Training Log Archive: Leon

Event: British Sprint & Middle Champs
 

Easy trot round Northampton parkrun

British Sprint Champs - Heat 2, 2nd.

The aim really had to be to qualify for the A final, following a 100% failure rate in my 4 previous attempts
York - novice wrong side of long uncrossable wall error
Loughborough - several small - medium errors
Keele - Almost ran off the map having got totally lost
Aldershot - mispunched on wrong tree after map turn over.

So it was job done by finishing second, though that needs qualifying
* Seemed to be in the weakest heat
* Course couldn't have been more up my street if I'd drawn it myself
* Given my previous mess ups, I did run flat out, with a bit more nouse, and especially with no one starting behind me, I should have taken my foot off the gas a bit after being sub 6 with the first mile to save my legs a touch. But that is the benefit of hindsight, I don't think I could afford to take that risk. Seems to me others were wise enough to not go flat out in the heat.

As for the actual race, I realised 15 controls in that distance allowed me enough time to check all the codes as there would be plenty of running time. I don't think I chose all the best routes, having to cross the fence at the top of the steps to #3 slowed me down, but having seen the area in advance I knew any route choices wouldn't be likely to have massive differences so being decisive and getting on with it proved a good strategy.

British Sprint Champs Final - 15th - 20.01

I knew this would prove more difficult than the morning, but thought top 10 was a good aim.

In the end I was 90s off, a nice clean run would have done it, but wasn't to be.

My legs were struggling from about 7-8 mins in, and by the end moving fast was proving really tough.

Course wise:

1-2 Went at it from the SW, but turns out this was kissing gate which slowed me down. Better from the SE. Not impressed the kissing gates weren't mapped, as a bit of a lottery which crossing point you chose, though not sure how this would have been done to be fair
2-3 Back through kissing gate, slight hesitation en route.
3-4 Tried to exit N as hadn't spotted olive green, had to backtrack
4-5-6 fine
7 - Big problems, really lost what I was looking for and reached gate with the water either side. Had to stop and relocate and then go back. For some reason I had a nagging thought the control was to the south of the path/fence, can't explain why I thought this.
Then I was having a neck and neck battle with one of the girls to 8, and as we zigzagged up to 9
I wonder how many people came back W out of 8 and along the top to 9? Would have been a lot quicker
Down steps to 10 rather than zigzagged, along to 11, fine.
More problems to 12, at 3nd path junction had to stop and check if it was L or R, then headed N of the circle and realised couldn't get down to control. Had to go back round W. In the meantime had been caught by minute man who was coming out of 12 as I went in.
Followed him and lady from earlier to 13 as then went E from 12, but I think in hindsight W was quicker?

Got a tow to 14 from both of them, in terms of leg speed even with no map I would have been struggling to keep up, but I still struggle with following people and like to keep in touch with the map. Probably should have been more ruthless and tried my best to keep up.
15, 16, 17, 18 were straightforward anyway, and I was caught by Shminty as well in this section who was really moving. Lost sight of him into 19 and even on reaching the control under my old steam had to stop and check I was at the right control.
Took the path route to 21 as there was now no one in sight and had to get back planning ahead. Made the decision to go back over the bridge to 22 which I felt would be flatter and so it proved.
Biggest error to 23, missed the path going north and wandered on the right line towards the control but hit the thick undergrowth and kept moving west looking for the tiny mapped gaps but couldn't see them and before I knew it I was at the N-S path to the W of the control. Compounded the error by accessing the control from the S rather than the path from the W.
24 stuck to the paths, never crossed my mind to cut across.
25 & 26 straightforward
Went east to 27, clearly a 50-50 but felt less climb to the East?
Finally 28-29, had overheard a couple of people say going round was slower, so gritted my teeth and slogged up the hill, thanks to Joe and Tony for their shouts, and ground it out home while my legs kept moaning.

Lost at least 30s to 12
45s to 23

Overal, could and should have done better, but a enjoyable experience. Probably would have taken 15th beforehand but the opportunity to come top 10 was there.

I won't be entering M35 next year!
And hopefully will be a bit fitter too.

Toyed with running today but sensible not to I decided

River south with Ade and Paul. Nice and gentle which is what I needed

Garforth to Castleford for extra time heartbreak

Brownlee Cycle Track 5k - 5th, 16.55

Finally got the monkey off my back of not having broken 17 this year.
Horrible conditions, sheets of rain bucketing down from about 7.30.
Then a delay at the start, already soaked through, and despite not going with the ridiculous early pace, I still felt crap going up the uphill bit on the first lap. Seriously considered easing off but decided to give it until the end of the first lap by which point felt better and had picked a few off.
Worked my way through to 5th, had to unleash something of a sprint to ensure under 17. Job done in a way, but hardly impressive, more something to chip away at.

Ran up to Bod entrance on Otley Road and decided to run down Otley Rd towards town until a bus arrived.
Predictably got all the way to SkyRack before one came.

Easy round Danefield. Very pleasant, very soft underfoot

K Road

Woodlesford loop with Stevie and Abz
Felt quite good once we got going

Hookstone Woods, Blue, 1st

I like this area, not too testing but some bits that could qualify as proper orienteering, and I didn't get lost.
If only it was always like this...

Dolgellau parkrun - 1st, 17.51

My Dad vetoed the Wepre plan as that is too hilly for his bad back

This was a very low key outing, clear lead from the start
Out and back twice on a trail, crossing the river at about 60% of the way out on a footbridge with a couple of sharp turns
Course seemed a bit long, so though disappointed not to go faster, in the end had to work hard to break 18

Felt good on way out so pushed on, turns out this was due to a tail wind, but I kept at it.

Round Normanton with Richard. Not a bad loop actually on the hoof in a unglamorous town

Ooof

Harrogate/Starbeck Lamp O + warm up
Cleared at a comfortable pace

Grass fartlek
3 (90)
3 x 20 (20)
3 x 40 (40)
3 x 60 (60)
repeat

Bit up and down

Chocolate factory

Very wet.
Very elite group, on paper at least.

Dales weekend, Day 2, Black, 6th/12

Did some proper orienteering for the first time since S6D Day 5 2015.
Mainly because the weather was OK and I didn't fancy a solo long run from home.
But, lo and behold, it wasn't too bad.
Certainly couldn't do it every month, mind. Need to be fresh mentally and not dreading it.
Navigation took my time and was never far off, although probably not that difficult a course? - mainly in the circle, at #5 and #13, went to #7 before #6 and stopped too soon for #2 and #17.
Never really considered the northern route #4-#5 which looks a lot flatter. Might have been a good option.
Water would have been nice as I passed back through the start, I know it's my own club and I know what effort goes in, but when a whistle is complusory, and people are out for over 90 mins, water is important too.

Event: Dales Weekend Day 1 / 2 & YHOA Superleague
 

Northern Road Relays - Leg 6 22.18 (+2)

Would have taken averaging under 5.30 if you'd have offered it me beforehand.
Ran a sensible race, the guy who started 4 secs ahead from Durham, finished 4 secs ahead, despite being about 25secs ahead after a mile (and despite what results say!)
In between a guy from Holmfirth came past and I let him go to, but was back ahead by the end of lap 1, feeling strong but not in the red yet. Knew was running about 5.30s so happy to hold that pace.
Onto lap 2 and at the same point Holmfirth came past, Penistone came passed. That part of Yorkshire must have it in for me. Anyway, struggled to keep with this guy, as he reeled Durham in.
As 3 miles ticked by was surprised to see pace hadn't dropped and in fact I was able to pick it up, 4th mile at 5.22 was my quickest.
So hadn't put myself in enough trouble early enough basically, which is bad on the day but a good sign overall.
Oh, and the wind and rain only arrived on last leg of course
Team 30th which was disappointing. 1:10 away from qualifying which if Mike B hadn't had to move up to A because someone stubbed their toe (??!!) we would have done.

Very easy to the shops

Another hilly route, out and back this time from hotel

Yeadon Tarn with Dave M and Richard F

Hilly loop round Bewdley, worth it for the views down the Severn Valley

To/from/round Bicester parkrun loop.
Pleasant, but nothing to write home about really.

London Ultrasprints and much jogging in between
Great event, really good fun.
I wasn't much cop at it but got better as I went on.

Peckham Rye parkrun - 1st, 17.21

Got drawn into racing it, which perhaps not the best idea, but it was good to know I have the legs again to race properly

London City Race - 4th

Pleasing run, but very tired legs from about halfway, not sure if I would have made 3rd though on fresh legs.
Navigation good, and especially pleased not to mess up the Barbican

Course 1 - Splits

Event: London City Race
 

Wapping Urban - 9th
All going fine until #14 when lost where I was and thought I was one road west of where I actually was approaching the river and took ages to realise why the map didn't match was in front of me. Binned 90s
Spent the next 3 controls running round like a headless chicken before I composed myself again

3 x 20,40,60,40,20 eq jog rec
Faded a bit at the back end
With MB

Event: YHOA Urban League
 

Sheffield Urban - 1st

Missed a few decent route choices, struggled in the circle at #3 due to poor printing and poor cd reading. Always a good test in Sheffield

10 x 1 (1) on the Knavesmire
Went fairly well