Training Log Archive: blairtrewinIn the 1 days ending Mar 12, 2011:
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Saturday Mar 12, 2011 #
9 AM
Run race ((orienteering)) 40:26 [4] *** 6.0 km (6:44 / km) +150m 5:59 / km
spiked:19/23c
First round of the National League at the familiar venue of Bruce Ridge - although, as with tomorrow at Mount Ainslie, it was strange to run a proper race there (the most significant thing I've done there was winning M12 at the 1983 ACT Schools Championships). It turned out to be a bit more interesting than I was expecting, partly because it's greened up a bit (probably in part a legacy of the wet summer), and partly because it's now riddled with mountain bike tracks - Vancouver three weeks ago turned out to be excellent preparation.
This was generally a decent run technically - a few minor wobbles but nothing more than 10-15 seconds. The same couldn't be said for my physical performance - top gear is still missing and the small first hill was a bit of a shock to the system - but I did settle down a bit later on, especially after I caught David Brownridge late on the first loop (I then broke away on a route choice on the final sprint-style section). The result, just above midfield (equal 14th), is one I would have settled for at this stage; I'm certainly not hopelessly uncompetitive as I was in Armidale. Will be interesting to see how tomorrow goes; the longer distance will suit me, but I'm not sure the hills will.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of the day was getting there. Our headlights blew on the way out of Albury, leaving us to continue with either high beam or parking lights - this was just about manageable on the freeway (apart from annoying a few truck drivers) but challenging at best on the non-freeway sections through Holbrook and Tarcutta. Not fancying tackling the final section into Canberra, we pulled up at Gundagai and continued this morning. Got it fixed today otherwise we wouldn't be getting back until Monday.
I wasn't required for an official Victorian team - we've got a surplus of blokes - and hence decided to sit out the mixed relay, in the hope of keeping myself a bit fresher for tomorrow.
This was generally a decent run technically - a few minor wobbles but nothing more than 10-15 seconds. The same couldn't be said for my physical performance - top gear is still missing and the small first hill was a bit of a shock to the system - but I did settle down a bit later on, especially after I caught David Brownridge late on the first loop (I then broke away on a route choice on the final sprint-style section). The result, just above midfield (equal 14th), is one I would have settled for at this stage; I'm certainly not hopelessly uncompetitive as I was in Armidale. Will be interesting to see how tomorrow goes; the longer distance will suit me, but I'm not sure the hills will.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of the day was getting there. Our headlights blew on the way out of Albury, leaving us to continue with either high beam or parking lights - this was just about manageable on the freeway (apart from annoying a few truck drivers) but challenging at best on the non-freeway sections through Holbrook and Tarcutta. Not fancying tackling the final section into Canberra, we pulled up at Gundagai and continued this morning. Got it fixed today otherwise we wouldn't be getting back until Monday.
I wasn't required for an official Victorian team - we've got a surplus of blokes - and hence decided to sit out the mixed relay, in the hope of keeping myself a bit fresher for tomorrow.