Training Log Archive: nmulder

Day 5 of the Big 5. A WRE sprint in the Lowveld Botanical Gardens in Nelspruit. Lowest altitude of the week, so pretty muggy and hot. At least a lot of the paths were in the shade.

Seeding was reverse, based on WRE points, so I was off 5th last. Not surprisingly, I didn't catch anyone.

Started poorly. Very slow into #1, hesitating. Then got used to the map, but didn't push hard enough on the paths to 2,3,4,5. Wrong route to 6, should have taken the board walks. Slightly overran #9, then misread the O for a building near 10 and almost overran as well. From here I had a better run. Taivainen and Haines got sight of me at #18. I made a wrong route choice to 19 and was caught just before the control. Lundanes came past shortly after them at #23. No chance of hanging on.

So overall a fair sprint for me, but this just isn't my distance. 2nd South African behind Jeremy (30 secs) and about 4.5 mins behind Lundanes. Ouch.

From Orienteering Maps

Didn't require much warming up in this heat.

Course 1 - M21E - Splits

Day 4 of the Big 5, at Klipkraal near Sabie, 1:15'000.

Had a middle start. Slightly overcast, so the summer heat wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Off to a good start, hitting the first few okay. Slow into #3 as I struggled to read the map detail. Found a good crossing point to #4 and hit it pretty well. Then the tough slog to 5, 6 and 7. Pushed this hard, but still felt very good.

Got it right by going around the right to #8. Then hesitant into #9 due to low visibility, but not much time lost. The long leg was the most interesting leg of the day. I decided to go straight, but I don't know yet whether the left option was faster.

Hit #12 spot on, a nice one given the low visibility on approach. On 13, I got pulled by a ditch not on the map and ended up 40m too low. Took the wrong route choice into #14, going left of the green instead of right. 15 went well, but I was slightly off bearing into 16. Also wrong route into #17, when I circled round the right instead of going straighter / left.

18 was in the wrong spot, but I didn't notice till afterwards. At 19, did a full lap of the boulder before finding the control. Finally started catching people at #20, first Frey, then Garry. Got away from them going straight and hard to #21. Got pulled by another control just before #22, which I also struggled to read.

Big mistake of the day was #23, where I didn't realise the O on the map was a fence post. Went right past it before circling back. 1 min lost. Snuck out just as Frey arrived. Pushed hard from here, hitting the rest spot on.

Overall a good run. Finished about 14 mins behind Taivainen and only 30 secs behind Lundanes, who was on a training jog before the WRE on Day 5.

Started my GPS tracker late.

From Orienteering Maps

First time this week for a bit of a warm-up, the steep hill to the start (x3).

Course 1 - M21E - Splits

Was the planner / mapper of Day 3, a Long Distance WRE for the M/W21E. Spent Thursday afternoon putting out more controls in another thunderstorm, then a few more on the morning.

Event went off well, with some good reviews. Lundanes won the men by a good margin, catching both Taivainen and Haines.

Map in 2 parts due to a map exchange for M21E.

From Orienteering Maps

From Orienteering Maps

Day 2 of the Big 5. Dullstroom urban middle distance event on 1:7'500.

Had an earlier start today, still very hot conditions though. Made a route choice error coming out of #2, should have stayed on the main road. Got caught in a fence after #3, but caught Ant on the way to #4. Had a poor plan to #5. Wasn't paying attention, so had to turn back for the gap past the construction site. Then slow into the control, allowing Ant to gain some ground on me. Next problem at #7, where I didn't attack the control straight from the fence corner. Managed to get across the long leg without feeling too tired, so felt in good shape for the more technical second half.

I was spot on for #10 & 11, which was a good confidence boost. Also got sight of Michael en route to #12. Unfortunately didn't catch him and he pulled a bit away over the last 2 controls. Only other problem was to #14, where I should have stayed on the tracks.

Happy with my run and surprised that I was first South African. That shouldn't be happening on this type of terrain. Taivainen won, a good 9 minutes ahead of me, so 1.5 min/km faster.

From Orienteering Maps

Course 1 - M21E - Splits

Event: Big 5 Orienteering Week (WRE)
 

Day 1 of the Big 5 O-Week on the Middeldam map in Belfast.

I had the last start, and the looming thunderstorm broke just as I touched my map. Ran the whole way in heavy rain. The lightning bolts were somewhat distracting, but on the plus side, at least I avoided the afternoon heat. We had a good covering of hailstones in the forest, particularly in the middle forest block.

Control # 1 was a bit of lucky dip. I only saw it from about 10m away, on the second pass, despite having mapped the area. Passed Garry here, who was looking elsewhere. Then a clean run, pushing the pace as much as possible, until #18 where I hit the road a bit too far right. Finished just under 7 mins off the pace of Taivainen and Lundanes.

Grass was long, so stayed out of the open as much as possible. Forest was perfectly runnable, didn't notice the blackjacks at all. Froze my b*tt off for the next few minutes after finishing until the rain stopped and I went out to help collect some of the controls.

From Orienteering Maps

Out early setting up controls for Day 3 of the Big 5 O-Week. Approx 3 hours. Then 1 hour setting up the training area controls.