Training Log Archive: simmo

Legs feeling better today - did a 4km walk in the forest behind Heathcote.

Legs a bit stiff today, managed to get up Hanging Rock and back down again, but wasn't tempted to do any scrambling.

C • No picnic? 2

Australian Middle Champs at Petticoat Gully. Spiked the first two again, but then Scotland came back to haunt me. Leaving 2 I had to cross a track then go right on a second track, but turned right at the first track and went 500m before realising. Passed no. 6 on the way into 3, and then went back to 6 instead of to 4! fortunately 3-6 was a loop of short legs so probably only lost 3-4 mins, and had the fastest split to 6 (unsurprising as I'd already been there twice). Then total disaster, SSD style. Didn't really look at options for a long leg to 7 and decided to go straight across the steepest and most Rowdy Flat-like area of gold diggings. Got off line then mistook a road I could see far below for one further ahead and started searching when I thought I'd gone far enough. All the features were pretty similar. Found several controls, none of them mine (I thought). Eventually bailed out to a road and relocated 500m W of the control. Afterwards I noticed a good route to the left with much less climb and hardly any mining stuff, and also that one of the controls I had found was my no. 13 (didn'tlook far enough down the description list).

After 7 I was reasonably quick except for one minute helping a very lost junior in the middle of the mining at my no. 10. Finished 23rd, winner was AU again in the same time as yesterday, so I was 18 mins down, with about 14-15 mins of mistakes.

Event: 2015 Australian Orienteering Carnival
 

Victorian Middle Champs at Creswick Diggings. I haven't done anything since Scotland except for some fairly easy walking and riding, so expected to get hammered in a strong field. Started 2 mins behind PH and was surprised to catch him at 2, and even more surprised to keep pace from 2-5. On a whim, I went a little bit left of him to 6, but he was correct and I never saw hin again. Hit the road beyond 6 and had to go back, then I lost a couple of minutes walking hills to 7 and going slightly past it. OK after that, came in 7th which was a pleasant surprise, especially after my troubles at Scottish 6 Days. Winner (AU - a youngster!) was just under 27 mins.

Walk to ruined castle of Montferrand near Pic St Loup. Good views of the Pic, looks a little like Frenchman's Cap, but not enough time to traverse the ridge that the castle is on and climb the Pic. Castle was interesting, dates from 12/13th C, and would have been quite extensive in it's day.

2 laps of inner city walk around Montpellier.

Walk from St Guilhem le Desert (http://www.saintguilhem-valleeherault.fr/en/
) to Les Fenestrettes. Circular walk that climbs up the valley behind the village. Quite spectacular valley with steep cliffs - popular with rockclimbers. The walk goes up over a ridge, then along it for a while before descending further up the valley. On the return down the valley there is a section of the path which zig-zags down a cliff with the path supported by arched walls (Les Fenestrettes) built by monks and shepherds in the 15th C. The monks used the path to reach a chapel and caves while the shepherds herded stock up onto the plateau for the summer.

The village itself is quaint, with an abbey and houses built in the 15thC, narrow streets and stairs (no vehicles). There's a large square next to the abbey with a giant plane tree, fountain and a couple of cafes.

Short ride back to St Malo today to finish the trip, but several tough hills on the way. The first part of the route was great, following the River Rance on a path, then minor roads but with several small towns where roads were sometimes busy. The final part in St Malo was a very busy road with a cycle lane, but with several roundabouts which had to be negotiated carefully.

After breakfast we hung around Dinan, exploring narrow and steep cobbled streets, the city walls, and several shops where PP burnt some plastic.

Day 3 did not start too well as it started to rain just as we left the hotel in Pontorson. However, by the time we visited a couple of shops to purchase lunch (similar to yesterday except that we had also purloined a couple of hard-boiled oeufs from the breakfast bar) and found the post office to buy stamps for a couple of postcards, it had stopped. Although much of the morning threatened rain, it did not eventuate so the raincoats soon disappeared into panniers.

Today was a decent ride through varying countryside to Dinan, mainly on minor roads with very little traffic, although there were a couple of short (less than 1km) sections on busier roads. Stiff climb up to our hotel right in the centre of the old walled town of Dinan, and a pleasant surprise when the receptionist told us that the previous night's guest had trashed our reserved room, so we were getting an apartment instead. Nice rooms, but 3rd floor with no lift.

Walked around a bit while waiting for the aptmt to be readied, then another walk to find a bank and check out restaurants. We had cheap crepes last night, so went for something better tonight and were not disappointed at Les Trois Lunes (3 Moons).

Day 2, Dol de Bretagne to Pontorson. A short ride to the coast, then along bike paths to Mont St Michel. Spent 3 hours there, including a visit to the Abbaye which was fascinating and very enlightening - architecturally speaking. Well worth the entry and audio guide fees. For lunch we had purchased a baguette, a hard sheep's cheese, tomatoes and some fruit, which we enjoyed on one of the ramparts. Afterwards only a short 8km ride along a bike path to Pontorson and our hotel for the night.

Day 1 of Brittany/Normandy ride: St Malo to Dol de Bretagne. 4-5kms of urban stuff (1 street in from the coast, so couldn't see it) before we hit rural France. Passed a couple of nice beaches, then detoured to the Pointe du Grouin with fine views West and Eastward to Mont St Michel. From there to Cancale for PP to try some freshly landed oysters, but she was very disappointed with them. The seafront was wall to wall cafes, all crowded, doing oysters and other delights of the sea, so we rode back up the hill to find a shop and buy some terrine and bread for lunch. Nice ride along country lanes (albeit busier than Galloway) to Dol, which has a nice cathedral.

Comparison of bikes: Btittany vs Galloway

Brittany bikes have two advantages - front suspension and side panniers, but then we don't really need these here but would like to have had them in Galloway to cope with the rough road surfaces and to carry more clothing for warmth and rain. Consequently the Brittany bikes are heavier, but unnecessarily so.

Both have the same crap Shimano 3x8 gears, and both have those stupid handlebar grips with the extremely uncomfortable flare on the outside. Whoever designed these is a bonehead, and the manufacturers that put them on bikes should be shot. Just plain round grips please guys!