Training Log Archive: Bruce

Event: NOL/WRE & Vic Bush State Series 3 - Eldorado - Kangaroo Crossing
 

National Orienteering League Race 5
Kangaroo Crossing
10th place. At the wrong end of a large bunch. This was a bit frustrating as I lost a couple of minutes near the end and may have been close to the top 5.



I looked at the left option to #1, but I wasn't keen on dropping down and taking on too much extra climb so early in the course. I wish I had gone this way though, as it would have been a much safer approach.
On my route to #1 I got confused by a clear area 500 SW of the control. I thought that this was the mapped one, but it was actually another 3 or 4 contours lower. From here I thought that I had to drop 5 contours. I also heard noises below a thought maybe that maybe it was Lachlan. This pushed me too low and I lost map contact. I tried to relocate. I couldn't make sense of the first couple of rock surfaces that I saw. Then I found the clearing and worked it out. Losing 3 minutes on the first control was not the start that I was after.
I had a good section from 1 through to 9 - I just didn't have much hill speed going up to 8 and 10.
At 10 I navigated well to the circle, but jumped in the rocks too early without reading my map carefully enough and lost 45 seconds.
I headed to the track for the long leg to 11. I possibly could have optimised my route to the track a little better. I went close to 13 and had a look at the feature/approach to possibly help me on the return.
The medium green towards 12 was burnt, so I ran up the gully and stayed out of the rocks as late as possible.
Back towards 13 I picked up an unmarked track and ran on it as far as I could.
From 14-15 I expected to see the small spur, but I was too low and missed it. I carried on not understanding that I was low until I hit the slope to the SW of the control. Another minute lost. In the circle I saw the flag - I'm not certain but it may have been placed just to the north of the middle cliff.
On the climb out of 17 I still felt good. Usually by this stage of a long distance WOC trial this is not the case. The course was probably a bit short.
I hit 18 well and tried to increase my pace. I didn't pay enough attention to my map in the circle for both 19 and 20 and lost time on each.

Every time loss was due to too much attempted simplication and not enough map contact. I really didn't read enough of the important information on some of the trickier legs. I have been able to get away with this on easier maps, but not here.

C • Maps+ 25

Event: NOL & Vic Bush State Series 2 - Yackandandah - Rowdy Flat
 

National Orienteering League Race 4
Rowdy Flat, Yackandandah
4th place behind Shep 37, Simon 39 and Eon 42.

This was one of the most technical races that I have competed in Australia for a long time.


It wasn't a terribly clean run, but it was the type of race where you had to minimise your time losses. I managed to do that reasonably well, losing just 30 sec on 2, 1 min on 3 and 30 sec on 16.
Most people seemed to lose much more time with this. The top navigators seemed to find their way to the high placings.
Congratulations to Shep for a great run. He has showed on previous occasions that he has a great technique for this area. Running speed has little to do with the results here. It really does test your technique and ability to interpret and simplify the map.
Reading the map at 1:10000 was almost impossible, so I had many stops today to check the map. It was not possible to have a smooth flow, but it was necessary for me to maintain map contact.

Mike's Meander
I felt a bit stiff and sore from the start, so I took it fairly easy.

Descending set @ Gosch's Paddock
3 laps, 2.5 laps, 2 laps, 1.5 laps, 1 lap, .5 lap

I had a bit of a spring in my step today. I got faster each rep.

Fawkner Park