Training Log Archive: jennycas

We raced here on the Saturday of Easter 2016, 12 months ago to the day, so I was under no illusions about my capabilities vs the rocky terrain, given that my ability to run through this sort of stuff has been getting steadily worse since 2011. I was surprised though at just how 'drunk' I felt at times, trying to keep my footing balancing on the rubble. A bit annoyed to lose a minute on the first control because I was trying to make sure I stayed to the north of the faint gully with the watercourse marked in it but in fact there were other faint gullies not drawn, there and on other parts of the hillside.

In a few places I ended up a little too high or low, so maybe frittered away 2-3 min all up on time, but easily lost more than that through not being able to do the steep downhill legs with any fluency. A bit disappointed to take so much longer than an hour but I didn't really mind because it was nice forest and good bearing practice. Not going to come back in August and run the Ultralong on the Gib though, because I am not a mountain goat.

Course 2 - Splits

Event: 2017 ACT Sprint Distance Champs; National League #3; Aust University Champi
 

From the assembly area at Canberra Girls' Grammar, we were walked most of the way up Red Hill to the top (would have been nice to keep running along the ridgeline) for a course which wasn't as much of a downhill slalom as I had feared and went more along the hillside looking for termite mounds and watercourse ends and was actually quite fun; I was sorry when it finished but glad to be done before it rained.

Two laps of a fun little school, struggling to read the detailed stairs and whether or not small gaps were passable, but mostly picking ok routes except for ending up on the level below the balcony on control 3 and hesitating mid-leg 14-15 when I finally worked out where the impassable walls were. Kind of ran out of my own legs about halfway through the second lap but am happy that I am running better against people of my vintage than I was 3 months ago.

Incidentally, I did think the A final should probably have had more than 6 finalists in senior women - top 4 from each heat could have worked better - and also more than one control which was different from the B final course!

C • Finalists 2

Final Course 4 - Splits

Heats Course 2A - Splits

Knees a bit unimpressed with even this. I'd really like to not come last in the B final tomorrow. Sadly, our speedy new Arrows' racing singlets which were intended for this weekend don't seem to have made it through Customs yet.

I'd hoped for a tempo run, but it was getting dark already and my gumby hamstring made this into a middle-aged plod. When I got across to Mitcham I stopped and stretched and waited for a magic carpet to come past, but it failed to materialise and so I had to run home also. Followed this up with Attack Of The Killer Foam Roller.

I think it's better to be the slowest person in the faster group, as I was tonight, rather than the other way around. Just occasionally though, I got one of the others on route choice :)

Sticky-humid going up to Deep View and in the valley toward 3rd Falls, but once we'd all, with a good effort by Sarah, made it up to Norton Summit Rd there was a bit of a breeze on the downhill run to Pretty Corner. View of the setting sun from the ridgeline made me think how next week will be the last Morialta run of the summer :(

C • Didn't realise it was still... 17

Along the creek valley up to and along the trainline (timing my period of being actually on the line nicely in between passing trains also being on the line) then back sort of via the ridgeline. It had rained this afternoon and so the tracks were nicely soft underfoot, and the post-rain smells refreshing, and myself rather sweaty but then legs were already oily from AOTKM - and not as tired as I'd thought they'd be, because we didn't rogaine very hard.