Training Log Archive: nmulder

Quick warm-up before an early start. Went out back to the entrance gate and around some of the dirt tracks to the N of Necsa.

Early start as I had to get to a lunch-time party. Went well for the first few controls, feeling strong. Lots of technical riding and some good sections of bike portaging, as I seem to loose my d/h riding ability after just a short time of no-racing. Some good route choices had to be made, but it was a bit hard to read due to the 'foot-o' symbol clutter on the map. Also some tough uphills on loose gravel. Had a map swap after 10 controls (approx. 42 mins).

Had a big problem at #16. Took wrong route choice, staying on sandy path next to the Croc river instead of climbing onto the hills. Concentration had been poor on a few legs. A map error saw me cycling too far along this past a turn-off away from the river. I then also made the 'make the map fit' mistake and proceeded to bundu-bash up a gully from hell. GPS shows 17 minutes lost!

Floored the final section of the course, hoping to claim back some lost positions. Went much better again, but I was a bit depleted now. In the end, I suprisingly still managed a win (?), so everyone else also had a bad day or found the riding tough.

Rolling stats: Av 14.4 Mx 41.4 Tm 1:30:17 (so 12 mins of hike-a-bike and punching)
Total stats: Av 12.8

TE 4.1, 182 Epoc, 1213 kcal.

Part 1:

From Orienteering Maps

1-2 : good route choice. North route was the fastest.
2-3 : first technical single track. A few portages here already.
3-4: knarly. Confusing when I hit the dense track network. I didn't take the fastest route in as I was too confused.
4-5 : I think my route was the best.
7-8 : Don't quite know, but I suspect that going back to the main roads was fastest. However, #8 was placed too far SE, thus S route approach would have been faster.

Part 2:

From Orienteering Maps

10-11 : Pretty much equal route choices. Maybe N was better surfaced.
11-12 : Exiting on the smaller track was more technical, but required less map reading.
13-14 : Best downhill of the day. Yehaa.
14-15 : Tax collection. The portage from hell. Managed to jog most of it and lovely singletrack downhill to #15.
15-16 : Upper track over the hill by far better. Fewer map inaccuracies.
16-17 : S route the best.
17-18 : Another good route choice. I went S, and was faster for me, but depends on the riders technical riding skills.
18-19 : Path network not exactly accurate into 19 (overgrown). Also a new track out of 19.

Out to Joburg CC and back via Rivonia. At least I'm picking up the pace.

TE 2.7, 59 Epoc, 395 kcal.

Out to Waterfall for some dirt riding. Back via Barbecue Downs.

Av 20.5 Mx 52.6
TE 2.2, Epoc 36, 541 kcal.

Out to Woodmead, down to Mushroom Farm, then back along Rivonia.

Av 21.8 Mx 53.7

TE 2.1, Epoc 29, 539 kcal.

Out to Barbecue Downs and back. Found a route with approx. 4km of dirt on the side of the roads and on dirt roads.

TE 2.6, Epoc 54, 64 kcal.

C • Picking up the speed 2

Short run through Sunninghill, back down the K60. Will need to start pushing the pace later this week and picking up speed again.

TE 2.4, Epoc 45, 219 kcal.

Paddling with Landie on Emmies. 10 big laps.

TE 1.2, Epoc 7, 402 kcal.