Training Log Archive: AlanH

Today was supposed to be Dark and White followed by paddle at Matlock, but D&W cancelled for snow forecast so didn't risk it and came home last night. This left me short of a paddle this week so out on Ullswater again, in the wet snow. I've improved the fit of the boat and it's better but needs a bit more padding above the knees. It tracks very differently to what I'm used to in cross winds, and weirdly seemed I needed to lean to the right in both directions, I hope that's just me and the seat/footbar isn't wonky. In some ways dissapointed this was only 7 mins quicker than in my slalom boat, but on the other hand that is 42s a km faster which is quite a bit, and conditions were difficult today vs millpond, and I wasn't really trying too hard today, more just getting used to the handling. Not quite ready for the wings yet, which is just as well as that was my last job for my visit to the Peaks today to meet Cool Blue Canoes to get them sorted.

Event: British Night Championships
 

BNC Tankersley. It didn't start very well, I let the fast looking guy pick up his map first and then he went and stood on mine! With dobs on! 20 seconds of fiddling trying to get another out the box and then picking past the old dears on the muddy path. Looking at the start list now I didn't recognise the only person it could've been, so I won't name names, but if it is that person definitely old enough to know better! I was still grumping about it when I ran straight over a crossroads on the way to 2, who knows if that would've happened anyway. Prob only 90s lost. Got my stuff together after that and ran pretty well for the next hour or so, the odd hesitation and wibble but par for the course on this sort of area at night. Then started to get tired and apart from making a few scrappy but not bad mistakes, just seemed not able to stay on my feet any more. Tiredness I guess, not used to running this far at this tempo, although was trying to pace myself a bit. Managed to smash my instep into a rock inside the scout camp not 2 mins from the finish, that will smart tomorrow.

Overall a so-so run. Navigated really well for about 85% of the course, totally nailing the controls, but whether that's better than navigating average for the whole course I don't know. Will be 20mins down though.

After Thomas' first ever swim I did about 10 lengths of the pool in Appleby. Need to do a bit more before the C2C, but actually not bad considering how long it's been.

C • First swim 2

Cross bike out to test various stuff and practise. Managed to rip a hole in the front tyre (just near where I fell off last time on that track!). Very unimpressed with those Vittoria tyres but very impressed with the Just Riding Along milk which after a few pumpings did seal the ~5mm rip.

On the other hand AP seems to have not coped at all well with the incident and having the computer stopped for a bit. It loaded without failing but then seemed to not be able to compute anything before the stop. Having loaded all the stats by hand the GPX file still thinks I want the 7 mins stop time included. Oh well.

Another Wednesday session with Miss Jones. Horrible headwind coming back, but pretty steady overall. Actually felt much better than last night, although my road bike is a good 13lbs lighter which helps...

Then run alongside Haweswater - very evenly matched with Miss Jones.

Not sure why AP or Garmin plugin or whatever it was couldn't read this session, had to add it manually from other data.

Team Tuesday from Askham. Bit of snow about, but pretty wet. Took it steady, tired still.