Training Log Archive: FernWerm

Australian Middle Distance Championships
Ran W21E again today and totally skewed the statistics. ;)
Couldn't find the first control (11:21), although I was really close to the circle - just too far east. Found 12 and took a bearing to 1 and still ended up too far east. In the end, I saw Tracey go to the control and followed her. Not a great start. OK from here through to 10 which took me nearly 13 minutes to find. I did a parallel error by going over the spur too high and thinking one rocky outcrop I was going around was one that was further down the spur. Then I went into a very similar group of rocks on the side of a gully about 150m south of the control and couldn't work out why the control wasn't there. Eventually I saw some bear rock in a clearing to the north and had an 'oh crap' moment of realisation. Recovered ok from there but was 20 minutes or more behind everyone else by then. Embarrassing - but someone has to have a bad day. I did like the terrain of typical WA bush and lots of grass trees.

Course 2 - Splits

Australian Sprint Orienteering Championships
Ran W21E today and didn't do terribly. I hesitated a few times not sure if I had to go around walls or if I could go over, etc. Turned out I didn't do anything illegal and was pretty clean except for 17, 18 and 19 where I got a bit confused in the garden beds and went too slowly. Also not sure if my route to 21 was ideal, but there wouldn't have been much in it. Perfect weather and a great place for a sprint map. Hope we can run here again some time!

Course 2 - Splits

Enjoyed the country air some more in Cundinup before heading to Harvey to catch up with more rellies and watch the royal wedding.

Tyson and I ran around the scatter O course in Bunbury together and took in the sights of Dad's old high school, the beach and the newly developed area where Dad used to play in the sand dunes as a kid. Just jogged around enjoying the scenery. Then relaxed at Dome Cafe before Tyson and I headed to Busselton for a walk out along the 1.5km jetty and back.

Went for a morning jog with Tyson and Dad from the farm into the bush. We were relying on Dad for navigation, but forestry have changed all the tracks due to recent logging operations and we somehow got a bit bushed. A half hour dawdle turned into an hour long epic! It was a great run though - a real adventure. We did quite a bit of bush-bashing (I didn't include these bits in my timed run) along tracks that didn't quite exist or disappeared. We saw a brush tailed wallaby that was shocked to see us and some red tailed black cockatoos. It was a releif to see a familiar track and the farm appear before us again! We certainly earned breakfast. :)

C • Dalmatia 5

From the farm in Cundinup Tyson and I headed south past One Tree Bridge to Pemby where Tyson climbed the Glouster Tree (I know better than to try with my fear of heights) and we had lunch before heading back via Beedleup Falls and Nannup to visit my old work mate and show Tyson around the town I lived in for 4 years where my Dad grew up.
Apparently they are putting in a permanent O course around the Nannup foreshore. I'll have to give it a go next time I'm in town!

C • World-famous in Nannup 2

Today they took our course through the green. Controls 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were all in the green. By number 7 I'd had enough and took the long route around the green through the sandy paddock which was probably a good choice. I was lucky to hit 5 and 6 in the vague, thick green on a compass bearing, but I struggled to find 7 after going too high from the fence corner. The last 6 controls in the relatively fast rocky paddocks were a relief - although I struggled a little with the last control. I think I was tired!

C8 Day 4 - Splits