Training Log Archive: Craney

Mt Alexander. What a fantastic area! Terrain/maps/races like this are what I orienteer for. A runnable but steep slope covered in huge granite boulders and cliffs. Had a really good run - took it careful not to come off line mid-leg (disaster tended to strike for those who did) and also a bit careful not to cripple my ankle, but was able to push quite hard on the hills and the sections where I really was sure. Didn't take the best lines on #1 and #3, so was already 1min back on Simon, but he missed a bit in the phi loops so I got ahead. Dropped 50s on #10, which seemed further away from the clearing than I expected. Also 30s on #15 doing a lap of the wrong boulder. Straight (contouring) to #16 worked ok and I caught Lachlan at the end of that leg. We ran together to #22 where I got a slightly better line across the slope. Ended up clawing back the deficit from yesterday to take an 8s lead into the last day...
route
splits

Day 2 M21E - Splits

Yorkshire Hill (should've felt at home!).12th place,+3.14 on Toph who had a blinder. After a 2.30min mistake at #8, I knew I wouldn't have done great, but I'd felt like it was quite a tricky course and the rest of my run was pretty much clean, so I really didn't expect to be quite so far back and behind so many people. Really fun course - I guess not as tricky as it seemed, but the Aussies are definitely very strong in goldmining and I haven't quite got the knack yet. Turns out I was already 1.30mins behind by #7 (not sure how, maybe being too cagey with my ankle?). The semi-open south of #8 wasn't there, and the green south of that looked open from where I was stood, which was why it took me so long to relocate. Fortunately kept pace with the others round the rest of the course.
route
splits

C • some old skool contour draw... 2

Day 1 Course 1 - Splits

Event: Easter 2013
 

Latrobe University, Bendigo. Fortunate to just sneak out on top in a topsy-turvy race. Lots more bush than I was expecting (should've taped ankles!) - and straight into it on #1. 25s binned there, possibly in part due to an index contour which stopped in an area of (erosion) gullies - confusing. Another 10s binned at #4 also in the bush - off slightly to the right but picked up the big depression. Not a great start - 33s down on the lead. But very calm and smooth through to #10, before taking a couple of suboptimal routes on #11 and #12. Still 31s down. Very clean and smooth after that, while it looks like Simon and Bryan had a few small wobbles on the last bit, so I just managed to fluke a 2s win from Bryan, with Simon only 3s back on that. Great sprint course from Toph though, with a bit of everything.
route
splits

With Gracie and Lizzie from Lizzie's place and onto Ainslie where we did a short corridor exercise, Lizzie and I both taking the opportunity to get a few mistakes out of our system before the weekend.

8x3mins on roads round 'bundah and Red Hill. Didn't go great - felt really heavy from the get go and breathing only got more difficult. Had a break between the 4th and 5th reps and tried to relax a bit more into the last few. Meh, good to get the legs moving anyway.

Was gonna do a run with Lizzie but circumstances (Gracie being locked out due to not taking keys to work!) conspired against me.