Training Log Archive: vmeyer

Ha! AP thought this was Peppering, and since I miss her (and Roger, too!), I will leave it as is.

Long trip from Middle site to Rotorua (almost like Roto-Rooter - can't get jingle out of my head. Arrived around 8.
Grocery store for breakfast supplies
Dominoes for pizza - don't tell Roger.

Middle - Course 14 - Splits

FR = 2.63 miles

Placed 9/17 for Leg 3 runners.



Joined up with Beverly and Carol from New Zealand on Team Just for Fun. Class was 55-64, so we were a legal but non-official team, i.e., we couldn't take home the "trophy" even if we were having more fun than Just for Fun. All of the legs were essentially equal in length and were forked somewhere in there.

Turned out to be a good pairing with Beverly handing off in 1:02, and Carol coming through her leg in 55:44. I was off to the races, and had a good run except for coming through the Finish/Spectator area, where I headed to 18 instead of 15. Checked the code and knew 100 was the last control, so came back down the hill, but see what to do next, so I went back up to 18, , and then I finally saw 15. At that point, I headed through the woods to the control.

When I finished, Carol was waiting for me to let me know that she had mispunched. Hey, no worries! We all had fun!

C • Thank you 4

C • Map 3

Long - Course Course 14 - Splits

Event: Oceania Championships 2017
 

Sprint - Course - 9 - Splits

Drive to Auckland - lots of low clouds and rain and traffic going through the city. Likely exacerbated by the threat of heavy rains and winds...people were using the forecast as an opportunity to start the holiday weekend early.

We stopped in several small towns along the one, including one with yummy pies. I ate two of them. Oink!



On the way back from the walk, we stopped at the grocery store to stock up for the next few days when services would be limited due to the Easter holidays. I bought this Rhubarb yoghurt. It was heavenly.

Phillip, Jane and I walked to the Oceania Sprint venue and back. Was spitting a bit at times.

Another early wake up...at least the sun rise was pretty...one was taken with my Fuji camera and the other with the iphone.





Hawkes Bay Orienteering Club has permanent courses at the same park where I orienteered on Sunday, so I decided to give it another go.
My hostess, Jane, printed me a map, while I download the iOrienteering app, and off I went, again driving myself, which, btw, was one of my goals for this trip.

I made to the park safely, and after checking this wonderful the map to make sure I was in the correct location, I got geared up to go.



When I was ready, and after scanning the QR code on the map to pick a course, I also scanned the one to start...


off I went across the road to the trail. Oops.


Back on track, I headed to #1, scanned the code, and continued on.


At that point I realized that I hadn’t even stopped to look at the view, so I turned around and went back to the scenic view for a look at the scenic view...




I carefully made my way around the course, learning from Sunday and taking tracks (trails) whenever possible.

On the way to 2




The 3rd control was in the pretty area of redwoods, where we started on Sunday.






Today, I was able to find the pond I had been looking for on Sunday once I had drifted that way anyway that day...



Anyway, I was moving along, happily finding controls, scanning them with my phone and taking pictures along the way…









Control #6


Then the messiness started…



I punched/scanned #7, but the phone was freezing up, and it was a struggle to get the scan. I thought it and gone through, but when I got to #8, I got the message that it was the incorrect control.


Not wanting to DNF a second time on this map, I decided to go back to #7 and scan again. However, I got confused in the maze of tracks coming from the other direction, and it took a while to sort myself back out. Finally, I got back to #7, scanned again, and then it was back to #8, having no problems getting there the second time. In all, the mis-scan cost me 22 minutes.
I was feeling good though, so I soldiered on, enjoying the scenery along the way. Until, that is, I got to #9, where I stubbornly looked for the single tree NE at the end of the one track, when it was actually up on the next track, where the circle was situated, but not the tree.

View out of #9.


Control #10 and surrounding area




I carried on, with just one more little hiccup back through the area of #7 when going to #10, passing that way for the third time, and then I was done.

C • Tracks 3

Then I drove to Te Mata Peak...I didn't quite get the review which stated something about it was great once you got to the top. It seemed like the road took you right to the top, and so it wasn't anything strenuous after that...turns out that the reviewer was talking about the drive up, on the one way road with hairpin turns...no drive to Pike's Peak, but a little hairy. Luckily, only one car came down while I was going up, and then there was none when I drove back down.













You can see the top part of the road in the picture...

C • launch ramp 3

After tea this evening, I was introduced to feijoa. I didn't really like them, but I did have fun playing with my food.

As some of you know, I don't tend to want to do much else when I go to orienteering events, except the orienteering related stuff and then veg out. With that in mind, I decided to find an activity to try in New Zealand, which was new to me. After looking around, I chose a guided trek on a horse. Selected www.boutiquehorsetreks.co.nz as the most suitable place and made arrangements for this morning for the sunrise ride. The pictures with me in them are courtesy of my guide, Dzidra.

Of course, I then decided that I needed to actually ride a horse ahead of time, so that I would more enjoy the experience. So, I signed up for lessons, which I took on Ed in February and March.

With my newly acquired right side driving skills, I took myself off, in a fog soup kind of morning.



I met up with Dzidra, who paired me up with Onyx, while she rode Bowie (named after David Bowie). Onyx was not much for small talk and was a bit of a handful, but I enjoyed the challenge, though it did take me a while to exert enough muscle to rein her in when I wanted to.

[I didn't remember to start my tracks until about halfway through...]

We wound our way around and through some adjacent farms from the stable, even having to dismount to deal with disabling an electric fence. I got to hold the fence handle, coming and going, and I was a bit nervous of that.

Dzidra on Bowie on the bike path.


Along the canal, lots of swans.


D leading Onyx and me around the edge of the Tuki Tuki river after Onyx refused to go along as planned, even turning around after we were in the water. I was too nice to pull her as hard as I should have, so we were led for a bit until we reached the beach.


Hawkes Bay













Back along the canal on a grassy path this time. Along here, I inadvertently gave Onyx the size to trot, and she was off, and she is not nearly as slow as Ed, that's for sure! After an exciting minute, I slowed her down...that was enough excitement for me.




When we came back through the electric fence area, I held both horses while D put the fence back to rights. Bowie was quite aggressive in scratching an itch. What a hoot!




Headed back...sheep 1


More sheep - hard to take pictures in focus when on a horse.


Back at home base, with Onyx enjoying one of the apples from the tree outside of the cottage's front door.


I really enjoyed the ride on Onyx, despite her recalcitrant attitude at times. I am glad that I took the lessons on Ed from Emily. Talking with D was also nice, like chatting up with an old friend. It was just the right amount of time, and I would do it again, if the opportunity arose. I.

C • horses 1

In the afternoon, I helped label and test the radio controls for the upcoming events. Also admired the results of Philip's 3D printer, the piece attaching the usb cable to the laptop.



And, a custom built box to hold the two monitors for the commentary team...








A chill afternoon...nap, giving the horses apples, being fed a home cooked meal...a good day.