Training Log Archive: Georgia

A bit slow and sick but managed to refund my entry fee in winnings so it was worth it?

Erg regretting entering the mt somers race tomorrow. Still feeling well below average. Will see how 42k goes.

C • Good luck! If you're really... 3

Have been feeling like I've been getting a cold all weekend. Still feel like I'm getting sick but not actually sick.

Back in the big boat. Freezing cold. A lot of stuffing around.

The usual monday night loop in reverse on a Thursday. Looking forward to some Naseby orienteering this weekend and some Mt Somers suffering next weekend

Sigh...life got in the way of exciting wednesday training. So lets call a commute training for today because it was very windy and very hard work.

Worsleys - Flying Nun - Harry Ell with Mitch and Stru. Found a whole lot of fun single track up Worsleys on the right hand side of the main track. Can't believe I've never been down there before the tracks look like they have been there for ages!

Felt pretty good running tonight. Stru was working hard which was a nice change.

Run out to Godley Head. Remains of blisters from the rogaine still causing trouble but otherwise ok. Had to have a nana nap afterwards :)

Probably time to start kayaking again :(

Up farm track (steep and hard work) round and to the supermarche

A nice short ride up the hill after work. Up huntsbury and down the single track.

I think I might start using my Garmin/HR monitor again.

Cruising the streets with TC chasing down rogainers. Cyclocross!

Event: Australasian Rogaining Championships
 

Australasian Rogaine Champs near Capertee with Greig.

After last years travel extravaganza to get to the event and back to NZ without taking a day off work we decided to be more relaxed this year and head over on Friday morning. This was a good idea as we had a relaxing drive through the Blue Mountains and a nice place to camp for the night. I was pretty concerned at how hot it was at the hash house when we arrived and that the Australians were all gleefully showing us photos of the "friendly" snake that had been hanging around the tents.

So anyway, we got the maps and were surprised that the course so was so short. Based on all the terrain info we had and the pace we had gone in the last two rogaines we were convinced we should clear the course, hopefully with hours to spare. And so we planned a route to collect all the controls not really paying much attention to silly efforts to get minimal points other than leaving the "points desert" in the NE (?) corner until the end. Once the race started we were constantly losing time on our plan and on reflection we should have realised we weren't going to get them all earlier and made a bit of a sensible back up plan. We kept thinking the terrain would get faster and we would catch up time (the organisers wouldn't lie to us would they?!!).

I pretty much had a hard time for most of this race. Greig was just cruising along and I was suffering from the beginning. Maybe the heat or maybe I had been racing too much recently. I got pretty down about how I was going (not helped by Greig insisting that we were dawdling while I felt like my head was going to explode) and generally got a bit demoralised (and grumpy). I was annoyed that I'd done lots of training and now was slowing the team up so much. This bad attitude effected how we finished the race and ended up probably costing us 2nd place. Lesson learnt (hopefully).

We sucked at night again, losing hours to nav mistakes (98, 60 in particular but also the others around the base of the plateau) which was depressing and frustrating. Although again we should have been more positive about things and just got on with it. You never know how you are going in a rogaine and need to keep pushing to the end. And the navigation was tricky.

We ended up clearing the majority of the course expect for all the high pointers in the NE corner.

A bit of a ramble of a race report but I'm sure Greig will post a GPS track which will explain more of what we did.

Lessons learnt:
- I should have a small pack, Greig should carry more
- Maybe we shouldn't team up for races that are likely to be scrubby or very physical (steep hills) we seemed to be too different pace for this to really work this year (annoying for both parties)
- Always plan a good finish for if you are running out of time and execute it. Don't just meander along picking the next controls one at a time.
- Stay positive. Everyone has bad times its how you deal with it that makes the difference.

C • Good call 5

C • The night wasn't quite as b... 2

C • You're still ridiculously a... 4

An easier Monday run than normal

Spectating the road relay and around the sumit road to sumner

Was a beautiful evening so couldnt resist a run up the valley to the top and back down. Rest day tomorrow

A lovely ride on the hills. Really enjoying training at the moment. Its probably the extra sun.

WINDY