Training Log Archive: jennycas

Event: Eureka Challenge, SILVA NOLs
 

Well, I'm not much of a sprinter, as evidenced by 21st place, but this course was short & sweet compared to the ones we've been running on Wednesday nights lately at the Snap Sprint Series. Generally only a left-or-right route choice; on 2 and 8 (after the spectator control) I went right when left may have been more efficient, but otherwise it wasn't really possible to make a mistake.

Two laps of a fairly intricate handkerchief-sized piece of goldmining, which may have been a bit more legible if the circles had been cut to better show the detail underneath the line.

Mistakes were my own fault though; a minute on 7 where, Kathryn having caught me just as I caught Clare, they went east of the line while I ploughed through the mullock heaps thinking I'd identify where the cliff on the west stopped, but I stopped short, couldn't see what the circle was hiding, and could see another control which I ought to have paid no attention to. Another minute on 13; running uphill after the map-change control (did anyone notice that on the separate descriptions we were given, the map change was marked before 12 not 13?) I folded my map so that I didn't realise the control was over the top of the flat hill, and thought I had to look for a pit before I reached the top.

Anyway, felt like my actual running was okay, and I'm used to coming about 16th these days.

W Open Elite - Splits

Middle DistanceW Open Elite - Splits

Dogwalking was enough for both of us. Physio appointment having been postponed until next week not ideal.

To the redwoods, ho! With Zara/Callum, Tyson, John, Andrew. Z & I then went up the singletrack and came down Saddle Hill. Wasn't happy with hamstring but not much I could do about it (except not being in a meeting for 3 hrs this afternoon?). Anyway, nice to catch up with Zara; afterwards we chatted while a perfect full moon rose in the east.

3-Hills loop. Felt like there was a lead weight dragging at my hip(s) and all down the tight right side, although the sharpness had gone. Towards the end hamstring was aching but I managed to keep the pace steady. Quite satisfied with the time.

Smells like proper autumn now, too - must be nearly time for Eureka/NOL which I am looking forward to, not least because it's a proper Vic Eureka. (Canberra last March just wasn't the same, somehow.) Sadly, we haven't managed to convince any SA juniors to come. Nostalgia for the days when we could fill a 22-seater on a Eureka weekend.

Around Lochiel Park which is apparently an eco-village http://www.lochielpark.com.au/lochielpark/ and has sort-of wetlands and some bushy areas which the course crisscrossed, then over the O-Bahn bridge to the golf course and finishing through the school. I liked the course, although as Andrew said, when we came back across the O-Bahn that was nowhere near the end yet. Felt like I ran quite hard, and could feel that I wasn't focusing quite so well as I got tireder...biggest time loss though was probably a few sec trying to get a grip on the slippery pine needle slope at 5!

Nasty twinge in hip & hamstring; I ran to the end of the street and decided to go back and do lots of core stuff but not too much stretching because that aggravates it. Sitting too much at my desk over the last couple of days hasn't helped.

If slack tarts want to eat fruit tarts then they should work for it :)
(Yeah, I got a bit carried away by tasty snacks once the pre-wedding moratorium was over, and also I've left it a bit late to do any fast stuff before Eureka...)

Anyway, trotted over to Mortlock Park to see how the hamstring felt doing intervals. It's fairly rough grass alongside the oval, and was populated tonight by not just the usual dogwalkers but also an emu parade of girl guides (is it Clean Up Australia Day already?) and a guy with a remote controlled car who was having great fun on the BMX mounds.

51.72
50.83
50.59
50.23
50.38
50.64
52.54
49.93
50.85
50.51

Recoveries between 1.20 and 1.26. Was somehow encouraged by the background yells emanating from the footy training.

12 min across to the oval, 10 min back, plus recoveries in between. Can't believe I smelled wood smoke in the air when it's only the beginning of March!

So I was up at 5:30 (after the wedding last night - which was really rather special) to get to Lucky Hit in time to hang flags for the club training day at 9am.

In 2004 Susanne & Arrin & I set an event here using the 1km square patch of pine forest and managed an 8.8km course with 3 distinct loops. We had only offset printed maps available (from 1986) so drew the courses on and colour photocopied. It was a cold wet July day and we ended up with lots of spare maps - so I didn't have to do any preparation this time around, just hope that the by-now-degraded pits and mounds were still distinguishable. The rocks still definitely are :)

Ended up with about 10 Wallaringans (and a few bonus Arrows) which was a slightly disappointing turnout but we got some of our newest members, which was slightly awkward since the lady who had only done street courses, brought a friend who had never orienteered before, and reports of their progress kept filtering in as other club members finished their courses! Not that it wasn't fun sitting around and picnicking, but I kind of wanted to get the controls in and get home (via the forest headquarters to return the gate key, and then to visit my grandfather)...got home eventually about 10 hours after I had left :(

Nice day out though, felt like proper autumn. And I found a couple of geocaches!