Training Log Archive: markg

Warm up. A warm down was inconceivable.

A very long day in the sun. I simply didn't have the legs for it. Started out feeling tired by okay and took what I thought was a steady pace. I took the right-hand, powerline option to #1 and took the opportunity to have a good look at the rest of the course and pick out my routes to #2 and #10 early on. I could feel the stitch from yesterday but wasn't expecting it get worse but coming out of #1 it got sufficiently bad that I stopped a few times to try and get rid of it but nothing worked. I consigned myself to a long, slow plod.

I was on Blair's tail at #3 but dropped back a little for a toilet stop.I had my first gel coming into the next control, the pivot. I struggled to open it and, resorting to using my teeth, managed to stick my SI up my nose. Quite funny really, a highlight of the day. I then lost sight of Blair altogether when I started to do the butterfly backwards. I lost about 1min here and my motivation dropped another notch. Coming back into the pivot control I passed Geoff Stacey and caught up to John Toomey who looked to be struggling too. Having already planned my route to #10 I took off immediately and didn't see either of them again. Got through #10 and #11 okay but lost a bit time on #12 just not paying enough attention. I stopped for a gel and a long drink at the map change and then plodded off.

The last loop was a real struggle. I barely ran at all up the hill - I just walked and even then I had to stop for breaks. I experienced an interesting phenomenom where walking didn't tax my HR but fatigued my muscles whereas running didn't feel fatiguing but generally made me want to collapse in a heap.

I lost about 30s on #16 coming in a little bit too high and overshooting it. I took the super-rough track down the hill to #18 but I was practically walking, I should have taken to the bush. I missed #18 for about 1min and Sebba caught up from 2min behind at #17. He must have descended a lot quicker! Sebba's presence have me a bit of motivational kick and I pushed on through the last few controls, nailing them all, and dropped Sebba again. The final run across the oval in the sun and then up the hill was torture, I just wanted to fall over ... very glad to finish. Glad also that I persisted till the end.

This is my longest orienteering race ever beating a 2007 effort at Mt Laurie in Canada by 3min. On that occasion a large part of the problem was a 17min error.

Event: Capital Orienteering Festival
 

Warm ups and warm downs.

Nearly a good race but foiled by several mistakes in the circle. I started well but a too aggressive approach to #3 resulted in me heading (didn't aim off enough) away from the control for about 1min lost. Lost about 30s on #5 after running right past the control without seeing it, helped by seeing John Toomey wandering away from it but doing a flawless impression of someone looking for a control. Ran the next few okay but slower and more cautious and Clive caught me. Lost sight of Clive across to #10 when he went high and went low. I lost contact with the map and after crossing the big track slowed down. It turned out I was spot on target. Lost about 1min on #11 after hitting the creek immediately above the control and not seeing it. I should have ignored the tracks here and navigated off the contours. My last mistake was on #13 when I successfully ignored the tracks until immediately before the control but then checked out the wrong track bend for another 30-45s. I was okay navigationally after that but wasn't motivated to push super-hard and lost quite a bit of time compared to the leading guys. A depressing result.

I had an almost clean run without pushing super-hard but unfortunately I didn't see the fast route to #1 and dropped about 1min, which stuffed up the whole relay for us. Got caught out a bit by an uncrossable wall later on but probably only lost 10s. I started getting a stitch in my warm up and it continued throught the whole race without getting critical.

A clean run racing Ecmo, Lachlan Hallet, and later David Brownridge. We caught up to Mat right after the spectator control and then Ecmo surged away. My legs were getting really weary and I couldn't do anything but put in a sprint in the finish chute to hold off Lachlan. The stitch was still hanging around.

Feeling better but not 100% so still resting. Hopefully I'll be able to do something tomorrow. I found the Science of Running blog recently. It has some interesting stuff including a description of an insane speed workout done by Kenenisa Bekele.

Still feeling coldy.