Training Log Archive: Mess Engineer

Event: 2014 State League #6 - Rydal
 

Nominal 4.0 km. 6 Controls.

I was really really concerned about this event as the 1:15000 scale was going to totally muck me up since I had never run on map like this before.
But result was I was very very careful and kept checking off features on my way around so relied on good navigation and had basically no squiggles on my GPS trace.
Never run in open gum forest like this before but some of the fallen timber and thick grass had to be avoided.

#1 Basically NE to track. N parallel to major track. Followed minor track across to where could see gully and saw control. Good start.

#2 SW to track. S between two termite mounds. Straight to gully and control. Good.

#3 Long leg. Basically S counting off 4 gullies. Got dead on to gully fork just NE of my control. Up hill to termite mound. Good.

#4 SE to gully and control. So close to other control not sure why they bothered.

#5 SW past termite mound. Kept up out of gullies. Must of been too high as got to track and was confused. Stopped. Decided to just head south as if overshot would hit major track. Got to another termite mound and track which gave me hope where I was and then next contours confirmed it. Over ridge to see control and was relieved that I was correct.

#6 Just run as fast as possible on tracks to minimise time.

Left at 11:30 am to try and get some more exploring in on return journey.

Detour on drive back to Newcastle.
Mount Wilson.
Waterfall walk.

Detour on drive back to Newcastle.
Mount Wilson.
Cathedral of Ferns and Big Tree Walk.

Detour on drive back to Newcastle.
Mount Wilson.
Pheasants Cave.
The GPS trace for this has absolute birds next of squiggly lines at the bottom where I was off the track exploring all the cliff faces.

Back home 6:45 pm. Dead tired.

Hard 5 - Splits

Event: 2014 State League #5 - Wallerawang
 

Stayed in Sydney overnight to minimise long drive.
Left at 6 am.

Detour on way to event.
Mount Wilson.

Wynns Lookout - no walk.

Du Faurs Lookout and Chinamans Hat.
Lots of great cliffs and rocks but felt totally rushed as was trying to fit it in prior to event. Will return here on Sunday and do the Pheasants Cave leg of walk.

Detour on way to event.
Lithgow.
Hassans Walls - no walk.
Not as spectacular as I was expecting. Yet again rushing around trying to fit these detours in prior to event is not satisfying.
If continue coming to State Leagues may take extra day off either side to allow more leisurely exploring.

C • Days off either side of SL? 1

C • Glad you didn't get caught up 1

Nominal 3.3 km. 12 Controls.
Hard course set like a Green course with controls all in close proximity to tracks or on tracks ? But still stuffed it.

The fact I did 4.6 km tells the story.
Total screwup at #5 with lots of squiggles in circles on gps trace.
Compared to others time splits I lost at least 6 minutes here.
Everything else OK so came last today due to 1 control.

All I had to do at #5 was run along track until it curved East.
Then head South to down hill to control.
Somehow, despite multiple compass readings, I misread the curve early and kept heading SE down hill.
Eventually after swearing never going to find this control rechecked compass and and said why aren't I facing directly south rather than off south and working it out.
Very stupid.
Got to work out a way to share my GPS trace but iphone app doesn't seem to allow download options to anything readable by other software.
This link seems my only option to share
http://www.mapmyrun.com/workout/572378549

Every bush walk I attempted to go on after the event proved to be either
(a) on a track which was impassable to my 2WD car. At one point decided against going through wet bog with massive wheel ruts (with no mobile reception) more than 2 km off the main road
(b) unfindable.

So spent the afternoon driving for about 2 hours with no result.

Skipped the 2nd half Cardio Class as wasn't motivated and didn't want to be too tired for 2 State League Events over the weekend.

"Pulse Climbing" indoor centre at Adamstown.
Have done this before in another lifetime prior to Newcastle.

From Miscellaneous

Started on the free climbing wall with no ropes (just safety mats below) whilst waiting for instruction.
Heart rate up high.
Then climbed multiple of their nearly 40 walls, some several times.
Seemed to vary from way too easy to totally impossible with no middle ground.
Didn't attempt the ones with overhangs and very very small hand holds.
My "belayer companion" acting as the brake on the rope below and I alternated turns so they also tried some but the ratio was about 80-20.

Didn't get into it anywhere near as much as I expected.
Hands still feeling it this morning.

Felt energised today and coped really well.
Chest track at 25 kg still a killer.