Training Log Archive: Mess Engineer

Event: NOY7 - Heartrate Hills
 

Run previously on this "Heart Rate Hills" map and had very mixed results with some long periods of getting lost ... and some faultless runs. Contours, contours, contours everywhere.

#1 So close to the start that the circle overlapped the triangle. I still managed to overshoot and had to come back. Almost the slowest competitor to this control losing about 2 minutes looking at the splits. So great start for me ... again.

#2 South down track. W following streamer trail. Cut through the bush. Came to watercourse low. Chose the wrong arm so lost some time. So two screwups already so wrote this event off.

#3 Really struggling on the hills so resorted to walking some. Up to track. NW along track. Then diagonal to correct water course. No issues.

#4 NW to other track. Took the 2nd branch off to the west. Down to watercourse and along to control. No issues.

#5 NE back to main track. Up to track Y intersection. North to minor track. Followed minor track around W to Y intersection. Then N. Started off E on track before realising error so back track 10 m then N to water course. Round to dirt mound. No issues.

#6 E past first track, across water course to come across minor track ? Guessed it must be the one N of water course that 6 was in. Up water course and could see 6 from more than 100 m away. Lucky.

#7 S to main track. Walked up this entire hill. A Long Hard competitor next to me did the same. Followed main track to Y branch. Took branch to W. Minor track S past rise. Been here many times before. Made sure I took the correct spur down to gully. On to control no issues.

#8 SW up to track and down other side straight to control. No issues.

#9 SW down across creek, track, creek and up again to control. No issues.

#10 E back to main track. Run parallel to water course but up out of the green. To power pole. Around track to bend. Then E from bend to see control from 50 m away. No issues.

#11 NE to control. No issues.

#12 NE to track. Down to control. No issues.

#13 E to control. No issues.

So came back expecting my time would be terrible but ended up coming 9th of 24 as multiple other people had major shockers. My two screwups ended up not being significant enough to knock me down the bottom.

C • Route choices 1

Didn't do a 2nd course today as was struggling. Spent the 2 hr gap in between talking through maps for my upcoming 'first ever' Bush setting event in 2 weeks with Denis Lyons, Carolyn Rigby and a few others.

Control Collection - 9 Controls.
Distance a guess.

Started off doing the Moderate Short Course backwards looking for competitors 15 minutes past the course closure deadline. Found them at Control #9 with Carolyn Matthews who had found them and was guiding them back. So went on to control collection.

3 of the 9 Controls were on my previous course (as #3, #9 and #8). Approached these from totally different direction. Spent a lot of time mucking around trying to find two of the ones I had not previously visited as was not reading the map as walking carrying too many control stands. A time loss that major would have been a problem on the real course.

Hard Medium - Splits

Still trying to get back from 2 weeks sickness.

Bailed out early as despite doing nothing for 2 weeks left shoulder immediately complaining when doing tricep pushups. And I wasn't really motivated so used that as excuse.

Still struggling with motivation so forced a slow run.
Way too dark in the mornings for usual Throsby Creek run so had to move to somewhere with adequate street lighting.
Wickham Railway Station to Nobbys Beach Carpark and return.
Stopped at 10 minute mark to strip off two layers of skivys since had warmed up by then.

Dropped back 5 kg to ease into return to this class.

Trying to get back into Gym after sickness.
Motivation extremely low.

Walking at 7.5 kmph only.
Trying to get back into Gym after sickness.
Motivation extremely low.

Doing a walking lap around the back block this afternoon found there is now a herd of cattle in the large rural block behind us. Saw about 5 - they freaked out and ran away when the dogs and I came near (based on the dogs normal 'attack everything' approach I had picked them up off the ground by this stage).

Apart from one person riding a horse ages ago this is the first time I have seen domesticated animals on this block in over 3 years.

The (350 acre?) block has been subdivided up into two block recently and new fencing put up to separate the two .... so maybe this is a sign of things to come.