Training Log Archive: Keith

Mendips run, from top of burrington coombe.
Muddy along the side, with slush from yesterdays snow. A 12 yearold local somerset girl offered me a hug. thought it was best to decline. then over old fort down to rowberrow bottom. then up through trees. Found a really nice set of tracks this time, I've never been the same way twice.... Constant uphill runable gradient. then along the top to beacon batch as the night was falling. Round the back and down. Really nice.

WNL Brierly

Strangly there was not many people turned up, I guess due to the fact it was snowing. Road was a bit dodgy up the valley through whitecroft and parkend. some intense driving as the brakes didn't really do anything. Hence was a bit late.Didn't warm up, as didn't want the others to wait too long for me to get back. Ifor had made it sutiablly complex, started with a low point loop as it was obvious, and i wanted to try and get them all. Had problems on 109. The fact that it was snowing, hence the light reflected, and the controls were covered in snow made it challening to spot, when it's on a weak feature on a hillside. Passed close twice before getting it, lost ~ 1 min.

Then going to 114 from 125, I was side slipping then ended up in a gully with a track. Thought i must;ve overshot it and be underneath it, went up the track, which got to a bigger track. Now properly confused, and had to relocate off the contours. Relised i was before it on the big track. Lost maybe 2 mins.
Overshot 119 ~ 30 s
Then as i was finishing the loop was running out of time - too slow on the hills, and the snow and trimmings made it tough going. So skipped 117. but thought i'd get 116 & 110 anyway.
Too much oxygen debt on 116 and didn't intially check that the control description. Just ran in there and expected too see it behind the knoll. Bailed out, checked map and control description, and it was ontop of the knoll! ~ 40 s
Then back 4 mins late, having missed 117 & 106.

So too many mistakes. (5 mins) Really good technical training, reminded me of sweden, but warmer. Foudn that i sideslipped a lot on compass, as you couldn't see far at all as the snow reflected back, and got in my eyes, so couldn't look up easily.

Good event, thanks Ifor!

101 107 109 102 103 113 104 125 114 115 118 105 120 112 124 108 121 123 119 122 111 116 110

MTB with timmy. just started snowing after we left, was very nice. Did the leigh woods loops, this time including most of the red bits. Also did two laps of the skills course, which was quite good. It has things like three drop offs in a row. they get increasingly bigger, with the last one, probably the biggest drop off i've ever ridden. Tim was concquered by the direct technical climb a number of times befor submitting. I didn't even bother trying. Then loop of A/C, started to get a bit slipppy, but after i took some pressure out of my front tire was fine. Tim had the edge this time.

Another divine day for running. Ran into the horizontal shafts of light across AC, just needed my sunnies. Than threw in a few hills on the way back, including a couple of short streches of track i've never run. If you could get into the deer park's for orienteering it really would be a great area. The two bits in the deer parks are some of the best bits, be great for a night event, maybe even a harvestor if you could go into leigh woods for the long legs. Felt good.

Another cracker sunny cold day.

Same as yesterday with a slight variation of going through sheep wood, and it's continuation. Got a little confused with exit from the wood.

lunchtime standard blaise loop
Cracker day, brillantly sunny, ground frozen, 0 degs.
Did the normal lunchtime route - it's been too long. Past crane towers, it's still there.

Inexplicably tired, not a 100% but nay too bad

Mon night run, smallish turnout with just mark S & Ben. Did gracies wood loop, with all the cutoffs. Nice night for running, though muddy underfoot, the worst yet I think.

Felt average, with throat and stmoach issues like yesterday. Pace was not too hot which was lucky.