Training Log Archive: Becks

Event: SOL5
 

More details later, but today was really fun. Cambus O' May did not defeat me, although the Straiminator got me by about a minute. Was a bit slow the whole way but the was on the top form till the final few controls, when a couple of silly errors crept in. Loved it though.

I imagine this will probably be a WOC training area so will try and Quickroute tomorrow when I have better light for a photo.

Map of part 1: http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

Part 2: http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

Start - 1: No probs, left the track across the wide hill and dropped in, slowed slightly by bracken in the re-entrant.

1-2: Maybe not the quickest route but the safest with my current level of confidence. Came in after the ridge on fine compass, was a bit slow in as the site didn't look exactly as I visualised.

2-3: Now it gets tricky. Across the flat bit, over the bottom of the wide rocky re-entrant, up onto the plateau and drop in. Spike. Yes.

3-4: Aimed to go straight but drifted on my rough compass and so stuck to the paths. Not the fastest but easy.

4-5: One re-entrant, one spur, one re-entrant, up onto the next spur, bang. nice flow.

5-6: Stuck to the ridges then dropped off at the end. Nice.

6-7: Up re-entrant, across some flattish stuff, the other side of nice think re-entrant. Bang.

7-8: Very slow across the open, need to remind myself how to pick my feet up when running. Then did some bonus climb - should have done an extra compass check.

8-9 To the road, should have gone higher where it was less rocky. Then decided on a very silly half and half route from the road that in trying to avoid climb in two places ended up doing the most climb. Silly. Should have gone higher the whole way and dropped into the wide rentrant.

9-10: Slog up the slope, but navigationally no problem.

10-11: Dropped too low for ease of navigation, but not feeling physically strong enoough for that kind of lazy decision.

11-12: Nice route through the valleys, bang.

12-13: Came in from the ridge, extra climb but simpler.

13:14: Another ridge run, then over the ride and in, no problem.

14-15: Was pushed too far north, went round the hill with the boulder, but then over corrected when coming off it, dropping into the eastern re-entrant. Again, extra compass check would have helped here.

15-16: Bearing across wide re-entrant, control very visible.

16-17: I have run across these hills many a time, knew where I was going here.

17-18: Brain and legs tired, out to the road. Good route, except was lazy on leaving the road and dropped into the wrong re-entrant. Lots of bracken in the way of my correction. Boo.

18-19: Path route, easy. Maybe lower paths with bit on ridges across marsh would have been faster.

19-20: Nae probs, over the hill and drop in.

20-21: Straight on compass, nae probs.

21-22: Silly, read the north round the pond route as more complicated, when actually it was easier with less climb. Definitely tired.


So, all in all, I was very encouraged yesterday, and now I've done the analysis, am even more encouraged. Was up with the locals no problem, but there are a lot of finer bits of technique that I was less good on out there that would have shaved me some significant time. More compass routine (not more compass in general, just ensuring I use it at those key turning points), better planning ahead, and more physical fitness to avoid silly decisions in the final stages. So yey! I reckon I could shave at least five minutes off that time, which is very encouraging. Yey!

Control count: 141/2000

C • Straiminator 7

Having a wonderful time at home, trained as planned but no ability to download garmin.all very hectic but a huge amount of fun.early bed now though!

C • Greetings from Pawtuckaway 2

FVO Training at Sluie. A soggy morning in Deeside, and very tired after a 4.30am start and many hours on the train and bus. I was definitely rusty in Scottish stuff, but my major stumbling block was a lack of confidence deriving from this. I think 2 was on the wrong crag, but after that I pulled it together. Reminded that I needed to plan ahead well and anticipate - need to banish these bad ground to map habits I've gained!

Map: http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

Course two practised slope orienteering, but there was a lot of bracken and it wasn't easy to see point features. Missed four entirely but it was wet and cold and didn't want to hang around to find it. Otherwise generally improving on visualising. Still less good in the grotty stuff than the nice stuff. Also working on looking at my compass at the critical moments, something I don't tend to do enough. It worked alright.

http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

A zip round the nice controls on the nicest course. Orienteering much better, a bit of a wobble going to 7 but corrected pretty quickly.

http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

A downhill slope course at Shooting Greens. Really fun, gorgeous forest, and nailed everything until the end, where I stopped too soon on an early clump of rock and made an exciting parallel error of a magnitude not made in a while. Then it started to really rain.


http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

Aside from standing on top of the right boulder having a confidence crisis for about a minute (ridiculous) at number one, showed a definite improvement this afternoon despite getting tired. Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead!

http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

Contorl collecting, By now it was really raining, and I was tired and getting sloppy.

http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

A disastrous Strip The Willow (Londoners not good at Stripping, it seems), and a slightly more successful Dashing White Sergeant with the groom. A lovely wedding for wonderful people.

C • Intensity 3 2

A very silly run into Princes Street to try and find a white bra for my dress for the wedding. There were no bras my size. This was irritating. It was also very wet and thus not a particularly enjoyable shopping excursion.

Slept for about half an hour on the plane as they took the quick route having been delayed for two hours at JFK. Was a physical mess yesterday and decided shopping was far wiser than training. Had a lovely evening with Ceej, Eleanor and Brooner, and slept amazingly well last night. Now just waiting for the Embassy courier to arrive "between 9 and 12," hopefully closer to 9 then I can get out for a run and get back on track.

It is amazing being back home. If there's one thing that living in New Haven has made me realise, it's that I would be totally happy living in London.

Edinburgh tonight - come and say hello! Probably at the Villager on George IVth sometime after 7.

C • London 4

Come on stupid courier man...

I jumped out of CJ's at the last possible minute for my run, and zoomed over to St James Park. Ran past the palace to wave at the Queen especially for Ian, but there were lots of tourists to get in the way. Running in the lack of humidity is lots easier! It's great!

Was going to train today and rest tomorrow but the stupid Secure document collection system from the Embassy tried to call me to arrange payment at 8.30am BST. Except for some reason my UK phone is going straight to voicemail, so I spent a frustrating half half on the phone to Vodafone (at 3.30am) trying to get it to work, which ended in technical support cutting me off because she didn't like the line. So I call the Embassy, and they agree to let my Mum & Dad pay for the document collection, and say they will call them immediately. I watch a Mad Men and eventually get some kind of fitful sleep, only to get up at 9am and find they haven't called my poor Dad yet who has spent all day sitting next to the phone.

a) Why on earth can't the US Embassy bit of DX Secure call US phones? Surely this is a problem they encounter all the time?

b) How can an agency that's been told multiple times I'm in the US justify calling me at 3.30am?

c) I am now thoroughly exhausted and at least hoping that this means I manage to sleep on the flight over. Hopefully normal service will resume, and my documents will be collected tomorrow, enabling me to get back to this place on time.

Grrr. Mad.

C • Wishing you a wonderful trip! 5

More later - Becky's Awesome at Brainard.

Okay, up now at : http://sprintseries.org/doma/show_map.php?user=bec...

I was tired when I started today and struggled a bit with concentration. Missed the path I wanted at 1 and did a nice banana, then really struggled with finding the correct boulder for number 2.

Number 5 direction was just totally off, and couldn't figure out whether I was supposed to go up or down. Decided to pull myself together after that.

The technical bits that followed were a delight, gorgeous woods and great mapping. Got most things spot on, aside from 9 where I drifted on the flat and thought I'd arrived a few crags too early. Quickly realised my crag wasn't opposite a hill and figured it out though.

12 was tricky, and as I suspected I did go past the site and dropped into the steeper re-entrant. I did go right over the control though, so my line was good, and would have been fine with a flag there.

At 16 I ran over the feature, but realised pretty quickly and corrected.

18 I had no plan and it showed - took the easy way out of the control, not realising that I needed to climb. Never saw the path, but realised very quickly I was too low. Not a fun climb up!

Then came the road running, and my legs finally came alive again! Garmin reckoned I was running just over 4 minute kms and it felt strong and easy, not tough and ridiculous. Just had to beat the body into submission, clearly!

Too far right of the line on 25 - hit the hilltops nicely but should have done a quick compass check. Misinterpreted the re-entrant the boulder was in as starting lower down, and thus headed to the wrong bit of the hill.

Silly route down from the final control, but it looked rocky the right way and I was being a pansy.



So all in all, maybe today should have been called Becky's sometimes awesome, but she's definitely rusty and needs to focus more in vague bits where the orienteering is less fun. Managed to stay ahead of the Ali though after she almost caught me at 12 (giving a motivating toot toot!). It's not like she was running without a compass or anything.

Oh, wait... :)