Training Log Archive: Anvil

Met up with Pookie down at Pittwater for some last ditch effort to do some technical training before Oceania.
Did 3 short butterfly loops in the dunes. I'm not totally confident I was in the right spot for all of them without tape, will need to confirm on a GPS track - map please Ryan! Felt quite good though and good to run with someone for the first time in a while.

Mountain Run. Springs to Chalet along Organ Pipes Track. Down to Junction Cabin and back to Springs along Lenah Valley Track.
I've only done this once before and hated it that time, I enjoyed it a lot more today - I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder.
It's got some epic views the whole way, but you never really notice it cause you're either climbing, looking at the ground cause it's so rocky or going downhill or any combination of those three.
I really noticed the difference between Australia 'bushwalkers' and English 'ramblers' today. Aussies wear jeans/shorts/three quarter pants and a T-Shirt and carry a small backpack - likely holding some water, a muesli bar and a long sleeved top. Brits wear hiking boots, thermals, waterproof pants, windbreaker, gloves, beanies and who knows how many other layers (probably a cagoule - I never found out what that was). They have hiking poles, compass, maps in plastic casing, space blanket, first aid kit, lunch box and a thermos.
I think it says a whole lot about the difference between out cultures!

Belbins loop. Though I haven't consciously noticed it, I think the jet lag and change in temperature (low single digits to mid twenties) has caught up with me. Strugglefest. Didn't help that it's pretty much 30 mins of varying uphill gradients followed by a long steep downhill stretch.
Actually, this jet lag rubbish can piss right off - it's been 4 days now and I could pretty much go to bed now (it's not even 5).

Uncovered my map collection from storage and pulled out an old Pittwater map (21/4/02). Ran out, did controls 5-13 then came back. Wasn't the most interesting course, legs 5 through to 8 were almost a straight line and about 2km total, so decided to study the map before each leg, pick out a route and go full throttle without reading the map in between. Nailed 7, 8 and 11. 9 and 10 I think I got right, but really needed a control to be sure! Got confused at 12 (in that dodgy strip near the beach) and had no idea at 13.
Was a good session to get back into tricky stuff, I can still do this but will have to slow down in NZ and also remember it's almost impossible to relocate in dunes without an obvious feature. (At least for me it is).

Just looked up the results from that race, a TOS event. Did 77 for a 5.6km (course 3) and was beaten by (among others); Louis, Matty Hope (both 56), Julia Davies (59), Luka (63), Boofa (64 - I kid you not), Lee and Anthea (69). Granted this was at the height of my tubbiness, but still - that's embarassing!

What makes it all better is if you scroll to the bottom of the results: Ryan Smyth, Hanny Allston: DNF!

http://www.tasorienteering.asn.au/results/2002_04_...

C • DNS 4

Another ace day - 28, so headed to the mountain. An old loop devised by Jo Mitchell (hence the name) - Fern Tree -> O'Gradys Falls -> Circle Track to Lenah Valley Track -> Sphinx Rock -> Springs -> Silver Falls vis Middle Track.
Ran the whole way up circle track which I never used to do. Have decided to pick up a cheap digital camera for these runs to let all you people in a Winter Wonderland realise what you're missing out on.
So this used to be my 55-60 min loop. Looks like I need to rethink my old runs if I keep smashing up the times like this!

This is going alright, OK on the hills and although it's pretty hot I'm coping with the heat pretty good..... It was 18, felt more like 28 to me - yikes!
Waterworks up and around Chimney Pot Hill. Used to be a 40-45 minute run, got back in about 37 and that's with the jet lag and a belly full of brekky (scrambled eggs on sourdough, bacon and mushrooms and a latte bowl courtesy of machine - very good) so did a lap of the reservoir to go over 40.
Pittwater or Snakes Plains and a visit to Banjos or Fish Frenzy on the cards tomorrow I think.

C • Happy Christmas 4