Training Log Archive: HWW

The usual, but in fell shoes due to the snow. V slow - how much due to the snow / slush, how much due to leg tireness / not trying hard enough?

Event: DFOK Westerham SE Long Distance Champs
 

Jog to start.

South East Orienteering Championships, Westerham Chart: 10.0km, 30 controls
Nightmare! My compass was absolutely fxxked! I know this sounds like a poor excuse but it really wasn't working at all. Thinking back to last Sunday, when I went to the Boat Show, with my rucksack containing my thumpass, and stood very near to the high powered magnet display, I think I can work out what happened.
Maybe this is a poor excuse, and I shouldn't have been too reliant on my compass. There were, after all, lots of paths, made more visible by the trodden snow, while I should have been more aware, and made more use of the contour detail. As I realised that the metal and plastic device on my thumb was essentially useless, I did begin to focus more on following the map closely, tracking (almost) every turn and contour detail. But, alas, not enough, and a decent spell would generally sooner of later be followed by another bout of being totally disorientated.

Black M21 - Splits

Jog warm up from the Friends Life sports club to the start of the Box Hill Fell Race

The Box Hill Fell Race 2013
A pleasing run (and position) in wonderful winter conditions (although the experience would've been nicer if I'd been sensible and worn gloves, and had trousers to put on afterwards).
I thought in advance that I might have a chance of winning this, in the absence of last year's winner and other names, but I was also wary of bolting off and getting in to an early battle with a much stronger runner. This didn't stop me bolting off at the start but, while I initially had a runner in a blue and yellow vest just on my tail, he fell back to be replaced by a purple-vested runner (Keswick's Michael Fanning).

I normally consider downhills to be one of my strengths but in snow at least I realised its not, and certainly nothing compared to Michael, who tore past me on the first descent. I caught him on the next uphill but lost even more ground on the following downhill.

Fortunately for me, my uphill running proved stronger (maybe thanks to my week with team JOK in the Highlands over New Years) and I was able to overtake Michael and put some distance in during the next long drag up to Boxhill Road. I wasn't fully clear of him - Michael almost caught me at the gate at the end of Headley Heath Approach - and for the rest of the race I took occasional nervous glances back, telling myself that if I slowed, particularly on a downhill, he'd be back on my heels. As it was, I managed to do enough so that he was out of sight at the top of the final hill, giving me the freedom to tear down this without having to be too fearful of loosing the title in a sprint finish.

All in all a satisfying run, and my heels / ankles held up much better than I'd feared.

C • Great Result 5

KB Burpee press-up: 1 x 12 reps, 1 x 15 reps
Lat pull-down: 1 x 35kg (15 reps), 1 x 40kg (12 reps)
Dumbell bench press: 1 x 16kg (12 reps), 1 x 18kg (8 reps), 2 x 20kg (3 reps)
Single arm row: 1 x 16kg (12 reps), 1 x 18kg (8 reps), 2 x 20kg (3 reps)

The new usual.

The new usual (to Fitness First, Paternoster Square)

Really (and unintentionally) slow. Possibly because legs were still tired from the weekend.

St Pauls to Shortwave Bar, Bermondsey; Shortwave Bar to Leytonstone.