Training Log Archive: blairtrewin

NOL Long. Went in thinking this might not be too extreme by long distance standards, given that the course stats were basically those of the World Cup course for which Jules did 89 and Simon 93. Apparent early on that it was quite junky, though, with masses of fallen timber (extra challenging given that it was still wet after the heavy rain a couple of days earlier), and even though the first few controls were mostly contouring or downhill it was tough going. Got the first three OK (not without a certain lack of confidence on 1), but lost significant time on 4, seeing a large boulder and not registering that it might be my control after going into the circle somewhat unsure - dropped 2-3 minutes there. The bad news was still to come, though - on the climb of only a couple of contours into 6 my back threw one of its occasional wobblies. Knew the next few controls were relatively flat and hoped that it would settle down, but it didn't (and in the meantime I'd dropped another minute at 9), and when the two contours into 10 were a struggle, and knowing that (a) 11 was a point of no return (b) nearly all the climb was still to come and (c) a likely finishing time was somewhere north of 2 1/2 hours, I decided that was my day done. Picked up a couple of controls on the way home.

On days like this, I'm reminded that I have made noises at various times in the last couple of years about retiring from elite long distances and maybe it's time to do it properly (although the way things went today I probably wouldn't have found an M45 long distance much easier) - not just yet, though, because I'm entered for one in NZ next weekend (it was advertised as a middle when I first entered it but I'm going to give it a go). I'm staggering towards 300 NOL appearances (currently 289), but my tally at the end of this year looks like being one lower than it might have been because I'll probably be replacing Eric as IOF event adviser for the Australian Sprint Championships. (There are worse fates than a controlling trip to Queensland in winter...).

Surprised the winning time blew out that much (Craney won in 108) - shows how much difference course design makes in an area like this. One key difference is that the really rough stuff (around 12-15) was an area which the World Cup courses traversed downhill on a (very) long leg.

No rest for the wicked: IOF teleconference from 5-11.15 (at least it didn't go to the scheduled midnight).

C • Winning time 6