Training Log Archive: slow-twitch

Katoa Po warm-up. Both legs and brain took a bit of getting back in to terrain orienteering - I may have accidentally turned myself into a sprint specialist! But after a slow and scratchy start, turned into a nice, mostly accurate cruise, getting somewhat less cruise-like when I started to wind the pace up over the last few legs. Low rolling farmland means quite a different orienteering style from the sorts of country we're usually in - it's by no means technically difficult but failing to adjust technique in itself could lose some time. More than enough fences though to remind me why we don't use this sort of country more often.

Katoa Po out near Reporoa - Leg 5 for the 'last' HB 5 person team, which seemed to perform above expectation. Supposedly red, but much of the course was barely orange (I suspect it was a late decision to have fenced maps for this leg and they didn't revisit how this affected the course) which was a bit disappointing especially as after the first 3 or 4 legs I didn't really have the speed to take advantage of the easiness. (Cool map/area though!) Still managed to lose some time though, #6 picked my way slowly through the leg as I was struggling to visualise the terrain (not sure why) then not only missed seeing the control on first pass (like many did) but also missed seeing the whole rockface. #10 somehow ended up in the wrong paddock! I'm sure I took extra care at the last fence junction... and terrain was just good enough a fit to where I was supposed to be it took me longer than it should have to convince myself... #5 I could count as a mistake but my actual route delivered me to the control about as efficiently as my intended route would have.

In complete contrast to last year's head to head with Ionel and Martin, was completely alone except for catching the Taranaki guy who started a bit before me at the triangle and gradually leaving him behind by the 3rd control, and almost catching (I think it was) Steve O at 5 but losing that opportunity at 6. Nobody I'm aware overtook me.

One easy warm-up - one I used to really struggle with the start of, but not any more, then spent the rest of the night on a current project (16) - was repeatedly 'easily' getting past what used to be the sticking point and getting to what feels like one move away from completion but ran out of holds I could trust then ran out of gas on the I-lost-count'th attempt. Finished off with an honest attempt on a 15 on the slab wall which I usually avoid... but definitely had already run out of gas!

Putting controls out at Porritt, some of which actually survived the evening.

So much for sunday's positivity - back to feeling ill by the end of the work day. Have started using a colleague's desk when she's in the field which maybe makes a difference, but only started this as of Wednesday. So Tuesday's exercise consisted of walking over to Eastside after work and deciding on the way there I wasn't really up to it. This is annoying!