Training Log Archive: carolineheloise

Event: Pumicestone Road - Sunshine Orienteers
 

Was looking forward to this as I hadn't run here or the nearby Beerburrum maps and was promised good running.
Run was not super great, I just think that I wasn't concentrating enough. Need to look at my map more and keep closer contact. Mucked up #2 a bit going the wrong way along a track, then wasn't far enough along the creek for #3. Should've been more conscious of my direction to #4 when I was crossing the creek, because I ended up way off where I should've been and thought I was which then confused me even more and I had no idea how far I'd gone and though I was off the map when I was actually right in the middle of it. I think that taking the wider track option would've been way faster than mucking around in the middle. I originally took the middle option because I wanted more practise with compass and bearings and thought that this vague terrain was a good opportunity. After that control, it was like I had settled in and then everything started to work a lot better. Ran on bearing for everything else but #11 (better track option to cross creek) and am happy with how they all went. I guess I just need to get settled into the map quicker maybe.
I should've relied less on the rides because not all of them were marked. There was also a few creeks and vegetation changes that weren't on the map, but that could have been from the weather changes over the summer since it was mapped.
Not super happy with today, but it's all good training. It was good to run in the pine forest because its a bit softer underfoot and probably more similar to Europe than the regular. Nice day though, pretty warm out too.

Extra little bit to fill up time

Event: Bush Orienteering - Bunya - MBRC Event
 

Bunyaville
Had been warned about the hills on this course so was pretty keen, and was pleasantly surprised when they didn't feel as bad as I expected them to.
Pace was a lot slower than it should've been on the 3rd km, probably from getting tired but also probably from there being a lot more people to work around after the turn around point.
Regretted not warming up a little bit, but didn't feel as bad as I expected to and was still able to push which was good.
Form was not great: I think I was pretty hunched over which then restricted my breathing a lot, because it was super shallow and high pitched. Not good, and something I definitely need to remind myself to fix up more.
Really enjoyed this - so nice out on the trails and was a perfect morning!

walkjog to wake up the legs a bit

Good run, a bit too high/low on a few routes but otherwise fine. Course was pretty straightforward but good fun, I was a bit slow getting into it but after that tried to push a bit. Not as brutal as I remember it and the forest was so nice!

Midweek at Bardon Forest Park.
Nice course and day for it.
Had hardly any push, especially up the hills but when I got back I thought that I still had some left in the tank, so not sure why I didn't go harder out there. Need to get better at convincing myself that hills aren't as bad as they seem!
A few sub par route choices and got confused a few times by the map scale but otherwise all good.
Good fun!

4 x 1km, 2 mins rest.
First one was quite a bit faster than anticipated and then didn't manage to keep it up for the ones after. Knew the last one was going to be the slowest and was a bit sore behind my knee for this one, so tried to focus on keeping up good form and not losing cadence as I got tired. This helped push more at the end.
3:51, 3:58, 4:01, 4:04

including drills

Easy one, being cautious because it was so slippery from the rain.
One side of the mural at the reservoir is almost finished - lots of animals around a lake, looks so cool!

warm up

Sprint at Charles Sturt Uni.
Slow start in the bush because the scale threw me off because of small rocks on the ground looking big on the map. Took safe routes to minimise time loss and was running quite cautiously because of the lack of grip on my shoes and the amount of rocks and people in the terrain. By the time we got out of the bush, I was already almost 2 mins behind, which is kind of ridiculous, especially for a sprint.
#8 and #9 had fine routes, but were slow while my head switched over into urban sprint mode. Possibly should've taken the wide route around to #10, but there was just so many people around the arena that I think I would've lost as much time having to slow down to get around them that it wasn't worth it. Had a good plan for #11 but when I was 3/4 of the way there, I second guessed it and wasn't able to see the gap in the olive green that I had before so ended up going the whole way around and back. Looking now on the map more closely, there was in fact a gap, but I guess I would rather be safe than sorry anyway. Got caught on #12 from not reading the descriptions properly and also on #15 and had to go back and up. Slow on #19 because I was hesitating and having difficulty seeing the olive green, and then a bit hesitant on #20. Last few were fine, but I slowed a lot in the finish, where I should've been speeding up in another gear. Finish was slow from being cautious not to fall in though, but still.
Another really fun race. This weekend has been heaps fun, even if the races weren't quite the confidence builders I wanted. A bit disappointed with my orienteering but they were good to find what I really need to work on at the moment.

warm down

Day 3 2 - Splits