Training Log: Work4justice

Ortonville Rec O meet

Easy ride at PLRA with Angel.

Looking forward to livelox for this one.

1. Took the trail and then cut in a bit early
2. Picked up the trail to the north and followed it to the x trail then north and went in N of the swamp.
3. Followed the water, crossed the stream and into the control.
4. Crossed the stream (not bad) to land then the trail and the trail around to a cut in for the hill.
5. I had planned to go north. And, I think I miscounted marshes....gah. I went way east--good grief.
6. Slowed because my confidence was so shaken. And realized I swung too far to hit the trail and struggled to get things to match up, so I pulled back to the trail, matched things up and back in for the flag.
7. Climbed out of the depression and went north on the trail to 7.
8. The way I went in was crazy and makes no sense. Grrrr. Livelox shows I was so high up and I was justifying everything around me. When I got to the trail I realized that I did not relocate myself well and did not hold my bearing.
9. Crossed the marsh. Had to do it. Was worried about the green to the south...realize now the trail would have been way better. I can't see these things and it's crazy making.
10. Headed off in the wrong direction on the trail...took and indistinct which was kind of terrible, made it there, but see a better route of attacking from the W through the swamp.
11. Took the trails. Which, in theory, for me, not a bad idea, but it was very hilly and sandy and the xcountry route with the trail on the back end would have been much, much better. The green was kind of terrible so I went through the depression into the circle.
12. Caught up with Angel. I tried to pace count to an attack point, but I think I overshot that. As I was looking at the map I just couldn't see anything to hook to.
13. From the road, wasn't as much a problem for me as 13.
14. Went north to the reentrant system that dumped into the control.
15. Set a bearing (now I'm realizing how little I do this...oops) and it was a feature rich leg, but needed the bearing to get around the right hill and up through to the S part of the next big hill to follow the marsh.
16. Followed the marsh around, and got into some ugly thorns. pushed us off the line a bit, but realized we were in the depression with small depressions and was able to get to the trail. The indistinct trail was very much so....Angel spotted it and we took that to the main trail and around to the peninsula.
F: S to the road and ran it in.

Areas to focus:
1. Best routes.
2. Bearings (balance with contours)
3. Subtle terrain recognition, on 5 and 8 I just wasn't seeing what I needed to see!

Last night my kids surprised me and took me (and said I could invite a fun friend—which was Angel) out to see a Beastie Boys tribute band at one of my long ago haunts at St. Andrews hall. They have cleaned up the joint and beer is a lot more expensive.

Took it easy until it was light out, and then hill pushes.