Training Log Archive: TimM

First run in the Forest of 2016, so headed out for an easy 50 on Matley. Standard stuff. Tipping it down, seems like I brought the Edinburgh weather with me. Good fun though, forest is looking very green and still pretty damn muddy in places. Generally felt flat but got it done, need to extend the route though.

C • An easy 50 2

Awesome run with Will and bday boy Seb on Helvellyn. From the lay by up a cool little path next to a stream before cutting up to Seat Sandal. Then descended down a steep rocky path, round Grisedale Tarn and then up the zigxags onto the main ridge. Along and up to the summit, few photos, then started the descent. Some serious bad luck struck Ali as he did his ankle right in front of some punters. From there it was nice and slow down back to the car, more time for the views which were insane. Warm and sunny but with a bit of cloud on the top, couldn't ask for more really. Got my ass handed to me on some of the climb though.

In the lakes for some intense rock drawing. Out in the field from 8 until 18:00 then classroom stuff from 20:00-21:00 so training is pretty damn restricted. Snuck off for an awesome little run whilst everyone was at pub. Up the back of the youth hostel in coniston, not sure the name of the hill but good views of the old man and the fells to the east. About 400m of climb.
Pretty frustrating to be going to Holme Fell and Pike o Blisco to look at rocks and not to go orienteering.

Event: Scottish Championships Individual / Relays
 

Tio write up done.

C • 1

Very easy with Tam and Ali on the seat. Legs feeling wrecked still and generally lacking in much energy so this was a real struggle.

Long Tio right up to come, but quickroute done.

Glute + Hammy bridges
Press ups with thoracic rotation 10+10
Monster walks 10xFBLR
OH lunges x2 lengths
Box jumps 5 x max
2x3+3 SL squat
2:1 4+4
1:2:1 4+4

Pull Up 6x4
BS with bands at knee 50, 50
BS no bands 60, 65

Core:
2x5+5 split squat
2x8+8 Plank SA row
2x60s flr arm plank
2 x10+10 Bar rotation

Meadows mobility.

Hermitage loop with Bash, Tam and Ali. Legs feeling knackered and sore, bit of a grind but good company so wasn't too bad. Feeling quite dehydrated and tired after a busy day.

It's going to take a bloody long time to get over this one

Fuck



Tiomila, Leg 10 - Kuopion Suunnistajat.

Team had started well, only about 5mins down after first leg, this slipped a little but still in the top 50 after long night. We dropped down in the middle legs which was expected. I managed about four hours of sleep, woke up at half two and couldn't get back to sleep. Had breakfast at five but legs were feeling quite tired and sore so took an ibuprofen as well. Before leaving for the arena we could see our leg 8 on TV running well with Stora Tuna who were lapping us and so he was making some good progress. Got to the arena and leg 8 said he'd dropped some time after losing Stora Tuna but had still picked up some places. Warm up wasn't great, was very anxious not to miss my guy so was spending a lot of time at the tent with prewarnings on the screen. Was also slightly concerned about how my legs were feeling, but took a gel to try and get some life into them. Whilst I was warming up the leaders were coming in the finish. The sprint finish was possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen in sport, to be neck and neck on the run in after ten legs was insane and must have been amazing to be a part of.

Our leg 9 runner picked up a couple of places so I was sent out in the top 75. Picked up the (huge) map and first thing I saw was the long first leg. I had seen the leaders on the tv and had seen their tracking, Thierry went straight and Jonas went left. Was initially planning on going straight but then switched to going right. I'm not sure this was the right choice, and I defintiely could have taken some better lines but I hit it relatively well. Turned round and saw a TuMe team who had ben sent out just after me and he was still a bit behind so although I hadn't made time it didn't seem that I had lost much. I was being ultra cautious as i was getting into the map / terrain so route to 2 could have been better. Physically it was feeling like a real effort to move but seemed to be reasonably focused. Really nervous coming into three, visibility wasn't as good as I was expecting but TuMe guy caught up and seemed reasonably confident. He looked old and slow and yet I was struggling to keep up with him in the terrain which I thought was worrying.
I think we had different gaffles to 4 as he headed off in a different direction. Again I was very cautious coming into the circle but was quite confident of my position and hit it well. Lost some time on 5 with some poor direction about 2/3rds through the leg and was feeling quite confused but could see TuMe guy to my right which helped convince me I was wrong. Again, visibility was lower than I was expecting so I stuck to my compass and hit it ok.
Went down to the track for six, I think this was a bad decision as none of the leaders did it, but I wanted the added security. Missed the indistinct path and so went too far along and didn't correct myself enough so came right but hit the marsh and corrected. At this point I had caught a SNO team and some other guy. The next control was pretty straightforward but I didn't have the confidence to go to the front of our little train so just sat in behind and let them do the work. I hadn't planned number eight by they time we got to 7 but it looked like there was a bit of choice so I stopped and had a little look. This allowed the others to get a little bit of a gap and I didn't like that so left the control a bit flustered and hadn't made my mind up. I was leaning towards going right but they went straight. Went along the path for a bit and another guy appeared (not sure if he was ahead or behind) and he confidently went right so that as decision made. Ran on rough compass, the other guy (a Lidingo team maybe?) headed more right than me and got a bit of a gap. I was being a right pussy through all the rock, been a while since I'd been in terrrain where you have to watch your footing. Very slow up the slope and decided to take a gel. Wasn't sure of my position when I got to the top but thought I was roughly ok so continued down the slope. Relocated off a crag and headed left to the control, where the SNO guy and some others had been faffing. I think this route was good, Thierry lost time by going straight, but I didn't execute it particularly well.
So I punched 7 a bit down on SNO guy, an NTNUI team and a couple of others. Ran on compass to eight, knowing that the rough open behind would make it hard to miss. Closed the gap a little but wasn't feeling great in the legs so it was a struggle. Spiked it well and it was pretty much the same through the next couple of controls. The SNO guy seemed to be falling off their little train and I caught up with him and made some ground on the others. A Mora runner came out of nowhere as well, again I don't know if he had caught me or vice versa. A better line to 13 meant I caught the mini train but the next leg was another route choice so I stayed at the back to see what the others did.
It seemed to be either go straight or go left. Thought straight involved a fair bit of slow terrain and didn't want to pussy about in those rocks again but left involved more climb. NTNUI and two others went straight, Mora went left and I went left. The climb did not feel good and I missed one of the paths a little but generally the leg was striaghtforward and allowed the pace to go up a bit. Coming down the slope the Mora guy slowed down quite a lot and seemed quite unsure; I could also seem the other three faffing about to the right, but I was quite confident and spiked the control, leading all the others into it. This gave me a little confidence boost, but Mora and I banana'd to the open which allowed the other three to bridge the gap.
Wasn't sure whether to take a drink, didn't feel like I particularly needed one but realised its a long race and could regret it later. Thought I could perhaps put some time into the guys behind though so just carried on, and I think they did too. Up the steep slope to 15 my direction wasn't quite so good but I was aware of that whereas the others seem to dither a bit and wanted to go further right, particularly when they saw another control. I sticked to my guns though and again led them into the control.
On 16 I was influenced too much by the others. They were all doing some serious faffing and the pace was quite low. We were drifting too far left from my intended route and no one seemed to want to take the initiative so I did and broke off with one other guy. Hit the track and looked back to see we had come out ahead of NTNUI but couldn't see the rest. Picked the pace up a bit and took a second gel. Slow up the hill allowed one of them to catch up but he didn't attack it well and was drawn away by a nearby control. I continued and spiked it. Looking at it now my route wasn't the best but in our mini race it was fine.
Was loving life to 17 and hit it well, came out on the track and couldn't see any of the other guys which was pleasing. Pushed on to 18 and 19, hitting them well but decking it a few times on one of the muddy little tracks. Cautious to twenty but a nice line and spiked it. Then to 21 I had poor direction and lost maybe half a minute. Expected to be caught by the others but no sign of them which worried me a little. I kind of wanted to go up to the track to 22 but didn't fully commit and so went straight (ignore the kink in my trace, that didn't happen). This was definitely the better route but I was quite cautious and also spent a lot time wandering why I hadn't been caught by the others. Suddenly I thought I had fucked up by skipping a leg or something and was really quite worried but thought it was too late to go back so just carried on.
Poor direction out of 22 in the hope of finding a track through the light green but didn't. Good from here but was concerned by the fact I wasn't dropping a punter I had caught. Took my last gel coming out of 23 to try an breathe some life into the legs and also took another fall right into a muddy puddle. I remember being quite pissed off by this because it meant I was going to have to have a shower after the race; clearly starting to lose my mind a bit, who doesn't have a shower after a race?
Tried to pick up the pace through the fields to 24 and 25, but at the same time being a bit careful. Was struggling to read the map as it had become badly folded up inside the bag and couldn't undo it. Couldn't read much of the detail to 25 but found it well enough.
Then the next leg I barely see any of it. I couldn't see the circle, only the last two zero's of the code 100. Running to it was strange, I couldn't make out much of the map so was just running towards the arena really and sure enough that worked and I punched the last control. Nice little sprint finish, cheered on by the team and was reasonably satisfied with how I had performed. A solid enough run, could have saved a fair bit of time but position wise I had picked up so that we were now 68th. Even joked with them that I had blindly run to the last control because of my map. Physically I didn't feel too tired, I never felt like I was pushing that much but at the same time didn't feel like I could.
Went into the download tent, punched and the lady changed her facial expression as if something wasn't right. I thought this was odd as I was sure I hadn't done anything wrong, and thought maybe there was a problem with one of the controls when she said to head to another person who would sort it. I explained there was no way I had mp'd, I was checking all the codes and everything was fine. Then she got the map out and pointed to a control, couldn't believe it. Never saw that control on my map but she insisted I was supposed to go there. Spent quite a lot of time in here in disbelief.
Going back to the team was awful, never want to repeat that experience. It's bad enough mp'ing when it's individual but to do it at my first tiomila, for a club I had never run for before, on the penultimate control of the last leg was the worst feeling. Clearly I should have made more of an effort to unscrew my map but it never occured to me it was covering up a control.
So gutted but at least this is the worst it will ever get.

C • Shower 3

Event: Tiomila 2016
 

To the arena and back with some of the guys.

Was going to do 5 x 1km with Dan and Tam. Tam was exhausted from his tough, empty schedule so he slept through it, I felt tired as anything so didn't do anything and Brutus was a pussy so only did three. Will turned up though so we jogged with Dan for a bit and then did some strides.

C • A did four 2

Easy round the meadows and seat with Dan. Legs feeling pretty quite tired at the mo, was planning another session tomorrow but might not, don't want to go to tio feeling wrecked.

To DVC the APO with Andy, Bash and Dan. Feeling quite tired.

Getting schooled by Bash on the hills. MFD, 3mins, 2mins, 1min, 6 ~10sec sprints. Found it tough, possibly not helped by sauna earlier and then not drinking enough. Still, a very nice evening on the Seat.

Back home, followed by a naughty hagggis burrito and a healthy one pound profit from some bets on the footy.

To DVC and then a small loop.

Mobility + Drills

Big lap with Will and Bash.

Event: Scottish Orienteering League 3
 

To DVC to meet the others, then down the bog and round to the hill. Bad stitch.

10 x ~200m hills, jog back down recovery with Will, Pete, Jonny and Conor. Struggling a bit today, probably the 5k still in the legs. Decent effort though and nice and dizzy by the end.

5 sprintervals, had actually done them earlier in the year but badly. If anything, this time was worse. Head not really in it, and physically tough as well. Good fun session though.

Crawl back, calves seizing up pretty badly.

'Easy' run with Will and Dan. It's always Brutus who asks for a very easy run then turns the pace up. Very enjoyable though, nice to get out after getting nowhere with revision. Feeling extremely jealous of the boys up north.

Feeling quite ill and got some major glute DOMS. Tonight could be tough.

C • Why 7

With Ali along the sea front. Got quite a bad stitch and needed the loo, visions of a repeat of the infamous parkrun.

Scottish 5k Champs.
Nerves built up through the day so that by the time I was on the start line I was bricking it. Legs hadn't felt good yesterday, still feeling DOMS and bit of a cough so thought this could extend the #18mins nightmare. Settled into a nice pace off the start, making a concerted effort to go slower than what felt comfortable. This felt good, 3:12's has never felt so easy. Felt like I could have pushed on a bit but was scared of falling off a cliff so kept it comfortable and had time to wave to the fans. Some girl in front of me was good awful at the corner and broke my rythmn a bit. Settled into a nice pace on the way back to the start / finish and it was only when I went past it after about 3km that it started to feel hard. Kept thinking the turning must be coming soon but could see that the leaders still hadn't reached it. This bit was tough and when we did reach the turn it took so much out of me to get back up to speed. The rest was a right grind back. I had become complacent after seeing some solid splits and let this slip a bit during the 5th km so was a bit closer to 16:30 than I thought I was on for.
I had gone into the race thinking no time was going to leave me satisfied and that is kinda true. Mainly just relieved to have avoided a repeat of last time, but feel as though there's more to come this summer after a couple of months of solid training. Really enjoyed being in a race with so many fast guys, on a top evening. Ali got a big PB as well which was awesome to see, and supported by the other lads which was really cool and helped a load!
(Still got griled though).

Short warm down with Ali. Very nice sunset going on.

Glute + Hammy bridges
Press ups with thoracic rotation 10+10
Monster walks 10xFBLR
OH BB lunges x2 lengths
Box landings x10
2x3+3 SL squat
2:1 3+3
1:2:1 2+2

Pull Up 5x4
BS with bands at knee 40 50 50

Core:
2x5+5 split squat 12kg
2x8+8 Plank SA row 10kg
2x60s FLR hand plank
2 x10+10 Bar rotation

Feeling pretty rough this morning; tired and bit of a chesty cough coming. Got it done though and nice sauna with Bash after.

Figure of eight on the meadows with the flat crew. Legs feeling pretty awful, tomorrow not looking good. Slept a lot during the day as well.

No-one starts the year with the aim of being reserve. I'm disappointed not to be selected for JWOC at the third attempt, it feels like a long time since I've been where I want to be on the results, however I also think that this years team is one of the strongest there has been in recent years and I hope they will all perform well. I'm looking forward to training hard over the summer with the aim of putting in some good performances at JEC, with the ultimate goal being Finland next year. It's fair to say that coming to Edinburgh and training everyday with each other has raised the standard among us and that's only going to continue for the next four years which is quite exciting.

Nice run on the seat with the boys. Was a little harder than anticipated and the fast decent off purko's probably wasn't the best idea with Friday's life or death race.

Easy one with the boys on the Seat. Good to get out after a not so good exam, quickly forgot about it with decent chat.

C • Everyone in a good mood 9

To DVC playing basketball.

Drills. Pretty chilled and good mood all round.

Death hail struck and we hid like the true pussies we are. Then ventured out for a decent kick about / warm down.

Result yesterday meant a place in the A team with Willy and Bash. Didn't get much sleep at all, bricking it. Will did his job and I went out a little bit behind Oli. Very nervous going to 1, saw the yellow behind the control but thought it looked a bit like a ride so got a tad confused a stopped for a few seconds before carrying on. Easy to 2 but 3 felt weird, not sure the green was mapped correctly. Luckily didn't lose much. Did lose time to 4, came out to low on the fence by quite a bit. Crossed the fence and could see Oli crossing the one at 5, the gap was still pretty much how it was when I had started. Bit too high on 6 and then overshot 7, this really pissed me off as it was stupid. Absolute slog through to 11, struggling to keep any kind of tempo. Then into 12, was pretty confident coming into it and expected it to appear right in front of me, but it didn't. Stopped, heart rate rose dramtically, couldn't work out what was going on, went a bit right and there it was. Very frustrated by this, had lost significant time already and was sure I'd ruined it.
More scrapiness to 13, poor disance judgement and stopped way to early. Fully expected Nixon to come past at any second. Really tried to up it into 16, realised it was quite a tricky control so was relieved when I was only a little bit right. Throught to spectator suffering pretty hard and had seen Oli ahead looking a fair bit off. But then saw him miss 19 so the gap closed a bit, made sure I was solid on all the streams and punched 21 a couple of seconds behind him. Bit scrappy to 22 and he had a different gaffle which avoided the death climb up to 23 so he got away. Nearly missed 24 and then prepared to vomit up to the final control.
Had it been anyone other than Bash on last leg I would have been more annoyed with myself for letting it slip a bit, but fully trusted him to catch Dane. It looked like it was too much at spectator but then the commentators said he was only 3 seconds down at pre warning and so it was definitely on. ShUOC seemed confident Dane would appear first, as they waited at the last control. Will and I were further down the run in and went absoutely mental when a red top appeared, with a huge grin on his face. Hopped over the fence and cruised to the finish. Proud to have been a small part of the win; it's not a bad feeling winning the British with your mates!