Training Log Archive: brycec

Jordan, Adam and I.

It was Adam's first time soo we booted around the training course a few times - he crashed and hurt his wrist - poor guy - so we took him out the the proper trails and he did good for a first timer.

After a slow first lap Jordan and I went for a bit of a quicker lap - PR's on Flaccid Ashback and Camel poop - but legs where feeling heavy from yesterday and the first 1hr 40 on the bike - back was sore too so fatigue not being my friend.

Decided to face plant on Goldilock. Still cant figure out how I managed it - but otherwise was a good session made it dell to top of gungin no decleats and no leaning on trees or using trees to help me through. First time I can think of of a perfect clean run all the way up - there is typically something on rocky balboa that gets me.

Ill share the link of the crash once youtube pulls its head out and processes a video.

Edit - for your comical enjoyment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CeC0_lJm_I

C • I see what the problem was... 2

Event: Yetar Spring - Standard Event
 

Heaviest/worst fitness I can recall - possibly ever - really felt this during the race. time to do something about it!

Yetar springs was my first ever footo event 2 years ago and I messed it up then and took me 2.26.18 to do 9.29... Todays effort was better but felt just as bad!

#1 was ok but felt slow and lethargic - also found out my right ankle has some issues as it felt sore from the start as if it has had a bad roll.

#2 went wrong direction to start and then realised and corrected sweeping around onto it but lost some time here.

#3 pretty much in between a pack of people - they all made ground on me but overshot and I met them at the point.

#4 still with pack abit high at first and then adjusted

#5 last of pack there and people started to disappear quickly!

#6 found it ok but was a tad slow

#7 refoudn some of the pack again but just the tail end and was largely the last I saw of them

#8 #9 and #10 all felt pretty clean a tad slow - #9 I pulled up a bit early. #10 I found someone at again. He went off massively to might right and whilst he dragged me off course a bit I felt I corrected/ignored him well...

APPARENTLY NOT - I went west of the hill I should have been east on and it was all bad from there - halfway between 11/12 and I was LOST. I knew the distance was right - I knew I was on the slope - but I felt utterly helpless, I though I had drifted right so I went left. and then spotted the pack again - all coming down from #14... demoralising. pushed on and still felt quite lost head up to what I thought was 14 which was actually the cliff west of 11. I then went north and realised high point with rocks. looked eastish and though there is some large boulders, saw 14 in the distance eventually and spun to my se and sure enough there was 11... GRRR got probably the closest ive been to pulling the pin on a course. really didnt enjoy that 15 minutes of being lost.

Of course Craig came bounding into 11 as I was there and I informed him I could have used him 15 minutes ago to which he quipped - if I was here 15 minutes ago you wouldnt have seen me... fair point. I did think though, at least I can get an easy leg in behind craig. at which point I looked up to here the road runner "neep neep" sound, a smoke could from the burning undergrowth and a faith smell of melting rubber. So I managed to find 12 ok even if I lost contact with craig in milliseconds.

#13 was fine I had drifted downhil slightly but all came out ok.

#14 even though I had already been there was challenging getting back but hit it reasonably flush.

#15 drifted right again... sigh mooed around like a browns cow before realising I am standing on granite and there is a paddock right there thats west of the point CLEARLY. looped back around and got 15.

Feet where blistering and I felt like crap so plodded along to 16 - should have stayed on the road but went the field... silly.

#17 and finish where straight forward.

Much to my dismay someone beat me by 8s. teach me to give up early had I pushed a bit harder I would have not finished last and I certainly had 8s in me.

Anyway not the most enjoyable session I have had - everything was sore, blisters, a few bad moments getting geographically challenged. Felt like the landscape was very... indistinct need to get my head in the game again.

Spoke briefly to Craig as I was driving out - apparently he was only in jog mode. #bastard :P

*Edit* - I am glad the flags where reasonably visible and on the approach you where coming from opposed tot he usual hide and seek type nature of O flag placing - had it been in its typical format I would have been screwed.

H1 - Splits

Event: Roleystone - MTBO
 

So glad first time out for a proper hit out in a long time and boy I am suffering now!

Started ok to #1 wasn't exactly hard, but took it slow anyway. then proceeded to completely muppet up #2 not reading detail - trying to discover new paths... just bad bad.

Paul had caught me and I was sure dave was in front of us by then.

#3 Paul went left at the T junction - thought awesome I can get some ground again. and proceed straight into the green track rather than the one I intended. this sucked and when I came out the other side - Paul can back around saying wtf is going on.

#4 Paul put up the pace abit and disappeared and I saw him coming out of 4.

#5 alone now and messed up my contour reading over shot the tracks in and hit my catching feature (the t-junction) was easy from there. Saw Tash coming back up to 5 as I went down the road to 6 - she looks less than impressed <3 TT, she was havign a bad day!

#6 taking it slowly because I could see it was going to be tricky, and it was, he went straight passed me. Saw Dave to my suprise and then Paul - I got a good road in because of the traffic and because I was going slowly - I would love to claim I would have got it first time but I can see why it was difficult.

Had to refold map here and pretty much lost contact with everyone. #7 was clean, #8 had a few dramas with the power lines throwing me off but got there after back tracking once. Went via the main road to #9 - felt efficient and to my surprise met Paul again at #10... Thought in with a chance. Tried to be sneaky towards #11 - Paul had the same idea - I thought he had gone passed with a group but as I turned around to get the small western track I saw him disappearing around the corner. Caught him up by the control and stayed with him to #12. Had to refold the map here and that was the last I saw of him.

#13 via main road and the back up at it rather than trying the direct route. $13 went north and used the track it runs on rather than main road -= riding was good and felt strong still. #15 was clean and on the way to #16 saw Paul coming back out - he had a good chunk of time on me now. Belted down the hill to #17 hoping to make up some ground - but lets be honest that was a futile cause.

#18 debated en route hill or road - decided the hill - that was very very wrong. it was a tad over grown and the fast downhill wasn't really realised and had to even jump off on the uphill as back was starting to pack in.. sadly when I jumped off both quads cramped badly which was countered by me drinking like 500ml-750ml straight of my electrolytes. Was feeling spanked by 18 with not much power left.

Plodded along the fence line to 19 - it was surprisingly hard work and the track wasnt as nice as I was hoping/expecting. in fact in so spots I would have said green. I had a glass bottle explode under my tyre half way to 19 - which had my concerned but my bike survived!

#20 was good but I was over it by now - and as I was leaving #20 got a bug in my eye - almost had me off my bike! - #21 probably took the less efficient route but as I said over it and then home.

Was happy with my course length - seems to be short compared to others during discussion - just highlights that I need to get fitter and faster.

Body feeling smashed now - first big hitout in ages! was good to see everyone again felt like a while. Gopro was dead at 1hr30 (not sure why) but will see if I got anything good - doubtful as it seemed to angle up when I saw it at one point/.

Was aiming for 2hr30 came in 2hr 35 so happy enough and not too far behind the others which was a nice change. Drank the full 3L pack I had with me surprisingly! I wasnt going to bring it at one stage this morning!!! Really glad I did now!

Long - Splits

Went segway riding with work function today... that was interesting ....

My mask was so shit! fogged ever 10s. tried everything including taking it off completely and spit cleaning it while in the water. still no good. Really took the edge off what would have been a spectacular dive. Sharks everywhere again (just black tips) we where swimming inside a crater that protected us from drift... apparently I have 2 black tips swim over my head as close as 6 inchs or less... but I was cleaning my mask so missed seeing that :(

Large Napoleon, lion fish, was generally a pretty good dive... stupid mask!

195 in 40 out max 15m.

Returned to Tapu for my final dive - wasnt as good as first time there, but still incredible vis and a lot of sharks - had a lemon shark pass really close which was awesome, got good footage of it. Box fish, black tip sharks, trumpet fish and a few large trigger fish.

Generally a pretty good dive

in 195 out 40 max 20m

Short Sup around the resort

lol - where going to go for a long swim, dinner plans got changed - made for a pretty much deletable session but meh its there so I kept it

Manta ray point for Bora Bora.

WORST VIS I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED 2 - 5 m tops, very milky - the strong drift was cool until had to get back. didnt see squat :(

Max depth 20m, 50 bar left

WOW!!!! haha.

more sharks than I could count, lemon sharks and black tips everywhere - was crazy! so good - vis was really good too. Saw infant pufferfish, quite a few large fish but too busy with the sharks to care!

Surfaced 30bar left. max depth 20

Outside reef north of airport - drift dive - wasnt that interesting - vis was reasonable but not as good as expected - Was pretty rough almost had me sea sick. didnt see much to report. A tad disappointing especially considering first dive in a year.

200 down - 50 up
Max depth 25m

WOW!

vis was good particularly as it was inside the lagoon / between motu and land.

Saw a school of about 10+ eagle rays, black tip shark, large flounder, barracuda, feeding frezy of fish in 1 area was just crazy sitting in them having them swarm around me. one of the most memorable dives ever. Could dive here all day.

Also really loved the 1 eagle ray that double backed and swam right past me - soo cool!

Max depth 18 - 30 bar left