Training Log Archive: RobB

Woke up with a stiff back - like someone had kicked me, then I remembered a quite spectacular fall that I had made the night before and it all made sense. When we got back home I went for a gentle body loosener jog before some stretching.

Easy run out on the model map.

Easy warm up - lots of excitement and butterflies.

Jukola leg 1. So much fun. 1k run out was crazy and tried to make up as many places as possible (started 1090 and got to the first camera control 27 minutes into teh race in 232). I basically oscillated aound this number - gaining places and then missing some.

I made 2 large errors (of about 3 minutes) and had one amazing moment of orienteering nirvana. The largest miss was where I was doing my own thing and rejoined a pack just after (unbeknonst to me) they had punched my control. They were all running strongly so I assumed they had not reached the control yet - unfortunately not. This led to 2 minutes of me doing my best salamon impression - running upstream in thick and steep forest of a never ending pack of runners.

My moment of nirvana was where I punched a control and stuck to my bearing and ran 400m across the terrain totally by myself. Felt in total control and everything fitted perfectly. I punched the control and a whole massive pack of about 50 people were running back to me - they had all missed it.

Felt pretty so-so about my final finishing position - 235 (and 16 minutes back) but at least it gave Nails and OJ some runners to go through. Top 100 would have been possible but I don't think any higher based on the starting position.

Great fun and a great trip to Finland with team SYO who collectively had more good runs than bad.

O session from the Lake. Long run out and back with Nails. Did 5 x hill reps at the end - feeling pretty good and enjoying the hot weather.

Night O with Alex, including practising a long run out to number 1. Made Alex wait a few times, but had fun running different lines through the terrain.

Travel to Helsinki was all very smooth; it was quite nice to be shuttled by Tim and then picked up by Nails' gnarly taxis.

From the training area, I did a self planned course focussing on compass bearings. It all went pretty well. Think I spotted a fast moving Eddie in the forest.

C • Smash it! 1

Night o with Alex, Neil, Duncan and Tim. Neil and I met up after every few controls and I kept him waiting a few times....enjoyed myself and did not stray too far from the red line, but need to be more confident.

Run up Rivelin.

Dropped hire car off in Kelham Island and then ran home, before starting the session. Ran 1 mile(?) up Loxley (from bottom of hill to the cemetery) and then did 8 x 1 min hills up Black Lane. Ran the hills as controlled as I could (the last few times I have done this I have exploded after 5 reps) and was pleased to finish strongly. Easy run home down the valley.

Easy run from the B&B - legs feeling a bit weary but I was inspired by the views.

Clare and I decided to stay in Mull once we found out where the LAMM was. After a chilled day sightseeing, I decided to run up Ben More. At 966m it does not quite qualify for the vertical kilometre but was steep enough for me. Ran mainly in the rain. On the way up I did 90 secs hard and 30 secs easy.