Training Log Archive: Ollie

OK Nuts Event at Esher Commons, featuring the first UK Micro-O. For controls 15-19, there was a cluster of 4-5 controls near each site, set up to try to catch people out. None of the controls had numbers, including the correct one, and all had SI boxes. The penalty for a mis-punch was 30 seconds. I got them all right in the end :-)

Esher is a very fast area, and even though my sub-8 mpk speed was the best in a long time, I finished well down in 55th place (with 92 runners) on M21L - more likely because I'm running the long courses, rather than a dip in personal performance. Unlike last Sunday's race, I didn't suffer a characterstic reduced speed after the first 2/3rds of the race, as I'm starting to adjust more to the longer distance. All in all, a good race, and as for Micro-O: bring it on!

M21L at the Mitre in Epping Forest North. I was "running up" long so as to be running the same course as a lot of people I knew (OUOCers.) The length difference is telling as I was able to keep up with their pace for the first half of the course, but drifted later, losing 30 seconds per control consistently, and ending up at the end of the pack. Still, a really nice area (Epping Forest always is) - another cold, crisp, clear day. Still making more mistakes than I traditionally do at the moment - at least 7-8 minutes of mistakes on today's race, and I messed up 8 of the controls... not good.

My bike chain snapped today in the intense London cold, and it's in a bad way generally (loose brakes, buckled gears) so it might be a little while before I do any more day cycles.

Kyloe Weekend: Kyloe, Northumberland. National Event. This was one of the toughest areas and courses I've ever run in - very tough underfoot, and many areas of "green" which had to be passed to find the controls. Thankfully the weather was crisp and clear, although it was very wet underfoot and only just above freezing. Although it was only 6.7km (M21S) this course felt longer than 10/11km courses I've done in the past. In the end though, I made too many big mistakes to get a decent time, and plodded around in a horrendous 15 min/km. Tough, but enjoyable area. I might do a bit more training first should I ever come back to Kyloe.

Kyloe Weekend: Greensheen & Cockenheugh, Northumberland. Middle Distance Race and also the JOK Club Championships. I was running the "A" course. Best time was an impressive 31:43. The wind was so intensely cold at the beginning I almost chickened out - I was recovering from a nasty cold - but I ended up having a good run, although the 6-7 minutes of mistakes I made were pretty terminal for a middle distance race.