Training Log Archive: Leon

Group run mainly off road, Oulton, Rothwell, Methley.
Picked up from 7:00 to 6:05 in 5th mile. Ouch.

City of Manchester Race - 1st, 48:41

Manchester / Salford was one of the highlights of last year and this didn't disappoint, superb race. Was completely shattered at end. Tough on mind and legs.

Took a while to get going, and some of the pavements were very slippy so took some very wide lines! Was surprised to find only an A4 double sided map but I thought it was excellent planning, even though we visited the canal area at start finish and mid point it wasn't boring, which it could quite easily have been.

My only gripe was the bizarre (?) mapping of underpasses/tunnels with the purple crossing lines, which I have always understood to mean crossing point on the flat, i.e. pelican crossing or suchlike.

Here they were over printed on to the dotted line to show path/tunnel at lower level, such as to make the dotted lines, which I have always found sufficient, unreadable. I don't believe they did this last year? Took me a while to figure out what was going on, was very confused going 3-4 only when I saw the tunnel did I clock what was going on and figure out what they meant. The ones on the canal were especially superfluous.

Anyway, route is on routegadget, main issues were:

#2 - Not sure how I ended up with fastest split here, took shortest route but this involved several flights of steps. Would have been better going round on road to north on the flat. On my route failed to clock I'd gone under two underpasses and so was hesitant approaching control.
#3 - Missed small ginnel and ended on wider one to east. Headed up to beer garden once over canal twice and though could see control (and could have punched through uncrossable railing) had to backtrack and go around. First encounter with v.slippy pavements.
#4 - Through underpass, but with steps to get there think flat approach from south better.

#15 - Lost a fair bit of time here, so need to look at other peoples route. Zig-zagged my way down, was down the outside quicker?

#16 - Thought I was being clever by going all the way round to the south on the A57. Halfway along noticed first overbridge was marked uncrossable so couldn't do that. Cut in at next opportunity but changed mind and went back and cut in at last entrance. Then more steps and a slow lap of the two cages to find the control.
I think the quickest route involves the bridge you had to walk across, which I have an issue with giving an optional 1 minute time out and hence 1 min rest to some but not others. Would have been quite clever to take it. However we must probably accept this things as part and parcel of getting permissions etc for an urban event and take them in good heart.

#20 - Got confused right next to control as couldn't see very small building below control circle. Looking on google can't see it either. Mapping error?

#22 - Took north route, which clearly didn't work. Can now see steps straight on over bridge which make choice clearer.

#24 - By now knackered and lost my head badly here stopping on approach to road bridge, thinking it was footbridge (!!) and wondering where the buildings that should be ahead were. bout 20s working this out.

#25 - Caught someone up here and approached from south which allowed me to overtake as he came from west.

#27 - Remember being caught out by this control location last year. On that occasion I should have read control description, on this occasion I did.

C • #15 4

C • #16 6

Crawling

Event: NW Sprint Championships , Twin Peak Day 1 / City of Manchester Race, Twin P
 

All warm ups and warm downs today. Nice chat with Paul on the final warm down.

MDOC Sprint Platt Fields Park, 2nd 14:34

Lost by 29s, and the splits show I lost all this in the first 6 controls.
Very interesting.
I don't think I made much in the way of mistakes here so clearly should have set off harder. Did do a lap of the tree at #1 and contoured round the hill to #6.
Otherwise solid, took southern route to 8 and eastern route to 9 and 13. Overshot 11 slightly. Think Richard is right in saying could have been quicker down the road to 12 but stayed in park.

Think the rough open could have been mapped better, ie there was some between controls! Also gate and fences to east of building by 10 don't seem to be mapped.

MDOC Sprint Final, Fallowfield Campus, 2nd 14:17.

A bit more technical, and certainly felt I ran a bit harder.
Was in the lead until #11 where as I felt at the time, I binned at least 30s.
Had planned ahead to this point but caught myself up and for some reason turned the map round, which led me to thinking the garages was where the control was. Wandered off towards containers, which confused me further as couldn't work out where they were on the map. Stopped, clocked what was going on, and went on. This probably made me run a bit harder as knew I was in trouble, surprised to come 2nd with such a relatively large error. Rest of it was fine, and was pleased with how I coped at speed, only other problem was round to 16 where I headed to the marshall instead of the control. I think she was sat at a tree? But no tree on map? Might be wrong as I was knackered.

Hope legs are OK tomorrow.

C • A good result considering t... 1

New bike, cycled to watch some pals in the NOEAA 5k at Sportcity, exciting race, then back to Piccadilly.

River and West park. Not much fun.

Earswick loop, another slow start, OK after 1st mile

Glorious loop up via Burley Moor onto Ilkley Moor and back down bridleway

An almost perfect evening. Legs felt decent after 2 mi as well, but I didn't want to ruin the run by flogging myself.

River south, took a while to get going today.

Crawled up from Horsforth station to Holt Park

Holt Park Urban - 2nd, 16.56 (Dave 16.50)

A valuable lesson tonight.
Well planned course, and was well on top of it for the first half, the long legs 3-4-5-6 allowed me to plan ahead and put the foot down as well
When watch bleeped with a 6.18 mile approaching #8, I thought, decent, that should do it, and so when I started to feel tired I didn't really push on at all, being complacent probably thinking the pace I ran was already enough.
This, combined with being distracted by catching others, and two slight mistakes (shoddy route to #15, wrong wall at #19), allowed a clean run from Dave to take the win.
So, don't overcook the long legs (looking at Sunday's course lengths that could be key) and don't be complacent. Bit disappointed I didn't push myself, maybe last night's track took its toll.

Lap of estate with Dave

Track - 1k (400) 3 x (600, (200), 400 (400)), 1k

Noticable improvment on recent weeks, despite being bunged up with asthma and hayfever
1k was meant to be 5k pace but I was a bit quicker than that

3.07, 1.52, 72, 1.50, 71, 1.51, 71, 3.10

Was in touch with Mike and Oz for the most part until they put the boot in on the last k.

A timely boost.