Training Log Archive: Magic

With Greggle in Stirling around the old haunts of Polmaise. Tired on the hills and towards the end, but otherwise feeling good. Very enjoyable.

Two hour walk up Cairngorm and around the corrie with Toni, jogged the downhill at the end but kept it all very easy. Never been up here so glad that we made the effort - makes me want to explore more (with fresher legs though).

WOC Long. Glen Affric, M21E, 15.5km, 660m, 32 controls.

After so much indecision in whether to do this or not I definitely made the right choice in doing so. This was real orienteering; no trails or linear features and no one else around, just me, the terrain and my map (and some of the most beautiful views I've ever had while racing).

The area was probably the best that has been used for a WOC in my 'Elite' life and the course made excellent use of it. The open areas reminded me of the west of Ireland, being soft, wet but runnable underfoot while the pine woods to the NW were tough but fun. The second half was quite a contrast being entirely wooded (and mostly runnable) and made for an interesting change in technique.

Navigation was just about spot on for everything apart from #25, where I both got caught in some windblow (maybe 45 seconds) at the start of the leg and then missed the control too high at the end. Thought I'd lost 2 minutes at the time but appears to have been closer to 3. Only other time lose was not going out to the track for #9 (maybe 45 seconds).

Definite disadvantage being out so early, could see where the seven starting before had gone to #1 but there the tracks ended. Passed three runners in the terrain by #9 (went straight past them) and didn't see anyone after that aside from maybe half a dozen women in the butterflies and the control pick between #21-24. It would have been a bit quicker being later on but nowhere near as much fun.

Hard to know how hard to push physically, as it was all tough running and it was very easy to go into the red at just about any stage. Finished feeling strong and still able to run, so probably didn't push hard enough on the longer legs, but that's one of the disadvantages of running when there is no one else around.

Thanks to Nick for being good enough to give Ireland a second spot in this race and thanks to him again for jogging the selection race which allowed me an automatic spot - prior to this I had not been thinking about this race at all. I now have a Top 45 position in all WOC individual races!

I guess that's probably it for me and WOC (as the commentary said when I was finishing: "Why is he running this at 41!") Although I would never say never...

WOC - Long Distance - Men - Splits

Very easy day not doing a whole lot. About as ready as I can be for tomorrow, it's taken ages to get here but am looking forward to the whole experience a lot.

C • Good luck, Marcus 23

Ran about half of the women's final from yesterday, taking it very easy, very much fun indeed. Didn't run with a compass so was a bit wobbly in places but this was so much my type of area.

Watching the WOC middle, terrain looked amazing, would have loved to have been running. Good day, shame the arena TV broke down when the men's race was getting exciting.

Scottish 6 day, Day 2, Strathfarrar, M40, 6.2km, 240m, 19 controls.
Took it easy today, just wanted to spend a bit of time in relevant terrain. Despite a very early start which meant monster bracken and few tracks I really enjoyed this and running at this pace felt very easy. Pretty clean technically apart from # 3 (which was in the wrong place) and having to take routes around bracken.

S6D - Day 2 Strathfarrar - C38 - Splits

Scottish 6 days, Day 1, Achagour, M40L, 8.2km, 175m, 25 controls
Felt amazing today, was running really well without much effort. Got a bit carried away in places but overall kept it sensible, especially the track leg that I took very easy.

S6D - Day 1 Achagour - C38 - Splits

Very slowly around the Darnaway model with Toni. Map not great in places but terrain much tougher than I was expecting.

Event: WOC 2015 & Scottish 6 days
 

Run around the Littlemill model area, surprised at how rough it was in places, especially when my legs were not up for it at all.

Work in the morning and then the long drive north, thankfully with company from Toni for much of it.