Training Log Archive: Zed

Too tired to get up early and too busy with work and taxi-ing and evening meeting to do any exercise.

Crusoe.
Didn't see 2 first up ( probably just needed to turn head to right more) but went into Bermuda Triangle feeling, pretty close to surface after yesterday, relocating off aqueduct seemed to take a while so somehow made about a 9 minute error on an easyish course. No real trouble after that, just noticed my poor terrain running (hadn't done any for a long time and it was showing) and by now my very painful left calf. A bit Frustrating that what is a relative strength of running was pretty ordinary, but at least know what I need to focus on to have a bit more fun in bush events coming up. Marvelled at the pace other women were moving through the bush, really impressive.

Very pleased for Leith that he finished the 3 days doing all his M10s on his own, which was quite brave, relocated himself after small errors and no mps. He was very pleased when he realised the wonky writing on his splits readout meant some fastest splits.

Followed by long drive home and dragging self off to work next day feeling exhausted from busy weekend. Boredom on way home relieved by technology - looked up song lyrics on iPhone and music on iPad and so were able to have a great karaoke session in the car !

Picnic at Hanging rock/ Bermuda Triangle type experience. Always expected to find this hard, being aware of my height on a hillside and distance / precise direction is not my strong point. Went carefully therefore with bearing, reading rock features as I could, specially if I could see gullies and spurs underneath, and clearings. This worked reasonably up to 4. Then a long leg 500+m to number 5. Plan was to go up a bit and using clearings, bare rock, heads of creeks, make my way to control circle. Other people doing similar, including another women on my course. After a head of a creek, but sooner than I expected, I saw other people looking for a control, including the other woman on my course . I was having trouble interpreting what was white and what was clearing. Long story short I looked too soon, lost any remaining contact with my original plan, couldn't tell what was little gully, what was head of marked creek. Wasn't even sure of major creek. Found two other controls. Ran out of ideas so went back to start. Followed a creek up from near start and even stuffed that up. Found head of creek with dark green, tried to use that as an attack point but to no avail. Confidence in my ability about zero by now. Decided to give up (rest of family waiting for me) and try and find the next control. On the way, found 2 more controls ( and some water, thank goodness) but not mine. Could not even tell what feature on the map any of these 4 controls was on. Found the next control, number 6 over the creek without much trouble, briefly thought about using that as an attack point for number 5 but thought I needed an attack point much closer, the way I was going ( in my parallel universe where number 5 didn't exist for me, only everyone else on that course!). Pretty unsettled and not terribly rationale by now. Then couldn't find number 7 which should've been straightforward and decided to abandon, just doing the last 4 - 5 controls which had mor defining features around them. I think this was the first time Id abandoned a course, not a great feeling! Even later that afternoon, I couldn't work out a plan would've worked for me to get to that control, not without some intensive holding a bearing training! The next day I spoke to the woman who had for a while also been searching for that control, she had decided to give up and walk back, and on the way down the hill (further down than she expected) she had stumbled across the control, and so had continued on. She said we were looking too soon. This was some relief to hear this.
Consoled myself that afternoon by riding to Bendigo Pottery, looking at pottery and art, and having a lemon slice in the cafe.

Leisurely ride to Bendigo Pottery and back.

Yes very slow. Very very cautious ( and hence very slow) on way to first control as had never been on a gold mining map. Trying to work out how features were mapped. Of course would've been much faster just to run to road and then go more cautiously. Stuffed up number 4, not having enough caution in control circle, easily distraced by others, and had difficulty reading features in the depression ( and there were so many of them, to me, within the control circle area). No major major errors by my standards after that, just my usual sloppiness.

Once I stopped feeling in awe of the extra gold mining features, I really enjoyed them, it was like running in a museum! Noticed my left calf was getting sore and felt tight - put it down to the rowing machine at the gym and particularly to riding a too small bike to town and back on Wednesday including half of old belair road. Bit sore all afternoon.

Cool down.

Event: Easter 2013
 

Medium length prologue 2.9 km. much longer recorded time as on way to start triangle with Leith I decided to shadow him as was different to what he was used to. What a nice place to go to Uni!

Through Bendigo, admiring heritage houses.

Rambly run in light rain around Hawthorndene, through pine forest and back along Turners collecting native flowers for Boof.

To a course in town and return. After frustrations with usual bikes chain yesterday I rode an old bike of bryns with a small frame and shorter than usual cranks. Legs so sore by bottom of old Belair rd I pushed bike all way to james rd, then hopped back on.