Training Log Archive: Craig

Event: WA Middle/Long Distance Championship
 

WA Middle Champs at Lover's Ridge.
First starter in a pretty easy area so I thought I would have to go hard from the start if I wanted to hold off fletch and tRicky. First control was only a short distance but straight into some big rocks through a bit of green and I felt a bit shaky on this but didn't really lose time. Was pretty careful on the next couple, still in the rocks, then tried to start pushing harder once out into the simpler stuff from 4.

Pretty clean through the rest of the course, maybe lost a little time dropping too much into the gullies, which were deeper than I expected, from 11-12 and a few seconds on 16. Any other time I lost was just down to my lack of fitness at the moment. I crossed paths with fletch between 10 and 11 as he went 7-8. He started 4 minutes after me and I wasn't sure if I had gained or lost but figured he was within reach so I couldn't slack off.

The last few controls were all uphill and I knew this was where I could lose the race so I tried hard to keep pushing to the limit. I lost a middle champs out here by a few seconds before and I kept thinking I didn't want to lose by a few seconds and feel I could have pushed harder. I was struggling up the track to the last control but at least finished feeling satisfied that I had done all I could.

Waited around at the finish to see fletch come in 6 minutes later, so 2 minutes behind me and he was pretty satisfied with his run so I felt I was in with a good chance. tRicky made a couple of mistakes so ended up winning by 2 minutes from fletch with Cameron another 3 minutes back in third.

Took an ibuprofen this morning and was pretty much pain free for the race but it was a little sore soon after finishing so I didn't do any warm down. Feeling better walking around a bit later but I'm not sure the barefoot basketball with the kids was a good idea.

C1 - Splits

Struggling for motivation this morning. Eventually got up and walked/jogged to the gym, did some cycling, a little strength stuff, some stretching and some rowing then walked/jogged home again.

Jogged to the gym and did 5min cycling, 5min rowing, stretching, squats, a few other things and 3min more cycling in an attempt to warm my heel up enough to do a bit more running.

To the gym and home with a couple of laps around Rosalie Park. Heel feeling a bit stiff but not very sore.

HI Functional Circuit at Charlies. Heel still pretty sore so walked most of the way there, jogged more on the way home as it was feeling a bit better then. Feeling better again jogging to the post office later.

Event: Foot O - Mt Billy
 

Penny pointed out that there was a Dufty on every one of the 7 courses today, me on the H1, Mike on the H2, Phil on the H3, Penny on the H4, Pat on the M, Liam on the E and Amy on the VE. Only 3 of us managed to get the win this time, something to work on.

C • Like 2

H1 at Mt Billy.
Having entered M21A for both the middle and long champs next week I thought I'd better try the H1 since I'm going to be in a lot of trouble next week if I can't manage a relatively flat 8k course this week. No fine navigation required really, pretty much just making sure to stay straight enough to not miss it at the end and I managed that ok.
I was getting pretty tired by 9 so I was lazy and just followed Juffy into that. Lazy (bored?) with the map reading again at 10 after trying to run away from Juffy and left 10 lower than I should have. Being straight enough didn't really help on 15 where the control was in the wrong place. How 3 people managed to visit it to tape, check the tape and hang the control without realising is a bit of a mystery. I figured it would be on another creek nearby so didn't take too long to find it. Thought about moving it but decided I shouldn't. A bit off line on the next one as I left in the direction I should have if 15 had been in the right place. I realised what I was doing and corrected before I went too far but not very efficient.
Lazy with the map reading again on the last few where I tried to make use of the trail bike tracks which I knew went right past the control. Got a little caught out by some unexpected junctions but it is hard to go too far wrong when you have run past the controls several times earlier in the course so only hesitated for a second.
Reasonably happy with the way I kept running through to the end of the course after feeling pretty tired at 9, 24 minutes in. I'm sure the hills at Lover's Lane next week will provide a much sterner test though.

Tried to have a hit with Amy but she was not in the best of moods (not enough sleep) so ended up swapping with Rachel and had a bit of a hit with Liam instead. I was trying to avoid hurting my heel so tried to avoid running around much to start with but it didn't take long before it got a bit too competitive for that. Good fun but now (next day) my heel is so sore I can barely walk.

H1 Course - Splits