Training Log Archive: Bashman

Run into Oleg's uni Gym and back

Mostly easy stuff, a few exercises and stretching. Really nice sports centre, lots of orienteering recognition on the walls which is good.

14.25km - 170m climb
Felt pretty good after a nice relaxing train journey back home and plenty of eating and rest. So finally got out to try out my new mountain bike (Cube Acid 29er). Cold crisp evening, pretty scenery though :) Really good fun, love the clip on peddles and lightness. Got pretty muddy up in Hazelhead and the tracks in Kingshill were really icy, slowed me down a lot. Hope to incorporate this regularely into my training and it will be useful for commuting to training and longer runs.

Good WU, poor WD - tired

JK Relay - Hambleden - Men's Open Leg 1 - Gaffle 1CB - 13th
I was pretty exited for this - my team was non competitive, and I was just going for the experience. So exited that I wore the red lycra (for gramp!).
Start was chaos, people falling, elbowing, and pretty much sprinting ahead. Hit the hill pretty soon and everyone suddenly slowed down to a good pace. I didn't realise how fast I started as Oli J and Mark N overtook me going up the hill. Kept on their tails but being a bit rebellious, cut off along the fence for a safer route to 1. Fell a bit behind after this, and really just followed the trail of people, but still navigating for my gaffle. Knackered by the second climb but still apparently around 10th at spectator, racing Cherry and Galloway along. Cherry was my target as he was my Oleg's team. Picked up the pace back down the hill but on the third hill I had enough and largely walked it. Thought I was pretty far down with all the vets but didn't realise they just had shorter courses (I think). Also didn't realise that I was ahead of Cherry at the finish. Finished with Duncan B, overtaking a Swedish tank just before the end. Pretty happy with my performance. It was great experience and I can't wait to be able to run these more competitively. 3.5mins down on Kris, around 2mins of the chasing pack, and a not so shameful 5.5mins down on Murray who had the same gaffle as me. Quite happy to be not too far off his splits on a lot of controls.
http://www.cix.co.uk/~neper/jk2013/day4/classa.htm - Overall (at the bottom n/c)
http://www.cix.co.uk/~neper/jk2013/day4/crs1-cb.ht... (n/c)
http://www.jk.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi... - Relay (n/c so at the bottom)

Very good WU, left good time for it. Failure of a WD, almost threw up as I was completely finished

JK Day 3 - Cold Ash - Long - Course 17 - 7.3km - 1st by 2mins +
Knew I had to have a good one today, as I was as knackered as the rest of the boys. Happy to have a late start as it meant the wait after the run was less nerve-racking and I could have an idea of a good time before my start, which, like it or not, I find motivating.
Start fast one again, dipping below 4/km 1. Spiked and off to 2. Glimpsed a control, which I knew was too early, in the corner of my eye and couldn't resist to check if it was fine. Of course it wasn't and I was down 20s relocating frantically. 5th going to 3, but a best split by 10s, showing the classic speeding up after a mistake. 1st again as I went through 3.
Smashed into a Swede going to 4, although I was the one who went flying onto the ground. Appologised fine but I was slightly disorientated and stood on top of 4 for a while without noticing it. Once again sped up to 5 with another best split. Straight off to 6, easy. Caught up someone ahead and was pushed by him to 6 and 7, 2nd best splits. 8 was my main mistake. I fought through the bushes eventually but came out on the left side of the "clearing". I say it like that as it was hardly a clearing and I wasn't impressed when I found it after 40s. Ran hard to 9 but slight off bearing, quickly corrected but lost a few seconds.
Found myself thinking about completely unrelated things going to 10, thankfully still found the opening of the gap into the green without much hesitation. At this point I though I had lost it, and the recognisable chest pains were coming back. Felt slow and heavy going to 10, just missed the hidden root stock. What I didn't know was that I was leading since 9. Pushed on to 12, confusing myself once again with watery eyes from the cold and chest pains. Refocused going to 13, and picked up speed a bit too. Nice route along obvious paths right into the pit, made the long leg less scary. Orange control 14 and another long one to 15. Not happy with my route at all, as I though I was going to hit the track when I was running parallel, and as I climbed the hill I almost had to stop from tiredness. However, must've been running well as I got best split.
Brilliant picture when I saw Samuel G at 15. I nipped in front of him and he kept right on my tail, pushing me on. It didn't matter that we messed up 16 because I found my energy coming back again. Looked at my watch and saw a good time in sight. Hard running through the last few, again, a few best splits. Just managed to run in before collapsing in a heap for a few minutes.
Thought my time was pretty awful at the finish, but it turned out to be pretty good - the opposite of yesterday. Won today and overall, but felt slightly undeserved again as I thought my mistakes and lack of speed would cost me when it didn't. Ah well, can't complain.
http://www.obasen.nu/winsplits/online/en/default.a...
http://www.jk.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi... - GPS again

Happy with that warm up, lots of drills

JK Day 2 - Hambleden - Long - Course 17 - M16A - 8km - 2nd by 15s.
Felt much better this morning, in terms of illness. Arrived there nice and early to get a good look at the fantastic run in and to see what a winner's time might be. Was thinking the 55mins posted by the Swede at the start would be a good target and later effected me on the course.
Possibly wasn't as focused today as yesterday. Respected the change in direction to number one and got it fine, but then treated number 2 as if it was Scottish terrain. Naturally went round the paths and lost 30s+ cautiously approaching it. Realising my mistake, I sped up, I was in 16th at this point, 35s down. Sped up through 3 and 4, the map tricked me as I thought it would be a long downhill leg to 4, but it was a harsh climb instead. Appeared on the track to far left than I had planned but noticing the field was accessible, I changed plan and cut through it.
Steady on through for the next few, running slightly awkwardly on the slop. Also ended up to high at 6, another few seconds off. Having learned from 2, I chose straight routes rather than path. Missed 8 a bit stupidly, although I don't agree with the map's veg. boundary. Felt really knackered going through 9 and 10, had chest pains like the day before and running was reduced to 5min/km. Running to 11 I was delighted with the long leg ahead, although disappointed at the lack of route choice.
Obvious route down the track and then cut off at around the same height as the control. Countoured round and ended up just below it. A few seconds wasted frantically tearing up ground searching for it. Very pleased with 13 as I knocked 20s off many peoples' times. Had planned to go above both enclosures but as I hit the hill, I decided to veer off right in search for the gap. Kept my height through the field and began to feel some energy coming back to me along the track. Took it really easy to 14 and the rest as I didn't want to lose it. Checked my time going to 13 and noticed that I was going to smash the Swede's time, possibly relaxed a bit after that. A few best splits as some energy appeared and finished cleanly and over the moon.
I don't know if it was the adrenaline, but I thought I had had the run of my life. When I realised that Ali was just behind me, I began to remember my struggle with speed and few mistakes. In the end I lost 80s with mistakes and a few seconds with speed. Tim finished 15s ahead of me, which is ridiculously close for a ridiculously fast race.
http://www.obasen.nu/winsplits/online/en/default.a...
http://www.jk.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi... - GPS route

WD feeling sick

Event: JK 2013
 

JK Sprint - Reading Uni - M16 - 2.0km - 1st by 8 seconds
Slightly unprepared as my start time seemed to appear out of no where. Nevertheless managed to focus and have a good race. Cold was there so speed was limited to an extent.
Clean and fast to 1, but as I pulled my hand off the control my Emit slipped off so frantically had to grab it and put it on again. Nicely through 2, Longer route choice on 3, as I came to an uncrossable garden bit and almost followed a lady over the OOB. Stopped myself and quickly found the next best route. Had to check the side of the fence at 4, even though it would've been obvious. Nicely through 5, 6, 7, all easy orienteering. Found a good passage into 8, almost ran through the OOB at 9 but once again stopped myself. - there was a marshall who watched a boy run straight through the field and didn't lift a finger..- luckily I didn't follow this kid but it's worrying that I would've gotten away with it - same with #3.
Took a long route to 10, almost to clear my head and to plan a bit more. Hesitated just after 10 to check what side of the building it was actually on, saved me a big mistake. Good route in and out of 11 and 12. Then the obvious choice to 13. Began to get very tired from my cold and had pretty bad chest pains at this point, managed to hold it till the end though. However, I was getting best splits at this point so it can't have been too bad. Getting sleep at 14 and going through 15 I didn't punch the control fully. Realised this after exitting the control and wasted 10s going back again - could've been it.
My win felt slightly undeserved, as there were 5+ others capable of beating that time but didn't as they had messed up. Still happy to have won but could've run harder without the cold.
http://www.obasen.nu/winsplits/online/en/default.a... - (-10s) on 15
http://www.jk.routegadget.co.uk/cgi-bin/reitti.cgi...

Short fast warm up with strides and a few drills, long scattered warm down.

Brisk JK warm up, felt great. Put some occasional sprints and stops for stretching in too. Glute a bit tight but managed to stretch it out after.

Rollin'

Short Wu with a few drills

5 x (30s, 30s, 60s) with rep time recoveries.
Following Coach Oleg's advice, I managed to push myself out the house to do this. Felt like all leg muscles were aching but loosened off a bit after the WU. Felt great doing the actualy reps, my watch wasn't quick enough with the pace, 30s wasn't enough time to get down to my actualy pace, but I did the minutes at 3:10-20 so probably about 3:00 for the 30s. Good considering the recent cold. Leg turnover wasn't too good. Felt like the recoveries were too short but I ended on a high doing the last minute rep at 3:09.

WD

WD, made sure I focused on the sore bits and rolled them good too, will do some more later. For once I felt that the rolling actually worked.
Followed by a freezing cold bath, got into some wierd stages of shivering, had to eat to keep my mind of it. Eventually stopped shivering and realised it was because the entire lower half of my body was numb. I'm sure water gets colder in the winter. Burrrrr.