Training Log Archive: Anvil

Event: British Elite Middle Distance
 

Brit Middle Champs at Hopwas Woods.
100% improvement on the middle race at JK. Was a much easier map, but steeper and harder to run due to the grotty stuff, brambles and stuff underfoot (Australian translation: grotty = shitty).
Pretty happy with the first 10 controls, except taking the soft track option to 3 which I thought would be faster due to the aforementioned 'grot'.
Did a 90 out of 11 costing me 1:30. I wasn't the only one to do it so I'm a little suspect of the contours in that area - they weren't wrong per say, just didn't really give you an idea of the all the different gullies size and slope. Although if I'd just looked at my compass it wouldn't have been a problem.
Really happy with my navigation on the vague downhill section into 13. Spiked the control and dropped the 2 guys I was with from 11. That has never happened before, first real sign of any fitness improvement I've had in a while.
Thought my wider track route to 18 was clever as it cut out 2 short steep climbs and came into the control from the exit direction, but no it was about 30 seconds slower than the splits of the guys who did similar times to me.
Massive choke at 21. Short compass leg, should have taken 30 secs, took 2 mins. Idiot.
Minor choke to 23 (final control). I'd turned off on a track junction I didn't notice (which conveniently led right to the control), but started freking out cause I expected to see it earlier thinking I was on a different track.

Much happier with the race, feel I could have pushed a bit more when I was off track, maybe a little gun shy in the terrain after JK. Feels much better having a result right in the middle of the pack instead of languishing at the end. A little frustrating to be have 4 guys only 10 seconds in front of me - but I'll take that any day over a results board having 2 other guys on it.

http://www.od.routegadget.co.uk/od/reitti.cgi?act=...

Had to leg it to the start after realising I'd left my clue sheet reader in the car. Got to the start lanes with 1 minute to spare.
Worst. Warm down. Ever. Probably jogged about 50m

Just snuck home in time to take advantage of the last half hour of light. Went straight for Hammersmith Bridge along the unlit section of track. As it got dark there were still heaps of people running along there so maybe it's not too dodgy.
Did 1k easy/hard to keep it interesting. Felt OK, a bit tired - will try to get an early night for once. First time in a long while that I can remember running in shorts and a short sleeved T, nice and warm at the moment - got a good sweat up even.
Very tempted to try out the new KFC that opened on High Street. I haven't sampled their product over hear yet, but I hear the chips aren't up to scratch (which is the best part of KFC back home). What this has to do with the run I just did is debatable.

C • chips 2

Nice steady street run. Felt good to begin with, but started to get a stitch after about 25mins that got progressively worse - may have to think about doing some core work.
Tried a new extension to the loop, going north once I hit Imperial Wharf, but got turned about my the streets and ended up in an area I didn't recognise. Decided just to keep going till I found a landmark, came across one of the bike network signs to discover I was heading towards Westminster - going NE when I thought I was heading west!
Have decided to take my Oyster Card with me from now on just in case I end up somewhere ridiculous and can't be bothered running home.

Hallelujah, daylight savings has arrived. Gave myself an early minute from work so I could run in the daylight. Headed out to the track near home to try out a new speed session. 800m at 10k race pace, followed by 200m at 3k pace. Tried the pace based on the 10k race I did last week but found it a bit too easy so just went at a pace I felt comfortable without losing form and then blasted the last 200.
Felt really good, would have done one more set but daylight was rapidly disappearing and I wanted to get away cause the area is meant to become dodgy after dark (like Hobart Domain carpark dodgy).
Was a bit eager and programmed the GPS to measure the distances, forgetting I'd be on a track. Was having trouble picking up satellites before I left and they never really got their act together, so most of the laps were too short. I could have just kept running, but all the beeping would have been in the wrong places and been too confusing!

To and from the track & lazy arse recoveries. Running back along the Thames track dusk was just kicking in, the lights in the city were turning on and the river was nice and still. Magic. Bring on summer.

Long run with Nics. Out to Richmond Park and back along the Thames path through Richmond, Kew and other places back to Putney. Lots of remnants of yesterdays big boat race (I don't get the hype) and a fair bit of mud.
Beaut day - warm and sunny, massive contrast to last weekend. Felt much better than yesterday, knees a little sore towards the end. Struggled a little to keep up witbh Nics towards the end when she put the pace up, the track sessions she's been doing are evident.