Training Log Archive: evancuster

Walk to Beaulieu and back with Jill.

Went to a small O event in Levens, France, about 20 km north of Nice. Only about 75-80 participants, with 3 courses, 2500, 3500 and 5500 m. I did the middle course. I had a hard time getting information about the event. The master regional schedule had it, but the club's website had no info, and the nearest "real" O club just had question marks until about Wednesday before the event.

Levens is a small town up the road from Nice that follows a huge reentrant or gorge, with very steep walls. I was thinking there was no way to orienteer in this area. Then we reached the top, and there was a big flat area, with a huge meadow, which was the assembly area, start and finish. Most of the course was on a hill just to the west of this meadow. It was steep, with 10 m contours, so could not rely on fine contour changes.

The maps were preprinted. I thought it unusual that the controls did not have lines connecting them, but thought it was just a way to decrease clutter since there were a lot of controls close together. It wasn't until after I got home that I noticed that it was "ordre libre", or a score O without a time limit. Sure would have changed my strategy. As it was, I twisted my ankle about half way through the event, and almost quit, but it only hurt when I ran, so just walked the rest of the way. Finally decided just to take the controls close to each other, so did a third of the course the way it should have been done.

It took me about 4 controls to realize the strategy was to stay on the trails. About 80% of the map was green, and perhaps the other 10% should have been also. It was sort of like a ski-O without the snow. Stay on the trails and determine the best route choice. The ground was quite rocky, with a lot of stone wall terraces, some a meter tall, which made it difficult for these old legs to get up and down them. A lot of nasty vegetation, including wild roses with thorns.

I think 2 of the controls were misplaced. One was a dot knoll near a trail bend. The knoll was obvious, but the bag was about 30 m away in the middle of some dense vegetation. Another was either at the wrong trail junction or else there was a seond unmapped trail junction about 50 meters away. Also there was one wrong code. The control description said 38, but the control was 48. I was sure I was at the right control, and was surprised when I check the code. Went back to an obvious ruin, paced it out, only about 50 meters away, and came to the same control. Punched it and went on.

There is a big 3 day meet next Easter weekend including Easter Monday, but it is in Agen in the Lot district, about half way between Toulouse and Bordeaux. It is about 650 km away, and unless I don't have class that Monday, it is not worth the drive, assuming I could still get entered, since the cut-off date was about 2 weeks ago. It is the Southwest France Champs.

Walked to Nice via Col and met Jill at gym, and then to lunch.

Ran to Beaulieu and back. I am definitely more a 6 km guy than a 12 km. Even so, I am doing about 12 min miles. I try, but it's just not there.

Slow walk with Jill to Cap Ferrat bridge and back.

Villefranche. Cap Ferrat loop. First exercise since coming to France. Slept about 4 hours on the plane Friday night, then a hard day Saturday. Had to take a sleeping pill about midnight, but then slept to about 7 on Sunday. Another sleeping pill in the middle of Sunday night, but managed to get about 7 hours sleep. Last night woke up about 1:00, took half a pill, and slept to about 6:30, which is my normal time.