Training Log Archive: ndobbs

Finally made it up Anthony's Nose. Way prettier than it sounds. Wonderful weather again today.

C • yay! 1

pics

And yeah, 16º the past few days. The big FO tank Ian was driving must be changing the local climate. http://weatherspark.com/#!dashboard;q=peekskill

2009? TT Red, Rockhouse

Good fun, fine the first seven controls apart from a print-induced hesitation at 6. Eight I wasn't good, off-line, came back to the zone but took a while to realise I really was in the right place. 10 I also hesitated quite a bit, and 18 I ran to the cluster of three boulders a bit lower in the re-entrant.

Orienteering well for much of it. Not so well the other bits. Brendan was flying for much of it.

Again, too weak to do a second session properly.

Line-O was tough physically, passed through lots of nasty Surebridgeness.

I figured there was no way to do all the controls before dark, so I skipped 1,2,3. But then the woods from 4-6-car were all lovely, so had a bit of time to spare, perhaps I should/could have gone start->2... perhaps.

Good times anyway. Thanks to Ian for being a star and sorting out the two sessions today, including a pénible trip to Kinko's Friday night.

Ali and Ian destroyed me on the BG, I only made it to 9 before I chickened out, but apparently 2002 me is still faster ;)

Morning training was the most fun in a long time, really good exercise.

Jagge-training on BM!

Quickroute - some slight distortion as always on BM.

And here is a roughly similar part of Blue Mountain, contour only, but with the dot knolls and form-lines included. Quite a difference.


1 - Once I realised that the index contour east of the control was key, this was easy enough, but it took a little while.

2- started out the way I wanted to go, but I guess the big mountainous lump under the yellow (so not on the map) confused me so I veered left and got more confused. Worked out where I was and the rest was easy. Realising what the yellowed out hill was would have been v useful going to 12. Oh well.

3- straightforward enough, I wasn't especially fast or smooth.

4- the huge re-entrant behind the control was easy to pick out

5- I've been across this area a few times, it's wonderful. Tried to keep a runnable line, rather than the straightest. Got a bit scared towards the control, but the big cliff thing was a big cliff.

6- didn't understand the contours going up here, (thought I was a little more to the right approaching the yellow, then worked it out), tried to understand what was going on rather than attempting to get to the control as fast as possible.

7- This was cool, got up to the top of Blue Mtn and all the bumpy bumps were gone, just the highest one remaining, so I ran to the left of it and dropped down to the control... I hit it dead on, not sure if luck or skill, given the lack of map :)

8- nice, didn't have to worry about where the stone wall was or anything, just look for the big spur...

9- not quite sure how one was supposed to do this - I went into the re-entrant and cut up towards the end, hesitant spike.

10- niiiiiiiiiice

11- poor, should have stayed higher, but the forest wanted me to go down...

12- ha, I think Jagge was testing us on this one, and I failed :) Knew where I was most of the leg, then coming to the yellow there was a huge hill, and i couldn't see space for it on the map, nor where it was, so obviously it was under the yellow, but that was too simple for me to understand. Went far enough to see the drop off to the west, then thought for a bit, then saw the rock stuff near the control, then went to the control...

F- I think the zig out of 12 was to cross a marsh, maybe.

Compass-free.

------------------
And the instructions:
"5 km course attached. I made it pretty fast, hope it is about ok.

For advanced athletes. 5m Contours only, no form lines. And everything is erased just before each control, but for control and the area just behind is just normal map. They is supposed to be some uncertainty for countours only and missing form lines - what it comes to small contour details they can't trust them too much, some. Athletes should cope with the uncertainty, use big land forms to navigate to near control, get accurate enough map contact there, figure out right attack direction and with the help of being able to read details behind the control spike controls spot on. Controls are usually easy, big boulders and such.

The idea here is orienteers usually first learn to have constant map contact. When that's learned, the next step is learning how to survive those moments when contact is lost. And make sure keeping contact with small details all the time does not slow you down. Also having contact when it counts (just before control) and remembering to check direction accurate enough just before control and using objects behind control to lead you to the control are part of theme here.

I have no idea how the area looks like and how advanced your runners are, I hope this is about right. If it feels all too difficult they can have normal map in they pocket. If it feels too easy they can run without compass the second half (this is not supposed to be bearing running training!). You maybe should show example to others and run without compass right from the start, it's your back yard after all.

If this is not quite what you were after, just archive this and run later.

I could not guess is the river crossable, so I used bridges.

Have fun!"

C • too far out? 8

The boys and Ali flew away from me, and that together with a dodgy route to 1 meant I was on my own... passed Brendan en route to 6, but he seemed not to notice.

By 9 I'd been out long enough not to be able to plod around to the finish before dark, so I headed back to the ranch.

Fun to hang out with (Bela+)Russians, CSU kids and Kiwi afterwards.

C • fun 1

Fail.
Canteen had no food today, so only ate less than half what I normally do for lunch, with the intention of leaving early to go run in Purchase.

But maths got interesting at work, which , and then I had to print maps, 6pm by the time I was done...

Fail.
Had intended to check out Purchase this evening, but slept poorly last night.

C • Join the club 1