothing fitted and I was starting to panic. Came back into the depression and this time noticed the hills where the control was which has previously been out of view. Damn, I was right just had lost a little confidence due to the open depression. Ran hard to 15 but landed awkwadly on my right ankle jumping over branches. It hurt quite alot but I grotted my teeth and pushed. I felt sure this would have lost me aome timw in hobbling but it appears not. Was spiking them nicely again through 19 but thats when it really went wrong. 20 looked easy run hard to fence and then off the corner. Except me direction in what was now really runnable terrain was awful and made a parallel error qhich resulted in me finding 21 reading the code as mine starting to the next control when I realosed what I had done. Kaned it back to 20 but I knew it was game over. Finished in 9th which was still respectable although not what was meeded but can take heart that I am capable pf getting the results of I can cut oit the errors.

WOC Trial Sprint

Kept my head at the start in the arena and got the first 3 without problems. Started increasing the pace a bit but had a head on with Alan Cherry cornering into 4. Took the high route to 7 and low route to 9 to avoid climb although the latter appears to have been a few seconds slower. Concentrated hard through the short legs to 14 to get the right alleys and then pushed on up the hill, although I lost some time on most others - hills obviously are my weak point. Spiked the controls through the woods wothout issue and on through the school. Lost some time on 24 through running fer to far down the road bwfpre hoping over the wall. Kept my head in the last section although couldn't spot the route through the play ground to the finish despote trying to see if there was one. A little suprised to finish =3rd and =2nd brit but was happy with how it went and did feel much better running than at EOC. Shame so many dsq'ed.