Training Log Archive: Craig

Sprint the SW Cowaramup.
Didn't really do any warm up and didn't feel at all like sprinting on the way to the first control so I just cruised around at a comfortable pace. Wasn't sure if you were allowed to go through the green so was looking at left/right options to go around it on 11. Eventually decided it was ok to go through but was only considering left/right at that stage and forgot to even look at the straight option so just cut through a little to go around to the right.

Sprint the SW Amazen Margaret River.
Felt more motivated this time so did a bit more warm up but it didn't really help. Don't think my route on 1-2 was great but I got all the early controls ok. Almost caught Juffy by 5 but didn't see him after that (probably because he decided to do the maze early). Enjoyed the garden section from 6-10 and then it was into the maze.

I found the maze a little too hard for my liking. The required routes were a bit too long so I always wondered if there was a better option and I had trouble remembering the planned route and keeping track of where I was up to at the same time. Lots of near collisions with other runners also made it much harder to maintain contact. Didn't ever get lost but didn't feel I was doing it very efficiently either.

Still good fun but I really preferred the gardens to the maze. Impressive run from Bruce.

Cowaramup Long - Splits

Ameze'n Long - Splits

Event: Sprint the South West
 

Australian Relays, Moondyne Road.
Third overall well behind Denmark and about a minute behind Victoria.
Oscar came in with the lead group and I set out with Bruce on second leg. Stayed with Bruce on the first loop thanks partly to a shorter split on the first control but once we started going uphill Bruce steadily pulled away. Saw the Danish runner a few times as he kept making mistakes but he was running a lot faster than me and got well clear in the last third of the course.

I had a pretty solid run. In hindsight I could have done a few legs a bit better but didn't make any real mistakes, just need to get fitter.
I was a little disappointed to let Bruce get so far ahead (4 minutes) but there wasn't really much I could do about it. Tomas pulled back a bit of time on David Brownridge on the final leg but couldn't quite catch him.

It was nice have a competitive team for a change and maybe we can do it again when Henry returns from Sweden. I'll need to get a lot fitter if Iwant to contribute again but Tomas is considering sticking with the Nomads and Cameron was only a couple of minutes slower than me today so maybe they won't need me.

C • We still need you 7

Australian Long Champs, Warranine Brook.

Had real problems adjusting to the 1:15 scale at the start. First control looked easy but I just couldn't make anything fit leaving the start so I was really hesitant and checked the compass heaps. No problem finding 1 in the end but I was still really shaky leaving 1 and didn't really have any map contact until I passed Wayne running across the paddock most of the way to 2.

Felt a lot more comfortable into 2 and across to 3 where I found fletch coming back into it as I left. 4,5,6 was ok without being super smooth. Steve started to pull away up the hill to 7 but was missing the controls so I was ahead into 8,9,10. He passed me again climbing up to 11 and got a bit of a gap but we were back together at the control.

Leaving 11 I planned to drop down the hill to the left early but I was drawn a bit right by more open running and kept trying to read the map as if I was leaving 17 instead of 11 so got caught up a bit in the green S of 17 before swinging a bit left. Steve ran past me climbing the hill to 12 but missed it once again so I had a bit of a gap heading to 13. I thought Steve was right behind me again at 13 so I was surprised when he wasn't there leaving 14 but it turns out he didn't see me punch 13 and lost a bit of time there. That was the last I saw of him and I was alone the rest of the way.

I ran pretty straight to 15 and 16 and got them fine but I was getting very tired climbing up to 17. I had a gel here but it was maybe a bit late as I was having real problems thinking clearly on the way to 18. I was stumbling through pretty straight and having real trouble making the map fit and unable to maintain focus. Eventually realised I could just bail out W to the fence and come in down the creek so I did that. Not a major mistake but definitely slow.

Kind of switched into survival mode at this point. Didn't drop the pace too much but more concerned with just getting home without a blowout rather than trying to be really efficient. Decided to straight line 19 as the light green was mostly pretty fast. Went a bit wider left than intended on 22 as I just couldn't get up the hill but from there I felt pretty comfortable and in control to the finish.

Happy with the run and the result. Feel I could have gained a lot of time with better fitness, especially up the hills. Might try to do some proper training for a while and see if the speed starts to come back.

Making up a 4 for Rachel's pennants team training. Tried to play like a girl.