Training Log Archive: GM

Pleasant ride with MaryMac from ANU to Boat House via a stop at the new cafe at the Museum of Australia for a coffee and fantastic view of the lake, then the south side of Central Basin. I rode back to Rob and Al's in Cook while MaryMac went and picked up the car and met me there. We were picking up a bag of rock wool insulation, plus checking out their new kitchen - a great improvement; simple and modern.

Australian Relays at The Gib. I ran 3rd leg in an M55A team with Phil Walker and Bruce Bowen. We ended up in 3rd place a long way behind VIC (Chris N, Ted van G, Geoff L) and NSW (Bob V, O-ing, Golfer) but a long way ahead of 4th, but a pleasing team effort with 3 steady runs.

My run was ok and compared to yesterday it was brilliant - amazing what 10 hrs of sleep can do. I went leftish on the long first leg but still struggled a bit on the climb. I used the big clearing and massive rocks to the east and found the control easily. My only mistake was on 2 where I was in the circle but just couldn't see the boulder so dropped further down the hill then back in a circle to the north before climbing and relocating then straight to the control. Lost 2.5 mins doing this. On the long leg heading back I climbed to stay on the edge of the clearing then through the saddle and climbed and contoured the last hill to hit the high point. The rest of the controls were good and essentially went straight but reading the map the whole way.

Finished in time to see Jo bring it home for the Cockies in W21E and the overall NOL win. Closely followed by Craney doing the same for the men. Then the big surprise of the day was the Cockies #2 team taking 3rd place and beating all the other state teams. The M20E Cockies also took the win and the NOL comp. We just need a few more junior women.

Event: Australian Middle Distance/Relay Championships
 

Australian Middle distance at 'The Gib'. This was definitely a PW as I can't think of a race in the last 30 years where I was as bad over a number of controls as I was today. I picked up the map, had a glance at 1, thought it's just up to the clearing and over the spur then past some big rocks and there it will be. That was about the last sensible bit of planning I did for the whole race. The rest was just a vague wander over a great course on a great area. I mucked up 1 but did relocate ok, but then just ran over to 2 expecting that it would magically appear. Lost about 7 minutes here going down and up then down and up then down and up, but never up enough to be where the control was. Overshot 3 by 20m but did stop and come back. Poor direction out of 4 meant I went too far left on 5 and did another series of up and down the slope trying to make things fit before I traversed back across to the right boulder. The next few legs were easy and I didn't have any problems, but then came the leg to 12 and I just ran into this vague area with lots of boulders and rocks and no idea where I was. I was going to try and read the map but didn't so did another wander around. In the end I found my first control and then used it to find 2, but still wobbled doing that. Then it was just down the hill which I managed without any problems. At least I was less than twice Geoff's time. I just felt mentally drained the whole way. Oh well, at least it was some exercise.

C • As I said 1

Oz Middle Course 5 - Splits

Nuggets run from the Trewin's with Blair and Bruce after the ASC FTEM health check at the AIS. Around the bottom of Aranda Hill, then a loop through Black Mt and back over Aranda Hill. A bit of NOL chat and some about the political boundaries of inner Melbourne. Felt good running and not having courses and controls and all the miriad of event organization running through my head. Perfect weather too.

Run around Spence before it was dark. Felt surprisingly good and pushed along at a nice tempo.

Putting out the last couple of controls for the Schools Relays then a loop through the southern and eastern controls to wake them up while Phoebe did the Northern ones. Perfect timing meant that I met her at the spectator controls just as her SI stick was full and the units stopped waking up. I could do the last couple.

Then off to put out the water at the drinks controls.

Picking up the last of the controls and taped routes from the ASOC individual

Picking up controls and drinks containers. Time includes going back out to get 125 which was 'missed' by Allan Seargent who had come to help collect. I was a bit surprised to run to the termite mound to find an absence of control! I then ran through 10 other control sites nearby in case he had left it behind but no luck. Back at the arena I found that they actually had the number and presumably flag and stand but no SI unit. Allan thinks it may have 'slipped out' of the belt. This is why I use those green shopping bags to carry the units, numbers, flags.

I think he was planning a return the next day to search for the lost SI unit.

C • Great .... 2

Helped set up the start then off to wake up all the controls in the second half of the course, while Phoebe was doing a sweep through all the early controls to wake them.

The wind was strong and would only get stronger during the day - pity, but nothing we can do about it.

One of the NZ girls cam back to the finish to say there was a fire out on the course. Phoebe and I went out there with 10 litres of water and a shovel. There was a bit of smoke from the burn off area but one patch immediately adjacent to the control had some nice little flames, so we doused them with the water and then shovelled dirt over all the smouldering remains.

Pulling in the water controls so Maurice could refill them tomorrow.

Putting out the Relay controls in the area that overlapped the individual, plus out through the paddock close to the arena. Heather came along and we kept going until it was nearly dark. Still had 3 left to do but they can wait for the morning.