Training Log Archive: leepback

Event: Newcastle Park Tour 7 - Event 3 - Croudace Bay
 

Thomas H Halton Park - Croudace Bay

Main aim today was to beat Mapgirl. I knew it was going to be tough as the map doesn't offer a lot in the way of navigational difficulty. It was also in her favour that the terrain is flat and fast whereas I'm fat and need to fast.

She went out first and mumbled something about 29 minutes. I ran naked (that's no timing mechanism rather than no clothes) so as not to gain any advantage by knowing her time.

I started OK and most controls appeared when they should have. Fatigue was my constant companion and I felt I walked far too often and for far to long. Ran out of the pivot control slightly off course the first time I visited it as a pivot because I was confused as to why others were coming from other directions. This cost me maybe 10 seconds at most and was really my only nav problem.

Interestingly Mapgirl held a 5 second lead over me wiith only 4 controls left to visit. She turned that into a 15 second loss by the finish line. Ha Ha still beating her even though she is outrunning me. Looking at the splits she beat me on nearly all the long runs and I beat her on the short ones. All the wins were by small margins meaning we were close on times all the way around.

I fully expect to beat her next week when there are buildings involved.

LeepBax was a bit tired and wasn't at his best socially although he put on a brave face and was mostly friendly. He went to sleep very quickly after his dinner and bath. Orienteering seems to tire him out, as it does his dad.

Long - Splits

Abysmaly wetl conditions. Worst yet.

Wind was ferocious againsst the pram when heading into it but conversly helped push pram when with it. Reckon there is a multiplyer effect that increases the addittional effort needed to pram push compared with just running. sure the runners also have the wind but it seems to be expnentially aplied to the pram. The rolling friction is also increased on the gravel (sloppy) sections.

Mapgirl beat LeepBax and myself by 4:23.

We came 5th last with the numbers down to just 121 participants. I expect we were so close to the bottom because many of the so-so runners wouldn't go out in such conditions. Still happy to take LeepBax out in it as he didn't get wet and was quite warm. The oly considerations I would have is that if it were windyer I would worry about flying debris and falling tree branches and would thus not attend.

We can go next Sat but will miss the following one due to SL1.

EDIT: forgot to say that while it was the worst conditions we actually ran better than 5 of out of 9 runs so far so not too shabby.