Training Log Archive: BB

COC Middle champs on Bow Valley Provincial Park map. Not one of my stellar performances - Area had less moss than last weekend and smaller depressions altho a fair amount of deadfall. Course also had some control points in vague flattish sections which added a bit of a bingo element. Pace counting and close compass watching was the order here (both of which I did not do enough of). Lost time of 2 looking fro a shallow gully which I went thru and did not see (pretty shallow). Then lost time on 3 and 4 in the vague stuff - found 5 before finding 4. Been out for a while now and pretty tired. Then punched 8 thinking I was at 7. Then had really trouble navigating to 8 as I thought I was heading out from 7!! Punched 8 after a long search based in part by hearing the commentary location from the assembly area. Punched 8 without realising i had been there before - so end result was a DNF as I mis punched - a gracious defeat. Nicer chat at he start with the guy with the 3 big dogs who had been hired to go thru the area to scare of any bears.

COC Middle M55+ - Splits

Western Canadian Sprint Champs at Blue Lake - same finish as yesterday but more an urban type sprint around buildings - only 3 out of 17 controls in the forest - finished 2nd in M55 behind the flying Scot (1.30 ahead but he is 5 years younger I noticed on the results board) - one route choice maybe cost me 30 seconds. Fortunate that a fast US runner started 1 minute before me and I met him at control 1 so probably ran faster than usual over the next few controls before he disappeared. Liz won again but I ran the same course as her and beat her for a change! Now to relax with some walking in the Rockies before the Canadian champs next weekend.

Western Canadians - Sprint: Course 3 - Splits

Western Canadian Long Champs - Cache Lake - just south of the Middle distance area - with the course advertised as 4.4 kms and 13 controls it was twice the distance of the Middle so I expected a longtime - I got my monies worth - another great are technically and physically.

Similar terrain as the middle with more fallen timber thrown in and some long legs thru flat terrain (with small bumps in the thick moss (looked like 10 to 15 cms deep of moss)). Wider route choices offered a ride which I used but it was hard to find and quite narrow - plus there were some small but at times vague tracks. To add to the excitement as I punch control 3 and guy came in from the east and said not to go that way as he had seen a black bear nearby - my optimal route was off north east but I headed off more to the north avoid an encounter.

Finished 4th and physically drained - a real Bear Gryills adventure. Lost about 2 minutes on control 1 - the easiest on the course and only about 150 metres from the start triangle - altho today we used !:10000 scale whereas at the middle we had 1:7500. Nailed all the more technical controls and even jogged parts of the course. Drifted off 100 or so metres on a couple of compass legs thru bland looking terrain but soon relocated near the control. Liz again won her class but only by 20 seconds today.

Western Canadian - Long: Course 7 - Splits