Training Log Archive: grilla

Long Distance at High Plains. Thought I did OK today, but looking at my course now, I lost a lot of time. Started OK after a bit of a kerfuffle having 2 of us on the same course at the same start time. I started in the 1 minute gap behind Mark Freeman. Took the safe (fence) way to 1, 2 and 3 good, was a bit wayward negotiating the yellow going to 4 then very cautious on the approach, cautious again mid way to 5 but that is better than being lost. I was fortunate to see Tracy punch 5 as it was on the wrong boulder but its likely I wouldn't have noticed as it was the one I'd been heading for anyway. Took off out of 5 the wrong direction, woke up and compensated getting an easy way into 6. Was perturbed coming up into it to see Mark up on the knoll scratching his head. Got a bit panicked, but the control was there he just hadn't seen it. I was having parallel error nightmares and with good reason as this was the same hill that got me at Easter 2008. Did 7 well but now Mark, Tracy and I were together. Tracy overtook me down the hill and went a different way to 8. I chose to go with them without consulting the map properly, thinking that being with the others would make me run faster, but in hindsight my original plan was much easier and I might have had more oomph at the end of the course.... Dropped on the way to 9 but caught up by going a different way. Misread the line of rock just before 10 and crossed the ridge my control was on (thinking I was crossing one before). Lost quite a bit of time there. Running out of strength now I went the long way around to 11 just to find some easier running. Got it and the next 2 OK. Misread the map for the last and took off following the creek rather than the bottom of the hill. Lost another 90 seconds here.
Overall 10 minutes behind Shannon, not far behind the others and lots of room for improvement!

Event: QB3
 

NSW Sprint Champs around a school campus. Started well, lost some time going to 3 (there was no way I could get over the crossable fence). Major loss on 6 where I got almost to 7 before realising 6 was way behind me... Mark Freeman caught me at 17 and ran away to 18. I lost time going the wrong side of a building but caught up with good routes to 19 and 20. I was definitely reading ahead and flowing through the controls and buildings better than him, but didn't have enough speed in the open. Lost a bit more on the way to 23 but that seemed to be the theme of the day for everyone.
Very disappointed to be so far behind.

There is definitely an argument for another fence symbol: fences that anyone can cross; fences that supermen can cross; and fences that you are not allowed to cross.

Still tired and ankles very wobbly. Tried the bush tracks today - they're amazingly still very wet. Some fallen trees blocking the tracks and bits of the smaller tracks washed away too.

Pretty sluggish but had to go out to enjoy the sunshine.

C • Sunshine 1