Training Log Archive: Anvil

Event: SILVA National Orienteering League
 

Galaxy Sprint at UTas Launnie Campus.
Pretty decent race. Was pleased I picked the super narrow gaps to #2 (73) and #15 (45) and saved myself a couple of seconds.
10 secs at #5 (76) - didn't see the control tucked away amongst the vegetation.
Had a pretty bad split on the long leg to #8 (79), didn't think it was so bad but looking at it now I changed my mind twice how I was going to do it mid leg, and it was really just a leg where it didn't matter how you did it, just do it quickly.
Missed the right option on #16 (46) as I'd already gone too far to the left and missed the turn off before I noticed it on the map (10 secs)
I don't know how much time this cost me, but about 4 or 5 times I realised I'd settled into a cruisy pace and had to consciously force myself to run faster - never had that 'balancing the fine line of speed and navigation' feeling during the course and finished the course without that usual 'I'm about to spew' feeling.
15th overall is acceptable given all of the above.
Loved the dual loop format and pretty impressed with the map - just the right amount of detail for a sprint without being overmapped. Wouldn't have hurt to exaggerate some of the building gaps for clarity at speed. Defo the best Tassie sprint map so far - until someone maps UTAS Sandy Bay.....

C • slow 3

Not as much warm up as I should have had, as there was much catching up needed on the weeks events since Monday - from the SES to the many facets of Wednesday night, there is never a dull moment in Tasmania!
Cool down around bits of the campus, showed the boys my super sneaky route to 15 and felt smug.

Mountain run with Sebba and Kez. Fern Tree to Springs via Silver Falls -> Lenah Valley Track to Junction Cabin via Sphinx Rock -> North South Track -> Circle Track to O' Gradys Falls -> S27(?) to Strickland Ave and on to Cascade Brewery just in time for the brewery tour.
Was in a wee bit of pain on the first climb, almost lost the contents of my stomach towards the end (can't think why) but once we got to Sphinx Rock I freshened up nicely and enjoyed the cruisy pace of the rest of the run.
Great day to be on the mountain, pretty brisk but sunny and clear.
Brewery tour was good too - chips/bread/dips after hit the spot perfectly (and much better than slothing around at home feeling sorry for yourself...)

Aborted a mountain run due to the rain and did two laps of Fiddlers with Messrs Dunne, Rattray and Smyth. Extremely slippery after the mornings downpour and I didn't help the matter by wearing roady shoes.
Pookie had to go home to deal with some riff raff so I took the visitors to Jackman and McRoss for lunch which seemed to get the thumbs up from the cafe connoisseurs!

Crashed last night at 8:30 and slept through till 10!
Easter thoughts - though I wouldn't have thought a result like that possible 2 years ago, I can't feel a little frustrated by my placing - iron out the amateur errors and I'm just outside the top 10.
Though it was good for me, can't help thinking the course setters were a little too nice to us on days 2 and 3 - was disappointed there was no epic route choice leg on Windfalls.
A more impressive fall of mine at the run through on Day 2 has appeared out there in cyberspace - I thought I'd gotten away with it as it was after I'd passed the photographer, there must have been another of the paparazzi hidden out there...

Final Day at Easter.
Was feeling sluggish at the start due to a fairly broken sleep, tried warming up but it just didn't take. The sluggishness seemed to last the entire race - it felt like I was running fast and pushing, especially when I was with Sebba around 4 and 5 and Geoff Stacey in the last loop, but my low HR suggests otherwise.
Was basically a clean run with no major mistakes, but some time loss would have crept in as I was constantly just to the right or left of the control on legs 1, 2, 9, 10, 13, 16 and 17 - I remember thinking as I ran up to 1, there goes 20 seconds.
Enjoyed the course, it wasn't anything too difficult. Though it was a struggle doing all the climb through the bracken at the start of the race, it did give us the ability to do that magic downhill section through open forest in the middle of the course. I didn't mind some of the crap (wattle, bracken hiding fallen logs etc) around 5 cause it gave the mainlanders an idea of what we put up with on a regular basis!
The new maps a good 'un too - nothing groundbreaking, but enough detail to set interesting courses and the root mounds were actually well mapped and easy to see in the terrain (though how long that will last is anyones guess)

I can still count the number of Long races I've run as elite in one hand, so I didn't have a lot of expectations for this race. Just planned to run as cleanly as possible and to keep a constant pace throughout.
Felt quite good beforehand, had a really decent nights sleep for once and felt strong once the race started.
Slight mistake at one (30 secs or so), but spiked #2 which a few had issues with. Decided to go straight on #3 as I was feeling good and the forest was so fast, but ended up going a little wide and hit the fenceline. A bit slow on #6 as I expected the control to be right up a crevice on the cliff line but it was quite obviously out in the open. Not impressed with #12, the long vague downhill leg with no good attack points and the control on the creek in green. Aimed well off and followed it down - was a safe route but at least it didn't blow out too much.
Was announced I was currently in 9th spot going through the spectator control, though I didn't hear it. Wasn't surprised by the amount of climb in the final loop, just put my head down and ground them out. Unfortunately lost a minute with a bad route to 15, a couple of more in the vagueness at 16 (have had trouble in that area before) and a couple more on 19 not noticing there were 2 parallel eroded creeks - about 5-6 minutes total on this final section which cost me about 10 places.
20th overall. Kind of happy, just frustrated that I was on track for something better. Best thing I can take from this is how good I felt physically, never once felt fatigued and could have kept going at the end.