Training Log Archive: AndreM

A physical course for sure, which I really enjoyed. Proper steep bits, scratchy bush, proper hills, scree and lots of hidden fences to trip over (two full speed trips/slams yesterday which I managed to roll over nicely with only a bit of gravel rash for it).

As expected, read the map better today. Found 1 ok, 2 fine, lost a bit of time contouring on a really steep section to 3 while Tony W made ground on me by running down to the water course and then back up. Beat Tony to 4 and then lost that time trying to find and then get to 5 amongst a bunch of cliffs and banks (this was the cool bit - reminded me of xpd-like times in ridiculous terrain). Tony passed me here as I stared at the map trying to figure the best way to 6, which I thought was the trickiest leg of the course. Gave up thinking too much and started following Tony, who found the fence I was looking for by doing a successful full body trip over it. Thereafter I start running ahead a bit lower and made my mistake of running too far down and losing direction for about 100m. Figured out the mistake and then had to climb up a long way, with the control being on the otherside of the next valley.

The rest went well. Picked the high route from 12 to 13 and ran about a minute slower than Rachel, so the low option was probably better. Finished 6 minutes ahead of Rachel again, so happy with that.

H1 - Splits

Event: WARA Geraldton 12hr Rogaine
 

Event: Lover's Lane "Autumn" Classic
 

My nav felt quite rusty at first. It's quite a dense map and I was a bit hesitant to run off the track and downhill into some really dense parrot bush and scrub right from the start triangle. Checked the bearing a bunch of times, set off and found 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ok. Then in trying to avoid contouring on a bushy hill side I ran down a track too far and ended up in the wrong valley. Lost a good amount of time figuring out where I was and climbing back over to 7. Here I met Graham B and we took off in different directions to 8. I don't know if he had to get to another control (after looking at RouteGadget - yes, he had to get two additional controls between my 8 and 9, good effort!) but found him again on the way to 9 as I caught sight of Rachel. Also I made a mistake approaching 8 by going too low on a spur beneath it.

At this point I was a bit disheartened b/c Rachel had started at least 2 minutes behind me and I thought GB must have been quite a bit further back in the start and therefore had made a lot of time on me - as it turned out he was on course 2. So at this stage I thought I better take the conservative option and not try pass Rachel and GB. Rachel lead GB and I perfectly to 9, 10 and most of the way to 11 where she got ahead but overshot and GB and I split and he found it first, I overshot a little and then got it before Rachel.

Never saw GB again but found Rachel heading to 13 as I have on my way to 14, so managed to get ahead of her in this stretch. I started seeing the map better and the rest all went smoothly. Made some time on Rachel here as I finished 6 minutes ahead of her. That may be a first for me.

Course 1 - Splits