Training Log Archive: Craig

Oceania relays at Benbullen. Running last leg in the Australian M40 team with Bruce and Blair. I had a disastrous run here at easter 2009 so I was keen to redeem myself this time but it didn't really work out the way I hoped. Started out just behind Laura Robertson who was on the same course in W21. I closed the gap a bit on the longish first leg and was feeling quite positive as I punched the first control just behind. Exit down the hill and as I was preparing to jump the creek I notice a sheep stuck in the mud. I started considering whether I should stop to help it or not and next thing I know I'm thudding into the bank on the other side of the creek. I was going quite fast and it was quite a steep bank which I hit with my chest number on the edge after flying the last few metres. It hurt. Lots.

Once I'd got enough breath back to realise I probably wasn't going to die I decided I should try to help the sheep while I recovered a bit more. The sheep was pretty big and pretty well stuck so trying to shift it didn't really help my recovery but I got it free eventually and tried to move on. When I got to the top of the next hill I could see Laura leaving the next control a couple of minutes ahead.

I was still feeling pretty sick for quite a while longer and never really got back into it physically or mentally. Made a few small mistakes and crappy route choices plus a big mistake on 8 where I changed my route to try to be safer, missed it completely then found it easily when I approached again the way I first planned. Trudged on from there without any enthusiasm knowing I just need to finish as NZ has no team. One more delay when I stopped to help a lost girl near 12. It took a while as she had folded her map so the major track we were on wasn't visible even though it was only about 100m from her control (which was the same as mine).

Expect to have a lot of sore bits tomorrow and I think I'm getting sick too.

C • Lucky the Kiwis didn't find that sheep first? 1

Oceania sprint champs at University of Tasmania.
Had a pretty solid run, lost a few seconds here and there on route choices but probably lost more time by not running aggressively enough. Caught Matt Sherlock one minute about half way around and diced with him the rest of the way. Seemed as though I kept passing him leaving controls but he would run back past me before the next one. Had some better splits when I ran a bit harder to try to stay in front. Finished second in M40, 1:36 behind Bruce but also behind the first three M45s who ran the same course.

A bit of jogging up and down in the shade plus a few drills and strides to warm up and Jase dragged me out for a bit of a warm down afterwards. Time and distance a very rough guess.

Event: Oceania 2015 and World Cup Round 1
 

Little jog with Rachel exploring Evandale. Both of us were scraping our feet on the ground early on but moving a bit better by the end.

With Liam on the grass.

With Daniel on hardcourt.