Training Log Archive: TheInvisibleLogIn the 31 days ending Aug 31, 2009:
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Monday Aug 31, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [3]
Running 35:00 [3] 6.5 km (5:23 / km)
shoes: Saucony
Lovely running conditions, with a light breeze and intermittent sunshine and misty rain. Too cool to stop running, but not wet enough to penetrate the outer shell. The Whirakee are now past the peak and it was the poorest peak I have seen in my time in Bendigo. Maybe the dry has finally caught up.
Sunday Aug 30, 2009 #
Running 36:00 [3] 3.2 km (11:15 / km) +165m 8:57 / km
max:148
Ran next weeks novice and moderate courses, stopping myself and the garmin to remap where needed (47 amendments). I was helping Jools work on the safety angle of the courses (cliffs, loose rock etc. There are a few hazards at Alexander. New fences and new tracks helped make a reasonable novice course where the map would suggest otherwise. It will have lots of climb on a couple of legs, but the terrain is all open and hazard free.
Running 36:30 [3] 5.4 km (6:46 / km) +240m 5:32 / km
Seeing I had 'run' from the bottom up to one of the abandoned quarries, I decided to run up the road to the top of the mountain so I could claim the full ascent. It was pleasant running when in the lee and if the sun was out, but quite chilly otherwise at the top. The run down was heaps easier.
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Saturday Aug 29, 2009 #
Note
The rain held off till the drive home and we ran much of the Kooyoora event under blue skies. Only 47 runners, but they got their moneys worth. This was probably the hardest navigation in the history of Bendigo local events.
The attrition rate was high on A course. Results, splits and route gadget now up.
http://www.bendigo-orienteers.com.au/mediawiki/ind...
As per the last event here, opinions were polarised. Just like the testimonials I cited form the last event here, we had one orienteer (a good friend low on blood sugar) who tried to argue this terrain is bad for the sport, and a couple who thought this the best event of the year.
I think quite a few were unused to the demanding technical challenges and in particular the need for constant concentration. Most of the mps in the A course happened well into the second loop. The terrain closer to Bendigo allows mental breaks. There was none of this today. It was orienteering forever on the edge. Bendigo orienteers serious about improving their skill need more middle distance style course setting on true middle distance maps such as this one. I think I may run an event like this next year and make more explicit the demanding nature of the terrain and emphasise the personal challenge of maintaining concentration for a whole race. After all, this constant concentration is part of the guidelines for middle distance course setting as per IOF. Next week it will be long style courses courtesy of Jools. The IOF guidelines for the long discipline emphasise edurance, strength and stamina as requirements of the discipline. Once again I expect there will be those who don't see eye to eye with this style of course setting.
The attrition rate was high on A course. Results, splits and route gadget now up.
http://www.bendigo-orienteers.com.au/mediawiki/ind...
As per the last event here, opinions were polarised. Just like the testimonials I cited form the last event here, we had one orienteer (a good friend low on blood sugar) who tried to argue this terrain is bad for the sport, and a couple who thought this the best event of the year.
I think quite a few were unused to the demanding technical challenges and in particular the need for constant concentration. Most of the mps in the A course happened well into the second loop. The terrain closer to Bendigo allows mental breaks. There was none of this today. It was orienteering forever on the edge. Bendigo orienteers serious about improving their skill need more middle distance style course setting on true middle distance maps such as this one. I think I may run an event like this next year and make more explicit the demanding nature of the terrain and emphasise the personal challenge of maintaining concentration for a whole race. After all, this constant concentration is part of the guidelines for middle distance course setting as per IOF. Next week it will be long style courses courtesy of Jools. The IOF guidelines for the long discipline emphasise edurance, strength and stamina as requirements of the discipline. Once again I expect there will be those who don't see eye to eye with this style of course setting.
Course setting (Kooyoora) 41:00 [2] 2.9 km (14:08 / km) +70m 12:37 / km
shoes: Saucony
Picking up controls after the Kooyoora event. Interestingly, quite a few normal volunteers declined the offer of the distant controls as they were apprehensive of their chances of finding them. I only had trouble on one site, which might have translated into losing two or three minutes in a rce situation. Interesting, as I had previously visited the site three times, and thetwo routes up on the gedget show major errors on the same control. It was definately in the correct location, but the location is a challenge to find due to the mass of confusing rock and low visibility in the approach.
Friday Aug 28, 2009 #
Running 32:00 [2] 5.8 km (5:31 / km) +45m 5:19 / km
shoes: Saucony
Very warm. Almost too hot for tights. I'm sure I won't be able similar conditions tomorrow at Kooyoora. Pity.
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [3]
Thursday Aug 27, 2009 #
Running 37:00 [3] 6.8 km (5:26 / km) +45m 5:16 / km
shoes: Saucony
Wednesday Aug 26, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Running 48:47 [3] 8.52 km (5:44 / km) +60m 5:32 / km
shoes: Saucony
I have a new nomination for the most annoying voic ein my life. Its the chick that talks to you throughthe Woolworths self serve check out counters. Its such an annoying accent. Sort of mid Pacific. She insists on telling you the bleeding obvious and ignores that you have already swiped the card. And she does the same to the person on either side of you. Imagine if you were married to her! Then there would be no escape!
Tuesday Aug 25, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [3]
After the rest day, the slack day. It was raining and i'm not used to it.
Monday Aug 24, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Note
(rest day)
Its 14 days since my last rest day. My legs know it.
The weather news for Saturday gets worse (from an event organisers perspective). A low pressure system developing over SA on Friday and drifting across northern Victoria on Saturday. The web site says cloudy and a little rain. The met spokesman on the Country Hour seemed more optimistic for rain.
I think I may win the 'Any Port in a Storm' event organiser award this year. I've already got the Vic Middle under my belt. I'm hoping for more clement conditions than that day.
The weather news for Saturday gets worse (from an event organisers perspective). A low pressure system developing over SA on Friday and drifting across northern Victoria on Saturday. The web site says cloudy and a little rain. The met spokesman on the Country Hour seemed more optimistic for rain.
I think I may win the 'Any Port in a Storm' event organiser award this year. I've already got the Vic Middle under my belt. I'm hoping for more clement conditions than that day.
Sunday Aug 23, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Running 45:00 [3] 4.31 km (10:26 / km) +200m 8:28 / km
ahr:111 max:161 shoes: Nike Trail
Checking out Jool's novice and moderate courses on Mt Alexander North. This is truly a bugger of place to set these courses, with heaps of map changes and some dangerous areas not marked as such on the map. I realised I will be redrawing this part of the map more than likely. Lovely views though. And that is right.. my HR did get up over 160 on a novice course. The contours had a fair bit to do with it. Scenic orienteering often means high HR readings.
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| From Kooyoora control sites |
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| From Kooyoora control sites |
Running 1:30:00 [2] ***** 8.25 km (10:55 / km) +180m 9:50 / km
shoes: Nike Trail
Putting out controls for the Mount Kooyoora event. The Bermuda Triangle! I wouldn't normally put out stands for a local event a week before hand, but this is no ordinary local event. The navigation is pretty intense. I had some trouble with a site I had visited twice before. Lack of concentration. I am very confident everything is in the right place. But I wouldn't like putting out the 33 controls on a Saturday morning. Rushing the job would lead to errors. An added incentive was the Melbourne forecast for rain next Saturday. A week out leaves a lot of room for revision, and rain in melbourne doesn't mean rain at Kooyoora. But I would rather not have to put out controls in the wet.
I am a bit worried that there will be a fair attrition rate from the A and B courses. Quite a few locals are spur-gully sugar babies. I expect many will find the temptation of quitting after the first loop irresistible. But if you manage the two loops without any problems, then navigation at Warby will hold no fear.
Big Ev wasn't to happy with his SL course today. I feel quite satisfied with my decision to wander round Alexander and Kooyoora instead.
This last one will instigate more than one dnf I suspect.
I am a bit worried that there will be a fair attrition rate from the A and B courses. Quite a few locals are spur-gully sugar babies. I expect many will find the temptation of quitting after the first loop irresistible. But if you manage the two loops without any problems, then navigation at Warby will hold no fear.
Big Ev wasn't to happy with his SL course today. I feel quite satisfied with my decision to wander round Alexander and Kooyoora instead.
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| From Kooyoora control sites |
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| From Kooyoora control sites |
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| From Kooyoora control sites |
This last one will instigate more than one dnf I suspect.
Saturday Aug 22, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Real Orienteering race (Lyell Forest North) 47:56 [5] *** 7.87 km (6:05 / km) +145m 5:35 / km
ahr:144 max:230 spiked:10/11c shoes: Nike Trail
Last week is over. Only made two errors today, and it was the same error twice... ie forgetting to climb through a fence rather than run through it. The first time I lay on the ground for a while, then rose and tried to continue with a throbbing hand. It was hard to think about navigation so I naturally blew 40 seconds on the next control. The second fence crash I just lay there until my right testicle stopped throbbing before continuing. No navigation mistakes resulted this time. Despite this, I managed a reasonably fast run, somewhere around 6.30 per k using straight line. Interestingly, my mistake matched Evan's and we recorded exactly the same distance on the Garmins... 7.83. Of course, there all similarity ended. He managed under 5 min a k. He passed me mid way through the course and I tried to hang on for a while. Failed miserably. But before failure was absolute I pushed the HR monitor into strange territory. It jumped suddenly from 155 to 220. Evan saw the trace after we both downloaded and gave me a lecture about taking it a bit easier and running my age.
It was very gratifying to see Big Ev put the courses up on RouteGadget and then upload his gpx file. I gave some basic tuition, whilst flitting into teh other room to answer Jool's queries about some more arcane aspects of Condes. She is busy sorting out the Mt Alexander course in 2 weeks time. Its a challenging place to set courses. Bloody steep, and many map changes.Hard to get sensible easy and mod courses. At one stage I left them to it and went on a drive to purchase a Saturday Age. They told me it wasn't possible. I claimed that the one places there would be copies remaining would be Eaglehawk IGA. Its a small newspaper community. They didn't let me down. I did have to go elsewhere though to get the AFR. Not a usual purchase, but I wanted to see if an article got in and check how theyhad quoted me. Looks like it will be next week instead.
For amusement, watch the RouteGadget animation and watch my dot stop still near two fences.If you are the more empathetic type, imagine pain at the same time.
Gadget:
http://www.bendigo-orienteers.com.au/gadget/cgi-bi...
It was very gratifying to see Big Ev put the courses up on RouteGadget and then upload his gpx file. I gave some basic tuition, whilst flitting into teh other room to answer Jool's queries about some more arcane aspects of Condes. She is busy sorting out the Mt Alexander course in 2 weeks time. Its a challenging place to set courses. Bloody steep, and many map changes.Hard to get sensible easy and mod courses. At one stage I left them to it and went on a drive to purchase a Saturday Age. They told me it wasn't possible. I claimed that the one places there would be copies remaining would be Eaglehawk IGA. Its a small newspaper community. They didn't let me down. I did have to go elsewhere though to get the AFR. Not a usual purchase, but I wanted to see if an article got in and check how theyhad quoted me. Looks like it will be next week instead.
For amusement, watch the RouteGadget animation and watch my dot stop still near two fences.If you are the more empathetic type, imagine pain at the same time.
Gadget:
http://www.bendigo-orienteers.com.au/gadget/cgi-bi...
Running 25:00 [3] 2.9 km (8:37 / km) +50m 7:56 / km
shoes: Nike Trail
Picking up controls. I'm setting the event at Kooyoora next week. I think I'll put the majority out tomorrow. I doubt many people will be wandering through those locations over the next week. Even if they are, they would be lucky to find many anyway. I suspect I'll have trouble finding some tags tomorrow.
Friday Aug 21, 2009 #
Running 34:52 [3] 6.33 km (5:30 / km) +80m 5:11 / km
shoes: Saucony
Very windy out there. Whirakee coming on. I'd guess late next week for the peak.
Thursday Aug 20, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Have to face a day of loading software into a new machine.
Running 25:00 [3] 4.75 km (5:16 / km) +20m 5:09 / km
shoes: Saucony
Another lovely day for a lunch time run. I feel lucky to have all this bush to choose from at lunchtime. Today I ran away from the Whirakee so I can get a pleasant surprise next time I venture into wattle territory.
Wednesday Aug 19, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Replacement computer arrives at work today. There goes quite a few days in getting from the standard corporate image shape into a machine that is actually useful.
Running 30:00 [3] 5.5 km (5:27 / km) +35m 5:17 / km
shoes: Saucony
A gentle run on a lovely day through the Adelaide Hill terrain. I had hoped the Whirakee would be out but it seems to be slower than in the Welsford. Some of the thicker stands are showing the impact of the long run of dry years.
Tuesday Aug 18, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Management group teleconference today. My most disliked work hour of the week.
Running 37:40 [3] 6.81 km (5:32 / km) +35m 5:24 / km
shoes: Saucony
The Whirakkee have come up quite well since yesterday. By the end of the week the Welsford bush will be magnificent.
Monday Aug 17, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Running 24:30 [3] 4.5 km (5:27 / km) +30m 5:16 / km
shoes: Saucony
A run through the Whirakee. Not much more blosson since Friday. Whirakee seems to take its time in getting to full bloom. But that means it stays around longer.
The shower was cold, so I skipped it.
The shower was cold, so I skipped it.
Sunday Aug 16, 2009 #
Technical training 1:00:00 [2] **** 5.0 km (12:00 / km) +100m 10:55 / km
shoes: Nike Trail
Finished the checking of controls for the Kooyoora event. After fiddling with the courses, I needed to shift a couple to different sides of a feature, or even to new features. Can't have controls too easily located. Find the feature rather than spot the flag. The promised 1 k leg has been reduced, and its more downhill than traverse now. But it was a different leg (600 metres) that confused me this time. I was in a hurry to finish the task before dark and was running too quickly between controls without keeping contact.
Other than that. it seemed much easier than yesterday on Mandurang. ?
Other than that. it seemed much easier than yesterday on Mandurang. ?
Saturday Aug 15, 2009 #
Real Orienteering (Sedgwick) 1:10:04 [3] *** 9.21 km (7:36 / km) +205m 6:51 / km
spiked:3/6c shoes: Saucony
My worst race in a decade. I lost 13 minutes on the first three controls. I don't know what was happening in my head. Partly it was thinking about feeling guilty for not helping collect controls from the morning training race. Partly i was having trouble coming to terms with the 15000 scale after setting an event on 2500. I left as quickly as possible. Sometimes its best just to forget.
Running warm up/down 10:00 [2] 1.6 km (6:15 / km) +10m 6:04 / km
I should have warmed up the brain, not the muscles.
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Friday Aug 14, 2009 #
Running intervals 25:00 [4] 5.3 km (4:43 / km) +10m 4:40 / km
shoes: Saucony White Thingys
Five laps of Neangar Lake, half of which was in sprint mode. Best lap was 4.16. Thats about 23 seconds less than best ever (5 + years ago), so I can't complain. Wasn't planning to go hard, but felt good right from the start, so had my first hard session in some time. Not sure what I'm training for though. Only running in a couple of the National Carnival races and am not going to WMOC.
Thursday Aug 13, 2009 #
Running 30:25 [3] 5.4 km (5:38 / km) +45m 5:24 / km
shoes: Saucony White Thingys
Back to the usual drag. Welsford forest. Mad interesting by the first Whirakee flowers. In about two weeks the understory will be solid yellow. It will be easier to go running with that as a welcome.
Wednesday Aug 12, 2009 #
Running 1:05:30 [3] 9.7 km (6:45 / km) +335m 5:45 / km
shoes: Saucony White Thingys
A run up in the hills behind the Buchan Caves reserve. I ran along the reserve road and then selected a track labelled "Granite Pools". The logic was that I was in a valley and the pools would be in a valley so it would probably be a gentle flat valley trail. Nope. The ponds were notable for being ina hanging valley right at the top of the range.... but not notable for anything else.
Tuesday Aug 11, 2009 #
Running 36:00 [3] 6.8 km (5:18 / km)
shoes: Saucony White Thingys
Slow jog through Sale wetlands.
Monday Aug 10, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Sunday Aug 9, 2009 #
Real Orienteering (Plenty Gorge) 42:00 [3] 6.65 km (6:19 / km) +100m 5:52 / km
shoes: Saucony White Thingys
I can't face writing anything yet about the Plenty Gorge relay event. Spent 10 minutes looking for my SI stick and failed to find it. Lost it when i skewered my foot with a spike that came through the sole of my shoe. I'll go back with a metal detector, but not to orienteer.
C • PseudO? 12
Running 16:00 [1] 1.8 km (8:53 / km) +50m 7:48 / km
Back onto the course to look for the lost SI stick.
Saturday Aug 8, 2009 #
Running hills 20:00 [3] 3.0 km (6:40 / km) +230m 4:49 / km
shoes: Saucony White Thingys
Used to be intimidated by this run when I was a kid. Locally its known as the big hills. Used to be a fire access track, but now there are a couple of hourses on side of the middle hill. Wouldn't like to be there in a fire though. Drove home from Wonga Park through North Warrendyte. Its the nest fire disaster waiting to happen. Been waiting for 30 years.
Note
Arrived too late for the Black Jack Gully event (remapping parts of Browns reef for the ASSOC). Picked up some controls.
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Friday Aug 7, 2009 #
Running 37:30 [3] 6.8 km (5:31 / km) +35m 5:23 / km
shoes: Saucony White Thingys
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Thursday Aug 6, 2009 #
Running 38:06 [2] 6.85 km (5:34 / km) +120m 5:07 / km
shoes: Saucony White Thingys
C • WMOC 3
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Wednesday Aug 5, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Tuesday Aug 4, 2009 #
Back, core and achilles 10:00 [1]
Sunday Aug 2, 2009 #
Running 1:30:00 [3] 9.0 km (10:00 / km) +150m 9:14 / km
shoes: Saucony White Thingys
Checking control sites and courses in the Kooyoora "Bermuda Triangle". Put the Garmin on auto pause" so it started recording when I broke into a run and stopped when I did. It recorded 90 minutes of the four hours out there. I had no trouble locating the 'hard' control sites. However, when I started running the novice course, I became somewhat confused. In the end, I had to use the rocks to locate where the track used to be. Needless to say, the novice and moderate courses are back at drawing board stage. Some lovely hard control sites are tagged. Indeed, all sites are lovingly hand crafted.
Saturday Aug 1, 2009 #
Event: Bendigo Orientshow
Note
Orientshow Day
I learnt many lessons running this event last year. I wrote a newsletter article about those lessons.
I learnt only one new lesson this year: read the lessons I learnt the year before!
Failing to remember past mistakes, I was up till 1.30 manually creating Hagaby and orientshow variations on condes and then importing them to OE2003. Hopefully the next versions of these two programs will talk to each other a little better.
The event seemed to go well, though I was really running close to the wind much of the day. The last 7 controls went out in the 15 minutes before the first start. Only had a small turnup and thats probably a good thing. I think iwould have been overwhelmed with a large number of runners. Highlight of the day was either the first leg of the the classic, or the last povot control of the orientshow. The long leg presented a routechoice dilemma that only two of the 14 runners unravelled. Most ground their way along the red line through the mining terrain. Jools and Jymbo went to the southern extremity of the map for a fats run along the track. That won the race for Jymbo, and Jools ahd a very respectable time as well.
The last pivot of the last orientshow pivot was entertaining. By that stage most runners had checked 60+ controls over 7.5 straight line course kilometres of complex mining terrain with lost of tough ups and downs and rough underfoot conditions. Needless to say, quite a few were tired and under pressure. The result was surprising confusion for some in a pretty simple area. Best route choice to Laurina who went on a straight line through blackberries. See photos.
Jymbo coming in for his win.
Toph in descent mode.
Laurina the worse for wear... afte rthe first race. That was before she went through here... you can just catch a glimpse of here emerging in this shot.
That merits recognition!
Bruce on the comeback trail.
Roch
Toph
He doesn't know it, but he has just missed a control and it will cost him the win for the day.
Birchy
Laurina... and yes, blackberries.
I learnt many lessons running this event last year. I wrote a newsletter article about those lessons.
I learnt only one new lesson this year: read the lessons I learnt the year before!
Failing to remember past mistakes, I was up till 1.30 manually creating Hagaby and orientshow variations on condes and then importing them to OE2003. Hopefully the next versions of these two programs will talk to each other a little better.
The event seemed to go well, though I was really running close to the wind much of the day. The last 7 controls went out in the 15 minutes before the first start. Only had a small turnup and thats probably a good thing. I think iwould have been overwhelmed with a large number of runners. Highlight of the day was either the first leg of the the classic, or the last povot control of the orientshow. The long leg presented a routechoice dilemma that only two of the 14 runners unravelled. Most ground their way along the red line through the mining terrain. Jools and Jymbo went to the southern extremity of the map for a fats run along the track. That won the race for Jymbo, and Jools ahd a very respectable time as well.
The last pivot of the last orientshow pivot was entertaining. By that stage most runners had checked 60+ controls over 7.5 straight line course kilometres of complex mining terrain with lost of tough ups and downs and rough underfoot conditions. Needless to say, quite a few were tired and under pressure. The result was surprising confusion for some in a pretty simple area. Best route choice to Laurina who went on a straight line through blackberries. See photos.
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| From Orientshow 2009 |
Jymbo coming in for his win.
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| From Orientshow 2009 |
Toph in descent mode.
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| From Orientshow 2009 |
Laurina the worse for wear... afte rthe first race. That was before she went through here... you can just catch a glimpse of here emerging in this shot.
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| From Orientshow 2009 |
That merits recognition!
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| From Orientshow 2009 |
Bruce on the comeback trail.
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| From Orientshow 2009 |
Roch
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| From Orientshow 2009 |
Toph
He doesn't know it, but he has just missed a control and it will cost him the win for the day.
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| From Orientshow 2009 |
Birchy
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| From Orientshow 2009 |
Laurina... and yes, blackberries.
Course setting (Peg Leg Gully) 10 [3]