Two Days In A Row

Another run and bike session done. My mojo isn't back quite yet but I do want to get some fitness back so it's time to dig in for the battle...

And A Bit More

Exercise. Not the greatest but better than nothing.

A Bit More Exercise...

I'm building towards a run, honest. It's so humid at the moment though. Can't face it. Still, the bike gets the heart pumping and the sweat sweating...

Few Things Can Beat...

A cheesey baked bean omelette - especially when it follows some exercise. Yes, actual exercise on an weekday! What was I thinking? Okay I failed with the run. I was feeling just too hot but half an hour on the bike is better than nothing at all.

A Bit Of A Jungle Out There...

Wasn't sure I was going to make it across the field today. You need strong legs to force your way through dense foliage like that. The grass - I mean dense foliage - is practically waste high at the moment. It's really shot up during the last couple of weeks - and I've not got strong legs.

I did eventually make it across and headed off into Flaxley Wood for a short loop before braving it back through the jungle field. Finished off with half hour on the bike.

I'm glad I managed a run today as I felt decidedly dodgy on Friday. Had headachy eyes and felt cold all day but was much improved yesterday. Feeling back to 'normal' today so all's well. Hopefully I can summon some mojo for another run sometime soon...

Sunny? Almost Got Hypothermia!

Parking field. Sunny. Mountain top. P!55ing down, windy, cold.

So, seeing as I'm not really racing at the moment I thought I'd volunteer to marshal at the Tour Du Calch. I was on Check Point 3 so it meant I could get a decent hike out and back in the sunshine - well that was the idea anyway.

What a difference a few hundred metres of altitude makes. It really was quite pleasant down at the race HQ. (And I actually sprayed on some sunblock before I headed out - although I'm not telling you that). I set out with plenty of time but as I neared the top ridge the weather started to get ominously inhospitable. So it was out with the map and compass in order to make sure I made it to my check point spot on time.

I eventually made it to the general area of my check point. It was a check point without a specific feature so I needed to recce the area to make sure I was indeed at the right point. Mr C's hand drawn orienteering style feature sketch was spot on and I was indeed at the right spot - as borne out by my GPS plot which shows me as near as damn it on the 620 contour.

So, having reached my spot, like a boy scout, prepared for all conditions, I put on extra layers to try and keep out the cold and rain and waited for the runners. Fortunately I only had about a fifteen minute wait for the first runner and they were all through inside the next fifteen. Marshal duty fulfilled I headed off the mountain as quickly as my feeble legs would let me.

Back down to the race HQ you would not believe it. Sun shining. Back to being a lovely day. Glad I went. Good training session.

Still Haven't Found My Mojo...

but at least it was another run done. In fact, I'm so slow at the moment I actually think I have to classify myself as a jogger. So I guess it was really another jog done. Despite the slowness of it all I do still enjoy it - when I manage to summon the effort to bother. 

If I Was A Football Chant....

I'd be 'oooooooh, I am sh!t ahhhhh!!!' (at running). It isn't surprising though, seeing as I've been doing almost no running of late. Really need to find some mojo. Bigsweir Wood was picturesque as ever though.

Strava Activity

Wake Up Call

You know you've gone to seed when your legs hurt the day after a pathetically slow 5k run. I really do need to do some training...

Almost Like The Old Days...

as I locked horns with my old running compadre from back in the day, Crumpy - not that anyone has ever referred to him by that totally made up name. And I say almost like the old days as back then I could run a bit.

It was my first time out on the Newent Park run. A very enjoyable two lap course - apart from having to stop for 30s 600m out from the finish to throw up. The effort of running was obviously too much for me.

Apart from that I enjoyed it. The route was better than I was expecting and it was nice to catch up with the Crumps after such a long time.

Official Route Checker

At the Gilwern Grunt. I headed over to the Tumble for nine o'clock. Collected the marker tape and bits and bobs from the secret stash pick-up point and headed off around Gilwern Hill to check all the route markings were still in place ahead of the race.

Despite the sun shining it was surprisingly chilly to start with. As I pootled round it soon warmed up - or was it still chilly but I'd warmed up? Anyway, all the markers were safely in place - hopefully no one got shot for going wrong. With my job complete I reported back to base and then trundled off back home.

Lovely Day For It...

Orienteering on Painswick common. There were some cracking views from the top - and at the speed I was 'running' I had plenty of time to take them in but back to the orienteering.

Unsurprisingly it was flippin' hard work and I made a few mistakes. Most in the more densely contoured areas of the map. Although I did muck up eleven by bad nav, ending up to the right of where I thought I was and generally making a meal of it.

Despite the struggles it reminds me what I'm missing so I'm going to redouble my efforts to get out there and 'race'...

Well That Was Hard Work...

but I'm glad I did it. I struggled. I expected to struggle but I navigated okay considering I'm a bit ring rusty. I didn't have any major 'headless chicken' moments and although I steered off a bit too far on one or two controls, on the whole I did alright.

So despite the threat of some rain in the lead up to today's Compass Sport Orienteering Qualifier, the actual conditions were good. There was a lot of cloud cover but it didn't rain and it wasn't cold. I made my way to the start early to espy in which direction the early starters headed out - turned out to be a bit of a waste of time as there was only one way to go. Down the path, round the corner and out of sight....

I got off to a reasonable start. Found controls one and two accurately before steering off too far for number three. Four, five and six were all okay with a small wobble on seven where the map detail was confusing but I stuck to my guns and despite taking my time, headed into the control accurately.

I mucked up eight a little but quickly corrected myself. On the climb to nine I started to die. Across to ten, eleven and twelve I was sllllooooooow. The terrain was hard going with lots of dead bracken and shit like that to climb across. With no stamina left that was hard going.

Thirteen and fourteen were good but I stayed too high to fifteen and overshot the crag. It was a longish leg to sixteen and I went far too high but knew what I'd done and got back into it okay. Then it was down to the last few controls and the finish.

Best of all... I wasn't last (16/27) but with a few more on the course that'll change a little bit. I believe I might sleep like a log tonight - just hope I don't wake in the fire place - BOOM BOOM!

Finally...

found a bit of mojo. A short and very slow run over at Bixslade in the Forest. I have a feeling Sunday's orienteering might be a struggle...