Training Log Archive: Mess Engineer

Event: NOY8 - Abernethy
 

Hard Medium.
Nominal 5.6 km.
21 Controls.

Fantastic course. Best of Year.
Normally don't like butterfly loops but this made good use of the available terrain and didn't make the map too complex or unreadable.
Like the lots of short sharp nav and then one long leg ... with no obvious track option forcing me to go bush.

#1 Down track to rubbish either side. Then direct E. DEAD ON! According to splits 1:18 so 2 seconds off being the fastest!

#2 Down track S, then SE, then S to control. DEAD ON!

#3 W through scrub to main N-S track. S to W branch. Down here to intersection then straight W down water course and across to termite mound. Saw flag from 40 m away. DEAD ON! According to splits 7:38 so was fastest competitor by this point. This doesn't happen often.

#4 W around hill to watercourse then up watercourse. Kept wondering when I was going to hit the road as seemed a long way away (splits indicate my route meant I lost time) but there was control so no issue.

#5 NW across first track, then veered W to make sure I didn't go too high N. Ended up where track crossed creek (splits indicate my route meant I lost time) so followed track around to control with no issue.

#6 NE along water course, crossed SE branch (another control but not mine) then up to track. 10 seconds of confusion on track before corrected and on to control.

#7 Same control as #3. First big stuff-up. Headed SE but ended up way too high where minor track crossed creek. Came back S too far and then saw Jim (who started 2 min AFTER me) running off which implied he was leaving control. Found control and Carolyn (who started 2 min BEFORE me) (splits indicate I was SLOWEST of the day to find #7). So the 3 of us had a race for the next 4 controls before I broke away after #11.

#8 S to watercourse and found control quickly (not to repeat next run).

#9 S to road then S along watercourse. Jim and Carolyn looking. Found it first to overtake. Splits indicate I was fastest of the day!

#10 E and DEAD on.

#11 S and DEAD on. Carolyn still looking for #10. Then lost them both.

#12 SW back to track. SW up CORRECT watercourse and to control.

#13 Back S ensuring I followed correct watercourse as it branched into two. No issues.

#14 Probably a 1.2 km leg with no clear track options. Bush bashed back to track I came down at the start to 3. Then across W via minor tracks until they ran out. Then bush bashed. Came out at track intersection by cliff face W of 16. Quickly worked out where I was and then track around to #14. 15 second search through rubbish to find the correct spot.

#15 S to tracks then SE. Once in the open W to near water course and control. OK.

#16 NW to track and across. NW to gully / watercourse. Minor search. Viola O'Connor looking for same control. Found it first and then off again.

#17 2nd big mistake. Karma. N to correct Earth Wall. Right next to building so in right spot. No control? Looked around in circles. Hang on ... one of the complaints from my event last week was I didn't specify which side of the earth wall. OK - north side ... so I am on the wrong side. Other side of wall ... BINGO. Splits indicate I was 2nd slowest of the day.

#18 NE to track, watercourse and control.

#19 NW to track, watercourse and rockfaces.

#20 N along watercourse and across multiple tracks. Slight search but found it. A lot harder than the method used later.

#21 No clear plan of how to find this. Just ran towards the finish and would sort it out when I got there. Bush bashed. Massive kangaroo jumped through scrub and missed me by centimetres. Found Control 231 (as did many) which wasn't mine. With Daniel Orr and followed him to correct one.

C • splits 1

Moderate Long.
17 Controls (3 shared with prior course).

2nd run.
Had been to Control 4 (245), Control 12 (213) and Control 15 (233) on prior course.

Was pretty tired and sweaty in eyes (left sweat bnad at home) so my good navigation dropped off. Didn't enjoy this as much as the high of the first run as less complex nav and was more tired.

#1 No issues

#2 Ran up the watercourse and straight past it (off to one side) and ended up at #3. Backtrack so lost about 3 minutes.

#3 Since I had already been there instead of #2 - no issues.

#4 hads been to before (from the S) but approached from the E Road. Even though I knew it was there ran back and forth looking at different little gullies (???) before I found it. Lost about 3 minutes.

#5 No issues

#6 Been here before as past this control on prior course so no issues.

#7 Started up the wrong branch of water course SW rather than S but compass warned me what I was doing so corrected. Turned out been here before as past this control on prior course.

#8 Via the track. No issues

#9 Via the track. No issues (way out in the open)

#10 Via the track. No issues (way out in the open)

#11 Via the track. No issues (had been to this cliff face on prior course)

#12 Shared with prior course so no issues.

#13 No issues.

#14 No issues.

#15 Shared with prior course. Approached via track from E rather than watercourse from S so was easier this time.

#16 No issues.

#17 No issues.

Came home from Orienteering Event today which involved tripping over, clambering over logs, jumping across creekbanks, dropping down 2 metre banks and more. Just a few scrapes and cuts.

Partner came home from 3 days up the coast. She went to internal garage to scare away a kookaburra smashing on his reflection on the glass window (all our flyscreens are ruined on every window by now). On coming back inside she stepped up the ONLY step in the entire house (200 mm) and slipped in socks on the wooden floor. Broke her right leg in three places! Go figure. Fibula, Tibia and one other one part of the ankle.

So Maitland Hospital most of night. They had to temporarily push everything back into place to get the swelling down and put on a temporary cast. She will stay there for probably 3 days until they can operate and fill her leg full of plates and screws. Then won't be able to walk or work for 9 weeks.

Hard Medium - Splits

Haven't done much in the yard for ages.
Three wheelbarrows of fallen stick collection mostly from down the back.
Took the first hour to stop thinking.

Distance a guess.
Around Hunter Valley Botanic Gardens solo.
Attempting to get lava levels down or switch off brain or both.

Looking forward to a run (or two) on Sunday which will do both of the above.

Frustration levels at an all time uncharted high.
All the treadmills taken so bailed on the 2nd half.

C • !! 1

Didn't feel like a run this morning and the constant rain sealed the deal.

Legs fairly sore from the weekend.
Skipped gym so left dressed ready in work clothes.
Been driving through Brandy Hill to avoid roadworks at Morpeth.

Must have been half asleep this morning as missed the turn off and ended up at Seaham before I noticed so took the scenic route to work.
Then once at work I went to the change room at work and started stripping off to get changed ... only to then realise I was already dressed ready to go.

Woke up more during the day!