Training Log Archive: GM

Run from home out along Kooringal Drive, then down the middle of the Barton Hwy to Gold Creek. Out to Nichols then a loop around Mt Crumpet. Through Paspalum and finished up along the northern edge of Evatt and Spence.

Easter 3 Days - Day 3 at Crusoe. Started well and nailed 1 but then felt like I did the same on 2 but was a fraction left so missed seeing the flag on the first time through the area because of the Chinese scrub. Did some circle work but no luck so back to the fence line and tried again but still to left. Back for a third go and went right and found the control - luckily this flag wasn't in the pit. Lost 2:30 which for the area was a big error. Ok for the next few just going straight, but did hesitate directly above 5 because I couldn't see the depression at first. Went a bit to the right of the straight line on 6, which was the only real route choice leg on the course, and hit the slope about 50m to the right of the control then contoured in. Just ran on a very rough bearing out of 6 but went a bit too far right so just picked up the track - straighter would have been a little bit quicker. Fairly straight on 8 and 9 because the lumpy old gold mining was quite easy to get through. Having said that I ran around the left side going to 10 then along the little water courses into the control. I crossed the water race on the straight line to 11 and then ran along the track for a bit before going straight again back across the water race. Felt good through the last few controls but did take the wrong direction out of 14 by thinking just get to the track ASAP so lost about 15 sec.

A cleaner run would have been just under 40 but nowhere near Geoff - I just can't run that fast. I didn't realise that Nigel, who caught me at 2, and I were on the same course. We were sort of in touch with each other through to 9 and probably kept each other moving along, but just tended to come into the controls around the same time from slightly different routes. He went around the right on 10 to 11 and lost a bit of time and I didn't see him again.

Overall I finished 3rd in M55A behind Geoff, daylight, and Eoin. Ted had two good runs and a disaster. I was happy with a lot of my orienteering but not having orienteered for over 2 months was not a great preparation. Most of my stuff ups were early in the course each day - something to work on.

Really enjoyed the weekend. Loved the variety and the areas - even the easy nav of the last day was fun for a change. Nothing like running fast through the forest.

Day 3 M55A - Splits

Easter 3-Days - Day 2 at Mt Alexander. My only runs here were the Vic champs in 84 and WOC carnival in 85, so my memories were steep, rocky and hard. Today was so much more enjoyable and not nearly as hard, either physically or navigationaly as I was expecting. Loved the area and the course.

I climbed early on 1 and then meant to contour into the control but climbed too far and had to relocate on the clearing to the NE of the control and come back and down. Pleased with 2 and 3 but nearly stuffed 4. I went up to the top right of the boulders and stuck my head up, thought its too flat up here and more like a rock face than a boulder cluster so started back down, but then decided to go back up through the rocks and have another look - and there was the flag. I went too straight on 5 and should have run the clearings. Ended up climbing early on but the second half was fast. I came through the clearings to the NE of the control but didn't concentrate enough and overran the control by about 100m. Spent about a minute stuffing around before realising where I was. I had a good route to 6 except I couldn't climb over a bare rock in the gully before the control. My shoes kept slipping - spikes would have made the difference - so in the end I had to run down to the bottom of e bare rock to get around it. Felt very tired going up the slope towards 7 but got going again across the flat. Hesitated a bit on the diagonal down towards 9 - I was expecting to see the huge boulders but they were in behind some pine trees. Finally saw a big bare rock in the distance and felt confident to keep going down. Nothing worse than going too far down the hill and then having to climb back up. No big losses in the last part but should have run all the way up the hill to 11. Other than seeing Geoff Todkill near 9 and Tony Garr at 13 I didn't see anyone else on my course.

Day 2 M55A - Splits

Easter Day 1 at Yorkshire Hill. Butchered about 4 to 5 minutes, and half of that on the first control! Still had a great time. Great area/map/course. Finished 4th behind Geoff, Ted and Eoin. Only squeaked in front of Paul in the finish chute. Geoff can only beat Geoff but hoping to get a bit closer to the others.

Need to relax a bit more at the start and focus more on the map going to first control. Had a flat spot leaving 12 but gave myself a little harden up talk and got going again. Happy with most of my run just need to be in the moment a bit more.

Day 1 Course 9 - Splits

Event: Easter 2013
 

Easy run from Margaret and Garth's place in Strathfieldsaye. Out along some fire trails and paths in the nearby bush.

RTW via AIS and CIT.

Run after work from the ABShouse. Program said 80mins hilly but I took it was a bit shorter and easier - not a bad idea a couple of days out from Easter. Headed out along Cook/Macquarie bike path on the grass under the trees then over the hill from the saddle and into Aranda Bushlands. Up to the top of Aranda Hill then back across the ovals and Emu Ridge to work.