Training Log Archive: Embo

AN absolutely amazing start! Nailed 1-5 and was able to run pretty fast up and down the massive hills. Was feeling excellent. Took a bearing to 6 located myself between two smallish hills and navigated to within sneezing distance of no. 6. Then inexplicably turned the wrong way and went wandering off in totally the wrong direction. Eventually went back to where I'd been standing and found it almost immediately. :-( a very great shame.

Then went entirely to pieces went off in the totally wrong direction to no 7. Was eventually rescued by a nice lady we met at the ceilidh who told me where I was (nowhere near my course - oh dear). Then found 8 ok, got on the wrong side of the river to 9. Missed 10 completely earning me a nice mispunch and went straight to 11.

Got a very nice cheer as I came into the finish. Think Oleg someone or other was in the run in at about the same time...

A rather disappointing end to the week, but the start of today's race was so good that I'm not sure I care (was placed 21st at no 5!). Have learned a lot. Still some way to go.

Came 52/61 overall. Far enough away from the bottom to be quite pleased considering that day 1 was my second ever go at a TD 5 course.

Didn't start off so well. Missed 2 by running out of a clearing in the wrong direction. And generally thinking that I could orienteer and thus running off enthusiastically with no real idea of where I was going... oh dear.

Managed to rein myself in at no 8 and did the second half of the race really well. Was really pleased as there was some really complicated stuff and I even managed to overtake someone on my course and stay ahead of her till the finish! Hurrah!

Also won the run in :-) and came second overall in the women along with a few others (and more importantly beat Tom by 2 seconds!). And got a fastest leg at no 7 (although I had found it on the way to no 6 so knew where it was...).

Generally a good day. 44/52.

Getting quicker :-) Great terrain, forested dunes. Could really run fast and really helped my understanding of contour detail. Mistake to no 2 getting on the wrong dune in a parallel error, but figured it out and corrected in reasonable time (by my standards). Mistake at 12, but it was a hard one...

Was pleased with how I did in the green bits of forest. Nailed all 3 in there. Hurrah!

Would have won the run in, but thought that the dib hadn't registered so went back to make sure. Bah! 44/56 - winner 41.05.

Up and down the pool to keep my eye in. Missed my nose clip.

Much better. Resolved to go back to basics and practice taking careful bearings and taking decisive relocation action when lost.

Nailed no 1 and 2 :-) Missed 3 but relocated (decisively!) out to the path. Struggled with 4 and 6 was v long, but kept plodding and trying to keep with the map. Was pretty good out in the open and finished strongly.

29/51. Second fastest run in.

NB boo to the bad french man that took my map off me at no 2. I don't care if he was lost!

ARGH! Horrendous!

Managed to miss a gimme control to no 1 which was on paths all the way. Spent a spectacular 20 minutes looking for it. Ended up going back to the start kite and starting all over again. Pants!

Then managed to pull myself together a bit and was competent if not particularly good for 2-10. Quite a lot of track running. Then messed up at 11 a bit and at 12 by a lot. 38 minutes to find no. 12. Thoroughly fed up, failed to do anything to relocate. Just wandered helplessly in ever widening circles finding hundreds of other controls. Eventually fell over it. Missed 13 as well and grumped to the finish. Bah!

Event: Scottish Six Days Tay 2009
 

A slightly ropey start by missing no. 1, but had already realised that this was inevitable. No 2 good. Bad mistake at no 4 (32 minutes!) overshooting and climbing a very large hill before Mark S called to tell me where I was (thank you!).

All a bit rusty, but not too bad and finished pretty well. 40/49 and got 3rd fastest run in split.