Training Log Archive: Rhesus

Probable last day in Christchurch. Spent cleaning out the van, buying bedding, shopping, registering car in my name, blah blah etc. Beer time.

Canterbury Long

Awful. 2 controls in the wrong place, number 4 particularly was way out. Unimaginative planning - dog legs out following fences only to turn and run back up the same fence.
Nearly got killed by a rockfall climbing out of 5, missed me by a foot.
Stampeding cows in the limestone area, not cool.
People crossing the deer fences when asked not to beforehand. We can all do that, but some of us abide by the rules even if it means a long run round.

Really unimpressed. I dropped out. The bit that concerns me most is that most of the Kiwis just shrug and say "Welcome to New Zealand, this is what the orienteering events are like". I think Il stick to running til after xmas when I hit north island if this is the precedent.

Its a shame as I hate slagging things off when people have put time and effort into it BUT it really was poor. Area was ok too, apart from the green limestone hellzone.

Underwhelmed. The least you can ask for is the controls to be in the right place!

On the plus side, I saw a wallaby

C • The squiggles... 6

Event: Canterbury Champs
 

Canterbury Champs Middle Race

Started well, though immediately obvious that the map was, ahem, minimally mapped. Accepted this and got o with it, but totally bananed 4. Inexplicable.

After thrashing round the ridiculously mapped 8, I got it together and had a decent run after that though the map around 16 was also not very good. Well off Chris Forne, but some decent controls strung together.

4th

Running round a sand dune area. Felt really bad in the stomach so cut it short. Felt off last night too.

Good run up Port Hills and back.

Tried something called rogaining. Basically a score event. 2 hours limit, run in pairs. I ran with Matthew, and it was pretty good fun - low key, 10 quid entry, lots of spot prizes and some good rough running. You reach the control circle and you have a description of what its on. They can be rather vague! I would defo do another one.

Flax = spiky hell bush
Bluff = a crag
cabbage tree = fancy tree

Sore bottom of feet now. As you can see from the time, we were cutting it fine so opened up the burners down Harry L track. Mat did not enjoy that bit I think...

In a bizarre episode when waiting for Mat at the bottom of a hill, something fluttered past, I grabbed it, and it turned out to be a Yellowhammer. Mat looked rather confused when I shouted and held it up. Let it go then. Also saw an Australian Magpie.

Have been offered a place on the Kepler Challenge. Only problem being its end of the month and its 60km. Whilst Im capable of running that distance, I think itl screw me over for a bit and will curtail any training before the WC as Il probably race myself into the ground, so am probably going to politely decline...Luxmore Grunt is same day though at 27km...

C • You can't turn that down!! 3

Shake out along the river. So flat.

C • It's 1

Out with some PAPO members inc Tane Cambridge, Carsten Jorgensen, Matt Dickinson. Pines Beach.

Fairly scratty area. Orienteering not up to much, but was some map time before the weekend which should be better.