Training Log Archive: GraceE

Pulled my back :(

NOL 4 Middle on Isaacs Ridge.
Oh dear, mp. Well TECHnically I didn't mis-punch, a compulsive code-checker such as myself doesn't really ever do that, but I did miss out completely the fourth control.
I got the first three controls pretty well and then must have refolded/turned my map around at c3. I guess I put my thumb at c4 and away I went down the hill to c5. Admittedly it did seem a long way down my line feature to c5, and I stopped too early. I kept going along the line feature and eventually found it. The code didn't match what I had in my head but when I looked up what the code for c5 was, it did agree! I took 2.15 which was actually longer than a few people took to go via c4.
I proceeded on the course and took care in the detail, finding all of the controls in the middle section without problems. Things felt like they were clicking really well. I was also pleased with my long leg to c12 where I climbed up onto the ridge early and then had a nice fast line in at the end, getting the 2nd fastest split on the 7min leg (I assure you I was not the 2nd fittest person on the course).
I started to tire running through the spectator control and then absolutely DIED on the way up the hill to c17 and then c19, where I lost close to 2mins through not understanding the rock and not thinking clearly. Enjoyed the last few short controls back down the hill to the finish.

What a ripper of a course by RobW - I'm obviously a fan of technical middle distances and this didn't disappoint. Made great use of the detail and the lower-visibility areas and the last loop - while brutal - gave us all a good lesson in dealing with oxygen deprivation in the final stages of a tricky course.

NOL 3 Sprint Qual on Red Hill North.
Always fun to do a bush sprint for a change. I felt I was a bit off on the first couple and then settled into some good straight lines. It turned out that my first two were two of my best splits! Probably just died after c2 haha! Clean for the rest but lost some time walking up the hill to c9. Finished 4th.

Sprint B Final, Girls Grammar School.
Quite unsure on the way to c1 which pretty much set the tone for the rest of the course. c2 was OK but c3-6 were all very hesitanty and just not very pro at all (not that I was expecting amazing things from myself). Was fun to see Shannon quite a few times and then try to guess if I was + or - 1min when I got to the same point. Yes that's how hard I was concentrating :)

Moved up to a four day working week this week! At least I now have more time to get work done. Missed my baby girl though :(

Lap of Mt Taylor anticlockwise.

Loop on Farrer Ridge before heading to a friend's 40th.

Had a nice morning out at the Salmon Ponds (I think it's been about 30 years for me!). After lunch I just had a tiny window to do a short run from Mt Stuart before heading to the airport. Dad took Daisy and Florence for a little walk while I ran a loop of Knocklofty, across the front then round the back. I was committed after the 15min mark and had to really race back, not cool.

Headed to Kingston Beach where Florence and her cousins had a ball!

Pittwater Day 3 "Thylacine Sprint".
This turned out to be a pretty clean run, just lost 20secs on a short control near the end (c12). Was fast terrain and could run in nice straight lines. Enjoyed it!

NOL 2 Long on Pittwater (hagaby).
Nailed the first two loops but it helped having Susen and Katie ahead of me on my exact loops so I had one eye on the map and one on them always a couple of dunes in front of me. Grabbed my third map in 4th behind Charlotte but was pretty much on my own then. Slowed down a bit and started to get caught by people, which may explain why I made an epic fail on the way to c6, exiting c5 badly and then not seeing a track I supposedly crossed over. I do blame the lack of track, but really I should have been using and relying on a lot more than just one feature. Aaanyway, I lost a lot of time on that one, and so did some others. After getting it it was a rather uneventful slog home, although I got picked off by a few people. Happy with how I held up though, all things considered.

NOL 1 Middle on Pittwater dunes. Really fun course, especially the first part in the open sand dunes. I made four mistakes which all up was quite costly. c9 was annoying as I just didn't see the flag in the depression, c10 was the biggest mistake as I stopped too early and as everything seemed to match, I didn't start looking elsewhere for a while.

Little jog around some controls on Sandridge Pines.

Travelled to Hobart.

Ran a lap of Mt Taylor from home. Got caught out in the dark for the last 15mins!

Did some training at Kowen Forest in the morning before having lunch in Bungendore. I ran a course set by Charlotte for a training weekend a few weeks ago, I was a bit rusty in the terrain to begin with but was flowing better by the end. Some awful spiderwebs in my face certainly brought me to a stop a few times!!

Long loop on Farrer Ridge and Wanniassa Hills.

Twilight orienteering on the new map Waramanga Campuses. It was a "sprint", but I didn't have much zip having been poorly recently. Also got caught out by a closed gate on the way to c6 :/