Training Log Archive: Jay-T

Event: North West Night League Delamere
 

Another night race, another poor performance.
Really struggled in places with the map.

#1 Headed in early with plan to run to end of open. However, open was continuous all the way to the marshy path. Recognised this but went all the way to verify. Very difficult to understand which ditches were mapped [2m 30]
#4 Bearing took me into circle but hadn't read description and was looking in re-entrant rather than on ride end just above. Returned eventually [4m 30]
#5 Hit foot on hidden stump leaving previous control which took a while to abate. Somehow ended up west of control despite following plantation line from junction. No sign of mapped open but eventually acknowledged that I must be west of control. Main re-entrant was very obvious when I got there [3m 30]
#8 Stuck in crap ascending to path. Then loads of inexplicable extra contour features east of control [1m 20]
#11 Thought I'd selected a great route but ended up swimming in the bog of eternal stench. Literally. Not sure whether extent of marsh had increased or if I had poor direction, but ended up stuck for many minutes. (RG replay is quite comical). Rest of leg was fine [5m]
#15 Added unnecessary climb - path on edge of lake preferable [30]
#16 Stuck in some luscious grot [45]

http://www.dee.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#251&cour...

The list is diminishing slowly...

DNC Shooting Greens

Not a resounding success to say the least.
Slightly irked at the start by the kid starting in front who was having a good study of the map as I arrived at the start - despite the boxes being clearly beyond the start punch...
Made a real mess of #1 - indecision over when to leave path, eventually doing so at an unknown point. Found a short course control but didn't really know where I was and ended up finding myself back at the path. Reattack was fine [5m]
Next few were ok but not spectacular.
#5 Decided on straight route along corridors in green. Corridor was intermittent and not a good choice with a headtorch. Eastern route would have been faster. Hit control ok [90]
#6 The bracken was quite high here and I just didn't see the rocky pit when expected. GPS suggests I was very close but bailed out to the path to reattack from a boulder [3m 30s]
#8 Route through green again questionable with headtorch. Also made me disorientated and as a result was looking too far west [30]
#9 Thought this looked tricky to attack directly but never really settled on a plan. Noted ride crossing, hill and pair of boulders, but incorrectly relocated as being further east than I was (actually at boulder group). Pulled to detail west and took a while to match up the big boulders and work it out... [5m]
#12 Not much incentive to push by now! [60]

So a rather poor performance again. It was rough underfoot which didn't permit enough map contact and I was too indecisive about selecting routes at times. In my mind I was being flexible to permit use of the better patches but in actuality I was just making everything even harder. Lots still to learn!

http://www.maroc.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#221&co...

Birsemore - up the hill.

Some night-O practise around Birsemore with varying degrees of success.
GPS missed half of this...