Training Log Archive: PG

Event: Shamrock O-Ringen 2011
 

Here's my route from yesterday evening. Don't think I went by any one place more than 4 times.

A few photos from today. First, looking from the car park up to the terrain, the start was in the gap just to the right of the one cloud. Seemed like a very long ways away....



About an average size crowd at the finish....



And a couple of kids coming in....



My control #10, easy to see from this direction but we were coming from above....



The last little knoll on the way to the last control....



And the last control itself....



Meanwhile, all the action was back in the car park.

Shamrock O'Ringen, day 1. Fabulous. Wide open spaces, not a tree to be seen, very interesting. Would have been even more interesting, and a lot harder, with some fog or mist or whatever they call it here. But it was still just fine.

I thought the running was going to be worse than it was, as the ground was quite uneven, but the only really bad places were the marshes, just grass but hummocky, had to try to run between the humps, fell down a few times but at least it was always a soft landing. Best running was on the rock, even when it was tilted, nice and firm even if a bit tough on the ankles.

And the orienteering was just a lot of fun. No mistakes to speak of, though close -- I wasn't too far from #2 when I decided I really should go to #1 first, and from 6 to 7 I was quite insecure and cautious, but basically all the flags were where I expected them. And my legs were OK, supposed to be 80 meters climb, but didn't really feel like any. The hardest running was across the marshes.

My course. Straight-line distance was 3.6 km. And my route.

C • not much to say there... 11

So, Ireland is interesting. Who knew it was part of the Caribbean -- islands, beaches, lush vegetation?







Agriculture is thriving....



There is some old stuff too --

Ross's castle, in Killarney, mostly restored....



An old abbey, in need of restoration....



An old graveyard (perfect spot for Trail-O'?)....



Some old orienteers (Mr. and Mrs. Bubo)....



And of course there is orienteering. Here was meet headquarters. Registration was at the trunk (the boot?), downloading at the passenger side....



And quite a civilized place, here's the route to the first control....



Tomorrow I think the terrain will be quite different, maybe more like this....

Most important stuff first -- another 21 controls, so the total is now 765/1000. Although perhaps I should only count spiked controls, in which case today would have only added 17....

Sprint course in Kenmare (the "long" course, nominally 3.4 km) on a map called "Rinn na gCros" -- I have no idea what this means, or why the C but not the g is upper case. A strange course, though given the terrain it was as good as could be done. And regardless of the merits of the course, I certainly enjoyed it.

Here's the course.

C • Rinn na gCros 1

Not very interesting except for finding a castle, which is worth investigating. And better than taking a nap.

C • castles 8

Control count now -- 744/1000. It's going to be close. Actually, it's only going to be close if I do some extra training sessions in the next two months.

Managed to get plane tickets, car, accommodation, and entries all set for France in August. Looking forward to it. Of course that will just count for the next 1000 (or 2000 for Ali) control challenge as this one ends August 9 (I think).

C • France 4

A few photos from the weekend --

Charlie's son Zach at graduation:



Saturday afternoon we stopped at the Pepsico sculpture gardens, beautiful place.

A large Calder in the distance....



And a much smaller frog, can't remember by whom....



And a delightful Oldenburg....

Middle course at Blue Mountain (red, M-45, same as women's team trials).

Not so bad. Slower than ever as far as just moving through the terrain (and also stopping to read the map), but no mistakes of more than 10 seconds. And that is worth something. So a few scalps taken. :-)

My route. Can't see much that I would have done differently except maybe take the trail around the marsh on the way to 3. And also maybe not fall about 10 yards after the start triangle, a bit of rocky ground, something happened and the next thing I knew I was crashing rather painfully. Fortunately nothing serious.

Another really nice course. Blue Mountain is a great place. I first ran there in 1980. Over the years since then I've actually been there not very often, the most recent being a Billygoat (2002?) and an A meet in 1998. Would be nice to go back more often.

Actually my first time at Blue Mountain was probably in 1979. Ed Hicks had gotten the base map and signed me up to map it. I went down there to start work, spent a few hours, and decided it was more than I wanted to handle, and backed out of the job.

Here's the map from one of the days of the first A meet there in 1980. No OCAD, no GPS, no control printing software, no watches that took splits. Still had the same controls to look for. The map was done by Eric Weyman and Pat Dunlavey, I think it was their first joint project, first of many fine maps.

My one recollection of this weekend was that, having run a 50-miler the weekend before, on pavement (first and only time for that, the pavement part), my knees were quite sore. :-)

C • And.. 4

C • Thanks again PG! 1

Red - Splits

Yesterday's sprint course (red, also course for women's team trials).

Today's long course (red, also course for women's team trials).

And my routes on the sprint and the long.

A little warm-up. Already clear it was going to be a long day.

"Long" course at Blue Mt (red, m45, same course F21 ran). Generally good orienteering mostly offset a pretty feeble physical performance.

Only error of substance was from 9 to 10, too far right, one of the easiest legs on the course. But because of that damage was limited. Plus I think my route from 11 to 12 was not the best. I think higher/straighter was better? Hard to know, I was doing a lot of walking by then.

Best legs were the downhill ones, 8, 9, 16, 17. Also for sure the most fun. Even had the best split on 8, though I know others had mistakes (but then that's the only way I'm going to get a best split).

Pretty warm. I think a lot of folks croaked. I know I was totally dripping when I finished, looked like I'd just been in the lake.

Nice course by Neil, also a real nice forest. Blue Mountain really is a gem.

C • 9 to 10? 2

Walking around picking up a few controls. Botched the last one! Would have helped if I'd looked at my compass, but with a few controls under my arm it just didn't happen. A good lesson.

Red - Splits