Training Log Archive: PG

Third and final day of the Shamrock. Best terrain yet, just fabulous. I was not quite up to the challenge, mistakes at 4 controls plus a little tactical stupidity, though total was only 2 or at most three minutes lost, plus tweeked an ankle half way around when dropping down a cliff. Still won my class handily, but got beat by the 16-year-old Swede....

Course was 4.4 km straight-line, not easy.

795/1000.

My course and my route.

So I started at 10 am with the 9 other course leaders. No one in my class was remotely close, but a Swedish M16 was starting a minute behind. Got to the first couple OK, but I was not feeling much zip, and they were uphill, and by the time I got to the second the Swede had caught me. And he takes off in the direction of 3, going a good bit faster than I am.

So you would think it might have dawned on me that if he was a lot faster than me (at least 25%), and we had had about the same times the previous two days, than his O' skills might be a bit suspect. You would think. But I followed him happily, right up to the point where I had clearly gone far enough, and there was no control and things weren't right. And he was standing about another 40 meters along, looking at his map, and looking at me....

Dropped down, got the control, 4 was easy, and by the time I got it he was back with me. He took off to 5, easy because you could see it from 100 meters away (the only one like that all day). And then we turned uphill and he was soon out of sight. Though I did get a glimpse of him when I was at 6 and he was way up the hill in the direction of 7, except he wasn't heading for 7, more going north, way to the right of it. And looking back to see what I was doing.

I spiked 7, spiked 8, and which point here he came again. And zipped past me. And for the rest of the course he never got too far ahead, there would be a burst of speed, and then after some more difficult section I'd catch back up with him.

We were together coming into 15, missed it a slight bit to the right, quite surprised, thought I had nailed it, and then he was sailing away to 16. I got down there, he was scratching his head, I missed it a touch, turned back, there he came, and that was that. Wouldn't have mattered if I'd nailed 16, he still would have had me.

All sort of amusing, felt like there was nothing I could do because the visibility was so good, also a little depressing because I'm so damn slow. And CSU doesn't yet make a camouflage O' suit, which is the only thing that might have helped.

But the orienteering was absolutely wonderful. As were the courses (none of the Swiss disrespect for the old men's courses). As was the organization. A totally delightful long weekend. I suppose you could say that the one thing we were missing was fog. That would have been fun.

Results.

View of the terrain from the finish, four shots from left to right....

C • strategy 2

C • interesting, interesting! 2

And then not having had enough exercise (to and from the start/finish from the car park was only 30 minutes today, I hustled off in mid-afternoon for a round at Bantry Bay Golf Club.

Actually it was for a little more map reading practice. There was no course map on the scorecard, but there was an aerial photo on the club's brochure, and it sure came in handy as I was as wild with my driver as I have been in a long time. Hitting it way off line, unbelievably finding the ball each time, and then consulting the aerial for a possible new route to the green.

Very pretty course, also pretty difficult, played it at about 6500-6600 yards, par 71, plus the wind was probably 20-30 miles an hour, I'd guess just a mild breeze for the locals, but several times I had to chase down my hat, and my bag got blown over a few times. Gail says I was getting a true Irish experience, except that it wasn't also raining hard.

Took me 3:20 to get around, I was moving as fast as I could, up and down a bunch of hills, but all the extra yardage finding my wayward shots, and then figuring out what to do next, added probably 30 minutes to the round. But enjoyed it a lot, scored a lot better (93, playing by the rules) than I deserved, because as JJ would say, I was sucks.

The first tee, no warm-up, dropped it right on the green, three putts later an easy 4....



And the tenth tee, 420 yards, dead into the wind, seldom have I seen a narrower target. I played it with imagination -- a drive way right, up near the 9th green, but in play, a second shot over a bunch of trees, again quite a ways right but just about hole high, and again in play, third shot a lob wedge over the greenside tree, 2 putts for an easy bogey. Deserved to get about a 10..... :-)

Shamrock day 2. Whatever hills we missed yesterday we certainly had today. Felt like I was going up most of the time, except at the end when it was down very rapidly.

Not as good a run as yesterday. Missed #1 to the left (not sure how it happened), went too far on #2 and had to come back, and very shaky dropping down to 9, took lots of extra time to finally decide I was too high. Overall maybe a couple of minutes. But very fast going down to 10 and 11, survived without trashing my ankles.

Overall, another day of really fun orienteering. I had a harder time get in synch with the map. The rock seemed not as well mapped as yesterday -- yesterday it all made sense, today I keep not being sure. A different mapper, but probably the difference was just how my brain was (or wasn't) working.

Would be nice to have some competition in my class. I thought about signing up for 55 or 60, but I'm quite happy where I am. I have a 20 minute lead in my class for the chase tomorrow but only 1 minute for the course, ahead of a M-16 Swede. I expect I'll get run down.

Lots more pleasant interactions with the Irish. :-)

The footing was similar to yesterday, though probably a little less nice stuff and a little more heavy stuff....



My course. And my route.

Results.

Event: Shamrock O-Ringen 2011
 

Here's my route from yesterday evening. Don't think I went by any one place more than 4 times.

A few photos from today. First, looking from the car park up to the terrain, the start was in the gap just to the right of the one cloud. Seemed like a very long ways away....



About an average size crowd at the finish....



And a couple of kids coming in....



My control #10, easy to see from this direction but we were coming from above....



The last little knoll on the way to the last control....



And the last control itself....



Meanwhile, all the action was back in the car park.

Shamrock O'Ringen, day 1. Fabulous. Wide open spaces, not a tree to be seen, very interesting. Would have been even more interesting, and a lot harder, with some fog or mist or whatever they call it here. But it was still just fine.

I thought the running was going to be worse than it was, as the ground was quite uneven, but the only really bad places were the marshes, just grass but hummocky, had to try to run between the humps, fell down a few times but at least it was always a soft landing. Best running was on the rock, even when it was tilted, nice and firm even if a bit tough on the ankles.

And the orienteering was just a lot of fun. No mistakes to speak of, though close -- I wasn't too far from #2 when I decided I really should go to #1 first, and from 6 to 7 I was quite insecure and cautious, but basically all the flags were where I expected them. And my legs were OK, supposed to be 80 meters climb, but didn't really feel like any. The hardest running was across the marshes.

My course. Straight-line distance was 3.6 km. And my route.

C • not much to say there... 11

So, Ireland is interesting. Who knew it was part of the Caribbean -- islands, beaches, lush vegetation?







Agriculture is thriving....



There is some old stuff too --

Ross's castle, in Killarney, mostly restored....



An old abbey, in need of restoration....



An old graveyard (perfect spot for Trail-O'?)....



Some old orienteers (Mr. and Mrs. Bubo)....



And of course there is orienteering. Here was meet headquarters. Registration was at the trunk (the boot?), downloading at the passenger side....



And quite a civilized place, here's the route to the first control....



Tomorrow I think the terrain will be quite different, maybe more like this....

Most important stuff first -- another 21 controls, so the total is now 765/1000. Although perhaps I should only count spiked controls, in which case today would have only added 17....

Sprint course in Kenmare (the "long" course, nominally 3.4 km) on a map called "Rinn na gCros" -- I have no idea what this means, or why the C but not the g is upper case. A strange course, though given the terrain it was as good as could be done. And regardless of the merits of the course, I certainly enjoyed it.

Here's the course.

C • Rinn na gCros 1

Not very interesting except for finding a castle, which is worth investigating. And better than taking a nap.

C • castles 8

Control count now -- 744/1000. It's going to be close. Actually, it's only going to be close if I do some extra training sessions in the next two months.

Managed to get plane tickets, car, accommodation, and entries all set for France in August. Looking forward to it. Of course that will just count for the next 1000 (or 2000 for Ali) control challenge as this one ends August 9 (I think).

C • France 4